Xiamen, the second largest city in Fujian province next to the capital Fuzhou, covers a total area of 1,516 square meters. As one of the five earliest special economic zones, with heavy investment from Taiwan and Hong Kong, it has been a city growing in strength.

Despite its fame as an industrial powerhouse, this port city has not lost much of its charm, and as a sightseeing haven has become one of the best areas to visit in Fujian and for good reason: Xiamen enjoys a pleasant climate and beautiful natural environment. And the city claims to be a city in the sea and is renowned for its various scenic spots and cultural relics

I. Gulangyu Island

Gulangyu Island is located just southwest of Xiamen City. Visitors can reach it by steamship from Xiamen City in about 5 minutes. Gulangyu Island is renowned for its delicate natural beauty, its ancient relics, and its varied architecture. The island is on China’s list of National Scenic Spots and also ranks at the top of the list of the ten most-scenic areas in Fujian Province.

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”. Gu in Chinese means “drum”, and Lang, “waves”.

During the later Ming Dynasty, the troops of national hero Zheng Chenggong were stationed here. After the Opium War in 1842, 13 countries including Great Britain, France and Japan established consulates, churches, and hospitals, turning the island into a common concession. In 1942, Japan occupied the island until the end of Anti-Japanese War (1937-1945).

Gulangyu Island has about 20,000 permanent residents, all of whom enjoy a comfortable, relaxing life. Only electric-powered vehicles are permitted on the island, so the environment is free from the noise and pollution of combustion engines. 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”. It is also known as the “Cradle of Musicians” and “Island of Music” because of its reputation for music appreciation.

The Island Ring Road, which circles the island, allows you to fully enjoy all the sights of this small and charming island.

Among the many scenic spots on the island, the most attractive are Sunlight Rock and the Shuzhuang Garden.

Sunlight Rock

Located in the south-central part of the island, Sunlight Rock is the island’s highest point with an altitude of 92.7 meters (304 feet). Though it may not rank with high mountain peaks, it appears superb and grand when seen from afar. The name comes from a sun-shaped formation in the granite. When the sun rises, the morning light illuminates the granite in Sunlight Temple and the rocks are bathed with sunlight.

At the foot of Sunlight Rock stands the Memorial Hall of Zheng Chenggong, built in honor of the hero’s feats which include expelling the Dutch colonists and re-occupying Taiwan. Wandering up the steep rock path, visitors will see many profound inscriptions left by poets, the oldest of which dates back to over 400 years. This is the main cultural sight on the hill. Continuing on, you will see the preserved training grounds of Zheng Chenggong’s troops. Near the field is a huge rock bridging two cliffs, forming a natural entrance to a cave. This is called “Old Summer Cave” (Gu Bishu Dong) where you can feel a pleasantly cool breeze. It’s the perfect viewing spot to appreciate the scenery of Gulangyu Island. A fantastic panorama of Xiamen City, including Nanputuo Temple, Xiamen University, and Hulishan Battery is within view.

Sunlight Rock:The name comes from a sun-shaped formation in the granite.

Shuzhuang Garden

Firstly built in 1931 on the south side of the island, Shuzhuang Garden was once a private villa. It became a garden park open to the public in 1955. It is divided into two parts-the Garden of Hiding the Sea (Canghaiyuan) and the Garden of Making-Up Hills (Bushanyuan). It was exquisitely designed to embody three important characteristics in gardening - hiding elements, borrowing from one’s surroundings, and combining movements.

The principle of hiding elements is embodied in the way the ocean remains hidden from view even if you walk right up to the garden gate. However, once you emerge from the bamboo forest, the seascape leaps into view. Climb the Tower of Tide-Viewing to really get a terrific look at the sea.

Borrowing from one’s surroundings refers to cleverly using naturally available scenery. Using the original slopes facing the sea, the reefs in the bay, and the shape of the shoreline, the former garden owner built bridges and pavilions at various levels. The panorama changes from a small bay to a vast ocean as you ascend. Here, visitors can taste the spray of the surging waves and get a bird’s-eye view of other charming islands. Both Sunlight Rock and Hero Hill (Yingxiongshan) are also visible.

The garden also possesses another characteristic - the combining of movements. Its unique arrangement joins a rockwork that includes a maze of connected caves with fine pavilions on the side of the slope. Lovely children chasing and gamboling among the caves represent movement and activity, while people resting in the pavilions give a feeling of tranquility and harmonious contemplation.

As a complex of Chinese traditional gardens, Shuzhuang Gardens entices visitors so much that one cannot help but want to see inside.

Gulangyu Island has other sights worth seeing including the Bright Moon Garden, the Seasight Watch Garden, Yu Park, and Xiamen Museum. The Bright Moon Garden is located in the southeast of the island with an area of over 20,000 square meters (23921 square yards). It is a statuary garden of national hero Zheng Chenggong with enchanting views. The appealing Seasight Watch Garden boasts villas of various styles of both China and the West. It has become a noted resort for visitors.

Shuzhuang Garden:It is divided into two parts-the Garden of Hiding the Sea(Canghaiyuan) and the Garden of Making-Up Hills(Bushanyuan).

II. Nanputuo Temple

Situated at the foot of Wulaofeng (Mountain of Five Old Men) and facing the sea, Nanputuo Temple is deemed to be one of the must-go tourist places in Xiamen. Even if you are not interested in Buddhism, you will find the place a scenic area providing you with a refreshing experience.

This Buddhist temple was once called Puzhao Temple (Universal Grace Temple). It was firstly built during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) and was later destroyed in the warfare during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). During the reign of Qing Emperor Kangxi (1662 - 1722), a naval general ordered it to be rebuilt into a Buddhist Temple and named it Nanputuo Temple.

The temple covers 30,000 square meters with four main buildings on the north-south axis. The buildings include Devajara Hall (the Hall of Heavenly Kings), Mahavira Hall (Daxiongbaodian), Dabei Hall (the Hall of Great Compassion) and a Pavilion built in 1936 in which Buddhist scriptures, Buddha images from Burma, ivory sculptures and other works of art are stored. The many rooms flanking the main buildings include dormitories, libraries and study rooms for monks.

Devajara Hall: Also called the Hall of Heavenly Kings (Tian Wang Dian), Devajara Hall is the location of the statues of four ferocious Heavenly Kings. In the center of the hall stands a fat Buddha, Maitreya or Milefo. With a broad smile, bare chest and exposed paunch, Maitreya represents the Buddha of the future, also known as the Laughing Buddha.

Mahavira Hall: Mahavira Hall is built in 1921 and features the statues of the Trinity of the Three Ages (Sakyamuni, the Buddha of the Present; Kasyapa, the Buddha of the Past; and Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future), Avalokitesvara (Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Goddess of Mercy) and Avalokitesvara’s disciples. Most of the attractive murals on the wall depict Buddhist stories and figures from India.

Dabei Hall: The Dabei Hall is an octagonal tower which was rebuilt in 1928. Inside, four Statues of Avalokitesvara are enshrined on a lotus-flower base. The Bodhisattva with his arms crossed in front of his chest has 48 hands stretching out. Each hand features a miniature scared eye. Two banyans are planted on each side of the hall.

Sutra-Keeping Pavilion: The Sutra-Keeping Pavilion was built in 1936 and houses thousands of Buddhist scriptures, Buddha images from Burma, ivory Sculptures, wood sculptures, bronze bells, incense burner and other works of art. A kind of particular porcelain Avalokitesvara in the Pavilion is said to be very precious.

The many rooms flanking the main buildings include dormitories, libraries and study rooms for monks. Vegetarian food is also served in the temple. The dishes’ unique colors, fresh tastes and poetic names make them popular with the tourists.

Devajara Hall in Nanputuo Temple

III. Hulishan Battery

Hulishan Battery lies to the south of the Xiamen Island. Construction began in 1894 during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) and ended in 1896. It covers an area of more than 70,000 square meters (about 17 acres) and is composed of barracks, a tunnel, a magazine and other fortified buildings, all surrounded by a granite wall. The ground on which the battery is built is quite solid because it is made of a mixture of ash, mud and sand with glutinous rice and brown sugar. Two large cannons once guarded the east and the south sides, but only one remains. These cannons, produced in 1886, were bought from a German arsenal at a cost of 80,000 taels of silver each. The remaining cannon is more than 13 meters (about 42.7 feet) long and weighs 50 tons. It has a range of 1,600 meters (about one mile). It is the largest and oldest 19th century breechloader in existence. Additionally, there are more than 50 iron cannons made during in the Ming and the Qing Dynasties on the grounds. Between the eastern and the southern batteries is a tunnel in which 29 cannonballs are now on display. At the exit of the tunnel are the barracks. Hulishan Battery was an important defensive factor during the war against Japanese aggression in 1900 and 1937.

In the Rongguang Museum, tourists can see ancient firecrackers, guns, swords and unusual natural stones from around the world. Exhibits include the world’s smallest cannon, which was made by the Portuguese in the 13th century. It has a length of 11 centimeters (about 4.33 inches) and a weight of 0.22 kilograms (about half a pound). Its diameter and caliber are 22 centimeters (about 8.67 inches) and 0.8 centimeters (about 0.31 inches) respectively. Included in the exhibit of stones are two unusual ones. The first is a Burman stone with a weight of 2.5 tons, which has a long, wavy stripe from the northeast to the southwest that looks like “a picture of huge amount of water pouring from the sky”. The second one is even more interesting; it bears an astonishing resemblance to a piece of meat with skin, fat and muscle.

Around Hulishan Battery, there are many other attractions, including Wanggui Platform and Pangui Platform from which tourists can see Dadan Island and Erdan Island through a telescope. All in all, the Hulishan Battery Scenic Spot is worth your visit.