Gulangyu Island
» Xiamen, Fu Jian

鼓浪屿 音乐之岛

Yuanshazhou Island

A mere 500 meters as the fly flies across the harbor from downtown Xiamen lies the famous 1.77-square-kilometer Gulangyu Island (or "Drum Waves," because the breakers pound the rocks like drums.) As a "Seaside Garden," it is well known at home and abroad for its graceful and changeable landscape.

Elegant names

During the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), the island was called "Yuanshazhou Island." It got its present name from the huge reef surrounding it. When the tide comes in, the waves pound the reef and it sounds like the beating of a drum. The island came to be named "Gulang" in Chinese means "Drum Waves."

The one sound you will hear on Gulangyu is pianos. This tiny community of 20,000 has more pianos per capita than anywhere else on the planet -hence Gulangyu's nickname "Piano Island."

Charming scenery

The island is well known at home and abroad for its graceful and changeable landscape. The meandering coastal lines, the natural bathing beach of mildly-slanting slope and fine sand all around the Island and the cliffs and rocks of fascinating strange shapes form a picture of superb beauty beyond your imagination.

A great variety of villas stand shrouded by lush wood resembling numerous jadeites embellished upon a piece of verdant silk brocade. Hundreds of flowers grown on the Sunlight Rock vie with one another for beauty. With the caressing sea breeze, it's a quite cool place in hot summer.

Carfree Island

It won't take you long to understand why Laowai chose this tiny island for their International Settlement. Gulangyu is a carfree island. Only electric-powered vehicles are permitted on the island, so the environment is free from the noise and pollution of combustion engines. Another living example of what a modern carfree city could be like.

Beautiful old mansions

Once an international settlement, there are many beautiful old mansions that were quite obvious collaborations between architects from different parts of the world. It is quite a lively place, uncharacteristically relaxed and clean for a Chinese city.

Getting around

Breathing the clean air, appreciating the ever-present green trees and lovely flowers, anyone here can feel like they are in heaven. With classical and romantic European-style architecture, the island truly deserves to be called the "Architecture Museum." Among the many scenic spots on the island, the most attractive are Sunlight Rock and the Shuzhuang Garden.

Sunlight Rock

The rock is also called Huang Rock (Dazzling Bright Rock), which is located on the top of Dragon Head Mountain slightly south of the island's center. It is 92.68 meters above sea level, being the peak of the whole island. On the top, there is a sightseeing platform, where tourists can have a panoramic view of Xiamen and Gulang Island.

On the mountain, huge and precipitous rocks form many caves and gullies. Pavilions are hidden among green trees. If you go up the steps, you will come to the Lotus Flower Convent first, where a huge rock named "A Piece of Tile," sitting on the top, forms a hall below. On the large rocks beside the convent are inscribed "Wonderland of Gulang," "Heavenly Wind and sea Billows," and "Number One along the Egret River."

Close to the convent is the historical site of Zheng Chenggong's Dragon Head Mountain Fastness and the platform for directing the training of his seamen. In addition, plenty of caves, ancient walls and stone carvings can be seen indistinctly among the trees. They would stir up people's feelings and lead them to contemplate the present and recall the past. It takes only about 10 minutes' walk from the ferry to the rock.

Shuzhuang Garden

Built in the style of "Yihong Garden" described in the novel "Red Chamber Dream" it is like an emerald flower set upon the seaside. It was built by a Taiwan business tycoon who moved his family here during the Sino-Japanese War (1894 - 1895). Popular as "A garden Within another Garden on the Sea," it was constructed above the sea. Seated in the Meishou Hall and sipping tea, one is so carried away as though floating in a painted pleasure-boat upon the misty boundless sea.

In its excellent layout and novel designs, the Garden harbors infinite variety of changes, alternating tranquility with movements. 44 bridges span the wavy sea. Monkey Cave and the twelve minor caves of "Maze Cave" all take a grotesque and amusing shape. The pavilions in the garden built half upon the land and half over the sea are picturesque.

Zheng Chenggong Memorial Hall

Lying at the northern foot of Sunlight Rock, the Zheng Chenggong (a national hero) Memorial Hall was built on February 1, 1962 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the recovery of Taiwan by Zheng Chenggong. The memorial hall covers an area of 13,000 square meters, and the main exhibition hall has an area of 2,200 square meters. The site of the memorial hall was the place where Zheng Chenggong stationed his troops and commanded the drilling of the waterborne forces. Now tourists can still find many historical sites, such as the soldier-drilling terrace on water and the village gate, as well as a great number of inscriptions by famous personages.

Piano Museum

Located in the Hall of Roaring Tides in Shuzhuang Garden, the Piano Museum covers an area of nearly 1,000 square meters. It is the only museum in China displaying various kinds of antique pianos from different countries in the world. All the pianos in the museum were donated by Hu Youji, a collector of pianos who is a native of Gulangyu Island and now resides in Australia, including nearly 100 precious pianos and over 60 ancient piano lamps collected by Mr.Hu in his life.

In the Piano Museum, tourists can find the "steinway" piano of the United States and the "Bosendorfer" piano of Austria, both produced in the first half of the 19th century, the precious gilded piano, the oldest square piano, the largest upright piano, and the oldest hand-operated piano. In particular, in the center of the big hall there are two pianos, which have the patterns of flowers and birds with Chinese classical flavor meticulously and beautifully pieced together with wood. Musicians play piano once every half an hour in the museum. While enjoying the melodious piano music in the kingdom of pianos, tourists will be immersed in the musical atmosphere of the Music Islet.

Bright Moon Park

It is a theme park to commemorate Zheng Chenggong, a national hero. Located on the southeastern seashore of Gulang Island, the Bright Moon Park covers an area of 30,000 square meters. First constructed in 1985, the park was named because of a poem which aiming to cherish the memory of the hero and Taiwan.

The most attractive in the park is a huge granite statue of Zheng Chenggong on a huge rock. The statue is 15.7 meters high, 1,617 tons in weight, and is formed by 625 pieces of "Quanzhou white granites," with 23 layers in total. Fuding Rock, 29.5 meters above sea level, stretches 30 meters to the sea, and stands on three legs like a tripod with Sword Rock and Yindou Rock in the sea. The statue of Zheng Chenggong stand on the three rocks in martial attire looks over the sea, as if he was commanding an army, full of power and grandeur.

In the square of the park stands large relief screens of a group of people, named "Driving out Invaders with Shields," which represents the historic scene that Zheng Chenggong led his troops to cross the sea, drive away the Dutch and recover Taiwan. It is the largest relief with historical figures in China today.

The Bright Moon Park consists of the buildings with the architectural features of the Ming Dynasty, seagulls, green trees, the vast sea and radiance to each other and presents a beautiful picture.

When to visit

Opening Hours: 6:00a.m. - 5:50p.m.

Getting there

By bus No. 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 25 to Ferry, then transfer to ferryboat.

Attractions around » Xiamen, Fu Jian

Natural Scene

Natural Scene

Historical Site

Historical Site

Cultural Site

Cultural Site

Nature Reserve & Scenic Area

Nature Reserve & Scenic Area

Saltwater Site

Saltwater Site

  Weather

  1. When is the best time to go?

  Food

  1. How about the taste of local food in Xiamen & Wuyishan?

  Other Hints

  1. What to note before enjoying the exciting floating along Jiuquxi River?

  • When is the best time to go?

    Xiamen has a subtropical monsoon climate and the weather here is mild and rainy.

    The average temperature for the year is about 21 C, the absolutely highest temperature is 38.4 C and lowest is 2 C. As the average annual rainfall here is 1100mm, it abounds mainly from May to July.

    It is a perfect place for you to visit all year round, but as an island, the sunshine here is very strong, so please be ready to do something to avoid sunstroke and the light. For example, things like sunscreen, sun umbrella, and sunhat are musts.


  • What to note before enjoying the exciting floating along Jiuquxi River?

    Floating along Jiuquxi River is a new-born popular tour, the exciting tour by a bamboo raft to see enchanting sight of exotic peaks and relics along the bank, here are something you need to read.

    1. Before getting on the raft, obey the arrangements of guide on the dock, get on raft in order; after getting on raft, please check whether you have life jacket and read "need-to-know about rafting" to get useful information, as how to keep safety on raft, dial Emergency Hotline and so on. Please don't bring valuables on raft.
    2. During floating, make sure you wear life jacket and obey guidance of raft-rower. Don't take photos on a moving raft, especially around rapids, torrents, sharp bends or curves. Please draw the safety rope to keep your body in balance.
    3. If there is a strong wind or thunder storm during the trip, please obey guidance of raft-rower to stop raft at safety place.

  • How about the taste of local food in Xiamen & Wuyishan?

    The cuisine of Xiamen mainly focuses on seafood. Taste of other dishes is mild; and chili sauce is a little bit sweet. While, the food of Wuyishan taste mainly savoury.


Covered in green all the year round, Gulangyu Island is charming, elegant, secluded and serene. A great variety of villas stand shrouded by lush wood resembling numerous jadeites embellished upon a piece of verdant silk brocade. It is renowned for delicate natural beauty, ancient relics, and varied architecture.

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