# Gulangyu Island (鼓浪屿)

Xiamen, Fujian Province · East China, China · Guidebook rating: 5/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/gulangyu-island
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** Free admission to the island; the five-attraction combo ticket is ¥110 (includes Sunlight Rock, Haoyue Garden, Shuzhuang Garden, Organ Museum and International Engraving Museum)
- **Opening hours:** Open all day (all year 2026)
- **Time needed:** 1–2 days
- **Address:** Siming District, Xiamen City, Fujian Province
- **Getting there:** To reach Gulangyu, visitors take a tourist ferry; fares depend on the departure pier and range from ¥35 to ¥50. The island's sightseeing bus around the island costs ¥50, and tickets for sightseeing buses to individual attractions range from ¥20 to ¥40
- **Good for:** History & Culture, Photography, Nature, City & Leisure

## About Gulangyu Island

Gulangyu faces Xiamen across the sea. Its original name was Yuanshazhou (Round Sandbank). Waves striking the sea caves sounded like drums, so during the Ming dynasty it was renamed Gulangyu, meaning "Drum Wave Island".
The island's human landscape is its greatest attraction. The villas that have survived intact are mainly in styles from the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia, giving the island a distinct Southeast Asian flavour. There are also 13 former foreign consulates, and the British Consulate you see as you disembark is the first you will notice, which is why the island is known as the "Exhibition of Architecture from Many Nations". In addition, almost everyone on the island seems to be musical, and many members of China's largest symphony orchestra came from here.
In July 2017, Gulangyu was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 1544. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
Site: China Trip (https://cnatrip.com) — independent China travel guide in 13 languages.