Dear Travellers,
We’d like to have the following quick guide to be always updated for the benefit of new visitors visiting Gulangyu Island by ferry. If anybody having used the piece finds necessary updates, please leave a message or feedback. Thanks!
Plan your Xiamen Tour? Gulangyu Island is a picturesque island about 600 meters off the southwest coast of Xiamen City (or exactly Xiamen Island).
ABC of Gulangyu Island
Gulangyu Island is on the top of the Top 10 Attractions in Xiamen. “Gulang” literally means “Drum Waves”, which indicates the sound caused by the waves hitting the reefs and rocks. “Yu” refers to “Island” in Chinese. This island took its present name of Gulangyu Isalnd in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Gulangyu Island started to develop and prospered at late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. Zheng Chenggong (1624-1662) is a national hero of late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. He and his troops stationed in Gulangyu Island. He and his soldiers fought bravely against the Qing government. He recovered Taiwan Island and from the Dutch invaders.
Gulangyu Island became a treaty port as the result of the Chinese losses in the First Opium War and the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842. 15 countries including Great Britain, France and Japan set up houses and consulates in the international settlement in Gulangyu. Now Gulangyu Island is teeming with Victorian-era style architecture – Villas, churches, and hospitals. Japanese invaders occupied the island began in 1942, and lasted until the end of World War II.
Gulangyu Island takes an area of 1.87 square kilometers with a population of 20,000 residents. Gulangyu Island is now classified as a AAAAA scenic area by the China National Tourism Administration. The local government is in full swing in preparation of applying for UNESCO World Culture Heritage.
How to Get to Gulangyu Island
Go to Xiamen Cruise Port to take a ferry boat to Gulangyu Island. Xiamen Cruise Port is officially known as Xiamen International Cruise Center ( 厦门国际邮轮中心).
1) Xiamen Airport Shuttle Bus
After taking your checked luggage, then follow the sign to go to T 4 or T 3 to take the shuttle bus taking from Xiamen Airport to Xiamen Cruise Port.
Departure Time: ：8:00 8:30 9:00-11:00（ every 20 minutes） 11:15-16:15（every 15 minutes
） Drive Time: about 25 minutes
Bus fare: 10 yuan p/p
2) By Taxi
Xiamen Airport – Xiamen Cruise Port : 20 minutes,11 km and 35 yuan
Xiamen Downtown – Xiamen Cruise Port: 15 minutes, 4 km and approx. 15 yuan
Xiamen Railway Station – Xaimen Cruise Port : 16 minutes, 6 km and approx. 20 yuan
Xiamen North Railway Station – Xaimen Cruise Port : 30 minutes, 25 km and approx. 80 yuan
Gulangyu Island Ferry Boat Timetable & Tickets
Ferry fares: 35 yuan ( hard seat ）； 50 yuan ( soft seat); 150 yuan ( including a circular tour )
| 7:10 7:20 | 9:50 10:00 | 12:30 12:40 | 15:10 15:20 |
| 7:30 7:40 | 10:10 10:20 | 12:50 13:00 | 15:30 15:40 |
| 7:50 8:00 | 10:30 10:40 | 13:10 13:20 | 15:50 16:00 |
| 8:10 8:20 | 10:50 11:00 | 13:30 13:40 | 16:10 16:20 |
| 8:30 8:40 | 11:10 11:20 | 13:50 14:00 | 16:30 16:40 |
| 8:50 9:00 | 11:30 11:40 | 14:10 14:20 | 16:50 17:00 |
| 9:10 9:20 | 11:50 12:00 | 14:30 14:40 | 17:10 17:20 |
| 9:30 9:40 | 12:10 12:20 | 14:50 15:00 | 18:30 18:40 |
Entrance Fees for the Island and Inside Paid Sights
Through Entrance ticket: RMB 100 ( Actually the island itself is free of charge if you don’t go inside the paid attractions in the island).
If you don’t want to buy a through entrance ticket, you may visit the attractions in the Island one by one and pay one by one.
Paid sights on the Gulangyu Island:
Sunlight Rock: 60 Yuan
Suzhuang Garden: 30 Yuan
Bright Moon Park: 15 yuan
Organ Museum: 20 yuan
International Character Engraving Art Gallery: 10 yuan
We are approaching the Ferry Pier at Gulangyu Island.
Gulangyu Island has beautiful beaches.
People are playing on the rocks and beaches with the cityscape as the backdrop.
On the top of the Sunlight Rock, the highest place on the Island.
The Lujiang River cuts through Xiamen Island and Gulangyu Island, a sharp contract between the modern buildings and the traditional Victorian-era style architecture.
Sun is setting over the mesmerizing Gulangyu Island
Tip：Xiamen Guided Tours
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself Xiamen tour and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Xiamen:
Xiamen Tour
Xiamen Cruise Port Day Tour
Xiamen Highlight Day Tour
Xiamen One Day Side Trip to Yongding Hakka Tulou
Xiamen 4 Day Highlight Tour
Xiamen Wuyi Mountains 5 Day Tour
Further Readings
Xiamen Cruise Port
How to Visit Xiamen University
How to visit Island Ring Road in Xiamen
How to Visit Hulishan Fortress Xiamen
How to Visit South Putuo Temple Xiamen
How to Visit Zhongshan Road in Xiamen
How to visit Gulangyu Island
Any recommendation on good budget lodging in Gulangyu Island?
Hi Ivy,
You may search the hotels on Gulangyu by checking out the travel website: http://english.ctrip.com/hotels/
or click the link below:
http://english.ctrip.com/hotels/list?city=25&checkin=2016-06-17&checkout=2016-06-21&optionId=25&optionType=globalhotel_city&display=Xiamen%20(%E5%BB%88%E9%96%80)%2C%20Fujian%2C%20China&markland=&searchboxArg=t&label=vlKE4ZxeIEGCHYhrgbMe6g&pageno=1&zone=173&zonename=Gulangyu%20Scenic%20Area
We are coming to Xiamen by a cruise ship (Norwegian Jewel) at 11:00 on March 22. There we are planning to visit Gulangyu island by ferry, we understand from the internet that the ticketing offices are very crowded, it can be a problem to buy tickets at the wharf in the same day, so the tickets should be booked in advance. I tried to use the ferry’s official web site e.xmferry.com or http://www.xmferry.com but it cannot be entered. I also tried http://www.xmtravel.gov.cn but it is in Chinese. All these options are from http://english.visitxm.com/news/1456299349639.html.
Can you help us by advice or booking tickets for us (3 people)? Do you know how far the ferry wharf is from cruise terminal? 2. We suppose we could book 12:10 ferry (Xiamen International Cruise Terminal – SanqiuTian Wharf). Do you think it is OK or we can be late and it is better to book the next one?
Thanks in advance,
Pavel Shenkman
Dear Pavel Shenkman,
My article “How to Visit Gulangyu Island should be updated. The original Xiamen Ferry Wharf ( across the west end of Zhonshan Road ) is now only for evening ferry! The change is the official act to alleviate the heavy traffic at the ferry wharf.
Now visitors are required to take the ferry from Xiamen International Cruise Terminal to Gulangyu Island. Gulangyu Island has two wharves – SanqiuTian Wharf and Neicuoao Wharf 内厝澳码头.
So you can easily take ferry from Xiamen International Cruise Terminal to SanqiuTian Wharf or Neicuoao Wharf 内厝澳码头 in Gulangyu Island.
1. Xiamen International Cruise Terminal to SanqiuTian Wharf: 35 yuan ( round trip ticket), crowded , every 20 minutes
2. Xiamen International Cruise Terminal to Neicuoao Wharf: 35 yuan ( round trip ticket), less crowded, every 20 minutes
Basically you can book your tickets on the spot ( On public holidays, a bit difficult to book a ticket). If you have difficulty booking a ticket to SanqiuTian Wharf, you may buy a ticket for Neicuoao Wharf.
I also learn of a kind luxury ferry boat with high-price ticket. If you cannot buy an ordinary ticket, you may ask for a deluxe ferry boat.
If you want to visit Gulangyu Island in the evening, you have to go to the original Xiamen Ferry Wharf.
Have a nice trip!