Gulangyu Island 鼓浪屿Gǔlàngyǔ

Why go to Gulangyu Island

Just across a narrow strait from downtown Xiamen, Gulangyu is a hilly island of winding lanes, former consulates and mansions built by Chinese families who made their fortunes overseas. With no cars allowed, it's an island for wandering, from shady back alleys up to Sunlight Rock and its view across the water.

The story

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, foreign consulates and wealthy returnees from Southeast Asia built villas here in a blend of Chinese, colonial and Art Deco styles. The island's love of music earned it the nickname 'Piano Island', and it has its own piano museum.

What to see at Gulangyu Island

• Bagua Building and Organ Museum 八卦楼: The red-domed 1907 mansion, now an organ museum, is one of the island's landmark buildings and a prominent feature of the skyline.
• Piano Museum 钢琴博物馆: A collection of historic pianos housed in Shuzhuang Garden, backing up the island's 'Piano Island' nickname.
• Shuzhuang Garden 菽庄花园: A seaside garden laid out in 1913 by Lin Erjia, built partly over the water with views across the sea.
• Haoyue Garden 皓月园: A coastal park built around a 15.7 m stone statue of Koxinga, the Ming loyalist who used the island as a military base.
• Sunlight Rock 日光岩: The island's highest point at 92.7 m, with a summit view over the red roofs to the Xiamen skyline.
• Catholic Church 天主堂: A Gothic-style church of 1916 on Lujiao Road, one of the island's best-known colonial-era buildings.

How to visit Gulangyu Island

Take the ferry from Xiamen's Dongdu terminal and begin by walking from the pier along the lanes toward Shuzhuang Garden and the museums, then climb Sunlight Rock for the view. The back lanes are quieter than the main lanes; electric buggies run on a few routes if the heat is too much. A half-day hits the highlights; a full day lets you slow down in the villas and gardens.

How to get to Gulangyu Island

Visitor ferries leave mainly from Xiamen's Dongdu terminal and take about 20 minutes. Daily visitor numbers are capped, so book your crossing ahead with your passport.

Where to stay

Most visitors stay on Xiamen Island near Zhongshan Road, where hotels and meals are more varied; a night on Gulangyu in a villa guesthouse gives quiet evenings after the day-trippers leave.

What to eat

• Gulangyu pie 鼓浪屿馅饼: A flaky pastry filled with sweet or savoury paste, the island's best-known snack.
• Fish ball soup 鱼丸汤: Handmade fish balls in a light broth, sold along Longtou Road, the island's main snack street.

Tips for visiting Gulangyu Island

• Ferry tickets are for set sailings; in peak season reserve a day or two ahead.
• The lanes near the pier get crowded by midday, but the back streets stay surprisingly quiet.
• Climb Sunlight Rock for the best view over the red roofs to the Xiamen skyline.

Nearby

• Fujian Tulou 福建土楼 100 km
  Round earthen fortresses where whole clans lived behind a single gate

Also within 30 km: Site of the Xiamen Prison Break 厦门破狱斗争旧址 (under 10 km), Xiamen Botanical Gardens 厦门园林植物园 (under 10 km), Hulishan Fort 胡里山炮台 (under 10 km), Huihe Stone Culture Park 惠和石文化园 (under 10 km), Qingjiao and Baijiao Ciji Palaces 青、白礁慈济宫 (10 km), Early Buildings of Jimei School Village and Xiamen University 集美学村和厦门大学早期建筑 (10 km).

Trips with Gulangyu Island

• Fujian: Xiamen, the tulou roundhouses and the Wuyi Mountains 5 days · Xiamen and Wuyishan

On the map

Open Gulangyu Island on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• UNESCO World Heritage
• Wikipedia (Chinese)