Kulangsu Organ Museum (Eight Diagrams Mansion / Bagua Mansion) (Ba Gua Lou 八卦楼)

The Kulangsu organ museum’s beautiful red dome is visible from across the bay in Xiamen. The museum, housed in the old Bagua Mansion, is one of Kulangsu’s most important tourist attractions–both for its impressive collection of organs and for its stately and imposing architectural style. The Bagua Mansion, also known as Eight Diagrams Mansion, is […]

Wang Hai Yuan Hotel and Café (望海苑)

This simple establishment has one of the most enviable locations in Kulangsu: right on Gang Zai Hou beach, the island’s largest and most frequented, but on a calmer side of it, not far from Guan Hai Yuan Harbor. The café on the ground floor is worthy place for an air-conditioned beach break, whether it’s for […]

Stinky Tofu (Pao Cai Chou Dou Fu 泡菜臭豆腐)

Your nose can’t miss this busy street food stall right in the middle of the buzz of the Long Tou Street Food Market (Long Tou Xiao Chi Yi Tiao Jie 龙头路小吃一条街): you can smell the stinky tofu emanating from the shop from a full block away. People generally either love or hate stinky tofu—there’s almost […]

Yuan Zhou Chinese Tea Courtyard (Yuan Zhou Cha Yuan 园洲茶院)

One of the most exotic yet accessible experiences for tourists on all of Kulangsu is a visit to this stunningly restored family mansion, which has been converted into a tea house where you can sample a diverse array of local teas. Here you can also sit down for formal tea service at one of the […]

Long Time No See Bar (Hao Jiu Bu Jian 好久不见)

The Long Time No See Bar (Hao Jiu Bu Jian 好久不见), Kulangsu’s biggest, loudest, and liveliest music bar hops with activity almost every night of the week, and really hums on weekends. The resident band is the best on the island for pop music, mixed with a variety of comedy that’s visually funny enough to […]