Catholic Church (Tian Zhu Tang 天主堂)
Catholicism came to Kulangsu in 1850. In 1912, the Spanish Catholic priest Manuel Prat became the bishop of the Xiamen Parish and the church was moved into the Spanish consulate. A new Catholic Church was built to the west of the consulate in 1917. This church governed religious affairs of 80 catholic churches in Fujian […]
Street Ukeleles (You ke li li jietou yiren 尤克里里街头艺人)
These two licensed street artists provide some of the street-music atmosphere for which Kulangsu Island was once famous. Two colorful men hang out near the Marine Garden Hotel, on opposite sides of the dramatic typhoon-struck tree, playing and selling cheap ukeleles. Music includes a variety of Chinese folk songs, plus frequent renditions of “Gulangyu Zhi […]
Foreign bookstore (Wai Tu Shu Dian 外图书店）
The best resource for English-language books on Kulangsu is this lovely, centrally located bookstore, where you can find a surprisingly diverse selection of Western reading material in English, as well as a vast array of beautifully designed Chinese-language printed matter. But the highlight of the store is the space itself: a spectacularly restored early-20th-century mansion […]
Gang Zai Hou Beach (Gang Zai Hou Sha Tan 港仔后沙滩)
This is the biggest and most popular beach on Kulangsu. It was once a popular spot for outdoor concerts. Stand in the middle of Gang Zai Hou’s golden sands, and you’ll be surrounded on all sides by wonders. To your left, lies a thicket of bearded coconut palms, the graceful green-roofed pagodas of the Shu […]
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 […]