Gulangyu Island

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Gulangyu Island (鼓浪屿; pinyin: Gŭlàng Yŭ) is a 1.78-km² carfree island off the coast of Xiamen, southern China.

Contents

1 Administration
2 History
3 Sights
4 Transportation
5 See also
6 External links

Administration

In October 1945, Gulangyu became one of the first four districts of Xiamen City. However, in May 2003, Gulangyu District was absorbed into the larger Siming District (based on main Xiamen island).

History

The island became a foreign enclave following the Treaty of Nanking in 1842.

Sights

As a place of residence for Westerners during Xiamen's colonial past, Gulangyu is famous for its architecture and for hosting China's only piano museum, giving it the nickname of "Piano Island" or "The Town of Pianos" (鋼琴之鄉) or "The Island of Music" (音樂之島). There are over 200 pianos on this island.

The Chinese name also has musical roots, as gu lang means drum waves so-called because of the sound generated by the ocean waves hitting the reefs. Yu means "islet".

In addition, there is a museum dedicated to Koxinga, Haidishi Jie (海底世界) Marine World, a subtropical garden containing plants introduced by overseas Chinese, as well as Xiamen Museum, formerly the Eight Diagrams Tower (八卦樓).

The island of Gulangyu is a pedestrian only destination, where the only vehicles on the islands are several fire trucks. The narrow streets on the island, together with the architecture of various styles around the world, gives the island a unique appearance.

Transportation

Gulangyu is connected to the main Xiamen island by a ferry.

External links