Gulangyu Island « China Travel Tips

Posts Tagged ‘Gulangyu Island’

How to Visit Gulangyu Island (Tips, Photos & Map)

Tuesday, December 21st, 2021

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).

The location of the Cruise Port (Red Lettered) for Gulangyu Isalnd

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

Take a ferry boat and reach Gulangyu Island in five minutes. — Take a ferry-boat and reach Gulangyu Island in five minutes.

We are approaching the Ferry Pier at Gulangyu Island.

Gulangyu Island has beautiful beaches.

The statue of the National Hero - Zheng Chenggong ( Koxinga ) — The statue of the National Hero – Zheng Chenggong ( Koxinga )

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

Sun is setting over the mesmerising 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

If you have any questions, just drop a line.

Tags: Gulangyu Island, Gulangyu Island Ferry Boat Timetable & Tickets, Gulangyu Islet, Gulngyu, How to get to Gulangyu Island
Posted in Xiamen Travel | 4 Comments »

Gulangyu Island in Xiamen, China

Friday, June 8th, 2012

The Pristine Gulangyu Island in China is Enigmatically Beautiful

If one is looking for a place to relax in China, then one of the finest destinations will be the Gulangyu Island which is a small island off the coast of Xiamen City of Fujian Province. This island features Victorian and European architecture and is known for its natural beauty and clean environment. It is one of the least polluted places in the country owing to the lack of vehicles. The small population residing here has ensured that the pristine beauty remains.

Gulangyu Island Assures Serenity and Peace unlike Any Other

Study abroad programs and gap year jobs allow you to travel to different parts of the world and experience the diversity in cultures and the richness of lifestyle that they include. Those who have been on China tours would also have experienced places which are so different from what one can imagine of a modern country. There are places which are, even today, lost in time and remain untouched.

Those who intend to visit the country to learn Chinese should enroll in Chinese language programs that take them to places which are different from bustling cities like Beijing and Shanghai. There are many programs which are tailor made to break myths of China that are known across the world. In reality, the nation still retains its spirituality despite rampant development. There are many spots which have utilized this harmony with nature to transform into havens for tourists. One of such places is Gulangyu Island which lies southwest of Xiamen City. It comes under the purview of the Fujian Province.

Gulangyu is known for its natural beauty and scenic spots. It has become one of the most well-known places in the country due to its historical background and beautiful locales. Its natural beauty has been enhanced by the presence of a natural reef around it. During high tide, waves collide against the reef and make a sound like that of a drum. This is how it has earned its name. In Chinese, ‘Gu’ means drum and ‘lang’ means waves. Hence it came to be known as Gulangyu.

When one visits the island, the lack of vehicles surprises a lot of tourists and students. The island has been kept free of all vehicles including bicycles. This is to preserve the environment and the reef by reducing traffic. Another surprise might spring in the form of European and Victorian architecture that is prominently evident in the island along with some of the most beautiful Chinese structures. After the Opium Wars, this island became a hub for nationals from more than 13 countries which included Great Britain, Japan and France. This resulted in the European architecture that still stands today on the island. The Japanese occupation till 1942 has also left a huge impression of the erstwhile Japanese lifestyle.

There are 20,000 residents on Gulangyu Island. They also do not own any vehicles. The abundance of trees and zero pollution allow one to breathe clean and fresh air throughout the island. One of the important places to see is the Sunlight Rock which is the highest point of the island. The sun-shaped formation of the granite rock looks grand when the sun rises on it. Underneath it is a war memorial. Those who would want to relax can also go to Shuzhuang Island which was once a villa but now has been changed into a public park. It is known for its bridges and pavilions.