Gulangyu (鼓浪屿, also written Kulangsu) is a small island about 20 minutes by ferry from Xiamen's pier district. It has no cars, colonial-era buildings and villas, gardens, a piano museum and viewpoints, and UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage site on 8 July 2017, according to Wikipedia. What you need to know before you go is that ferry tickets are tied to your identity, and the sources we read disagree on prices and on how to buy. This page lists every figure with its source and date, and says which ones we could not confirm against the current official app. For the city and hotels, see the Xiamen guide. Checked on 17 October 2026.
Ferry tickets, fares and how to buy
| Item | What we found | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Regular ferry fare | CNY 35 (the site writes "The ferry costs 35 yuan") | Kulangsu management committee public-service site, undated |
| Deluxe ferry fare | CNY 80 return | Wikivoyage, not official, year not given. China Highlights gives CNY 80 for its "boutique" ferry |
| Where to buy | The "Yujian Xiamen" (屿见厦门) mini-program in WeChat, Alipay and UnionPay, or the Xiamen ferry company's site | Xiamen Daily, 22 Apr 2024 (May Day holiday report) |
| Buying at the window | The committee's site says you cannot buy in advance; tickets are sold on the day, and you should allow 15 more minutes to buy | Same site, undated |
| Documents | A second-generation Chinese ID card scans on board. Other documents are exchanged for boarding proof at the ticket window. The committee's site says foreigners need a passport | Xiamen Daily, 22 Apr 2024, and the committee's site |
| Check-in | Opens 20 minutes before departure and stops 5 minutes before the boat leaves; arrive more than 30 minutes early | Xiamen Daily, 22 Apr 2024 |
| Return ticket validity | 20 days from purchase, valid from any pier | Wikivoyage, not official |
Where sources disagree: the Xiamen Daily (April 2024) says tickets are bought through the mini-program and the ferry company's website, while the committee's daytime-ferry page says to buy at the ticket window on the day (that page is undated and its newest archive is April 2019). Wikivoyage says buying online in advance is recommended but almost impossible without a Chinese ID card. China Highlights tells international travellers to book through the mini-program up to 15 days ahead and says the program opens only when you are in China. We could not open the official app, so we cannot confirm whether foreigners can buy ahead with a passport. If advance tickets do not work for you, plan to go early and allow time at the ticket window. The committee's site says waits can reach an hour in busy periods.
Piers, day and night
The Xiamen Daily (22 April 2024) says daytime boats leave from the Dongdu Xiagu terminal (厦鼓码头, the international cruise terminal) to Sanqiutian (三丘田) or Neicuoao (内厝澳), from Pier No. 1 on Lujiang Road to Neicuoao, and from the Songgu pier in Haicang to Neicuoao. After 17:50 you board at the Lujiang Road pier, Room 2. That matches Wikivoyage, which describes Dongdu as several kilometres from the centre, reached by Metro Line 2, with a crossing of about 20 minutes. The committee's site says daytime boats run about every 20 minutes from 7:10 to 17:40 (to 18:40 from June to September) and gives Dongdu's address as 2 Donggang Road, Huli District. Wikivoyage lists the Lundu pier (Room 2) for evening departures from 17:50 in winter until morning.
China Highlights' Gulangyu article says international travellers should board at Dongdu, and that the Sanqiutian arrival is closer to the sights and starts the shuttle bus. It also says that after 7 pm you can return from Sanqiutian to the Lundu terminal near Zhongshan Road, with a boat every 30 to 40 minutes. We have not confirmed that last point against the operator.
One mismatch: the committee's site writes the daytime hours on another page as "7:10am-6:30am", which is probably a typo for 18:30. Check the latest timetable in the app or at the pier before you go.
Rules and services on the island
Wikivoyage says cars, motorbikes and bicycles are banned on the island, that a battery shuttle runs a single circular fare of CNY 10 (year not given), and that visitor numbers are said to be capped at 65,000 a day. We found no official notice on that cap. The Xiamen Daily (July 2024) says the scenic area offers a luggage service, with pick-up at the Sanqiutian and Neicuoao piers and delivery to 11 points on the island, ordered through the official guide platform, and has advice and complaints desks at the Piano pier and those two piers, open 9:00 to 18:00 daily.
The main sights and the fees different sources give
There is no fee to enter the island, but the main sights charge separately. We could not open the operator's current fee table, so the figures below are old and unofficial. Use them as a guide only.
| Sight | Fee per Wikivoyage | Hours per Wikivoyage | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunlight Rock (日光岩) | CNY 60 | 7:30 to 20:30 (winter), 7:30 to 21:00 (summer) | The island's highest point, with many steps |
| Shuzhuang Garden (菽庄花园) | CNY 30, including the piano museum | 7:30 to 20:30 / 7:30 to 21:00 | A 44-bay bridge and rock gardens |
| Bright Moon Garden (皓月园) | CNY 15 | 7:30 to 20:30 / 7:30 to 21:00 | Statue of Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) |
| Organ Museum | CNY 20 | 8:15 to 17:45 / 8:15 to 18:15 | In the Bagua building |
| Combination ticket on the island | CNY 110 (2019 figure) | - | Covers Bright Moon, Shuzhuang, Sunlight Rock and the museum |
A second data point: the Xiamen Daily (7 April 2022) reported that the management committee cut the combination ticket for five main sights (Sunlight Rock, Shuzhuang Garden, Bright Moon Garden, the Organ Museum and the Inscription Art Gallery) from CNY 90 to CNY 60 until 30 June 2022. That promotion has ended, but it shows the combination ticket sold at CNY 90 at one time, against Wikivoyage's CNY 110 at another. We do not confirm a current figure. China Highlights warns that first-time visitors buy attraction tickets they do not need, so decide what you want to enter before you pay. Check prices in the official "鼓浪屿 Kulangsu" app, which the Xiamen Daily (July 2024) says sells ferry tickets, main-sight tickets and shared piano bookings.
Official tour, or walking on your own
The Xiamen Daily (20 July 2024) reported that the Gulangyu culture and tourism centre launched an official tour at CNY 19.9 per person, with no forced shopping, on four routes from Sanqiutian or Neicuoao pier to Sunlight Rock or Shuzhuang Garden, booked on the official guide platform. We did not check whether it still runs in 2026 or whether it has an English option. For walking alone, Wikivoyage says to turn left from the pier onto Longtou Road, a shopping street leading towards the Dragon Head hill, or go straight to the large map and tourist information centre, which has luggage storage.
How long, and when to go
Our suggestion, not official: give it a whole day, because ferry waits and ticket queues take time, and go on a weekday morning. China Highlights suggests a ferry around 10 am to avoid the 8:30 to 9:30 boarding peak (it books 9:50 for its guests). Wikivoyage advises avoiding Chinese public holidays and weekends for the crowds, and says ferries may be limited in a typhoon (about July to September). Check notices before you leave.
Links on this page and our earnings
The tour button on this page opens the provider's own search page. As of 17 October 2026 we have no registered affiliate link for Gulangyu and earn nothing from it yet. We have not compared prices, and ferry tickets should be bought from official channels only. Our disclosure page explains how affiliate links work and what we never do.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the ferry to Gulangyu?
The management committee's public-service site says CNY 35. Wikivoyage gives CNY 35 for the regular ferry and CNY 80 for the deluxe, and China Highlights agrees (CNY 35 regular, CNY 80 boutique). None of these is dated precisely, so check the price in the app or at the pier.
Do I need to book the ferry in advance?
The Xiamen Daily (April 2024) advises buying ahead in holiday periods, while the committee's site says tickets are sold at the window on the day. The sources disagree. For a long holiday, try to buy ahead through an official channel.
Can I buy a ferry ticket with a passport?
The committee's site says foreigners must use a passport to buy and board, and the Xiamen Daily says other documents are exchanged for boarding proof at the ticket window. Carry the original passport.
Which pier do I use?
By day, Dongdu Xiagu, Pier No. 1 on Lujiang Road or Songgu in Haicang, depending on the route you buy, per the Xiamen Daily. China Highlights says international travellers use Dongdu. After 17:50 it is the Lujiang Road pier, Room 2. Check the pier on your ticket before leaving the hotel.
Do I have to stay the night on the island?
No. Night ferries run, according to the committee's site and Wikivoyage. We have not checked hotels on the island; for hotels on Xiamen Island, see where to stay.
Is Gulangyu hard to walk?
The island has hills and steps. Wikivoyage says the climb up Sunlight Rock has many steps and is not suited to small children or older people. There are no bicycles or cars, but Wikivoyage says a battery shuttle runs for CNY 10.
Where can I book the official tour?
The Xiamen Daily (July 2024) says through the official guide platform, reached from the "Kulangsu" mini-program. We have not opened the app to confirm that it works today.
How this compares
We opened China Highlights' Gulangyu article (dated 2026) and Lonely Planet's Xiamen page. China Highlights is a practical ferry-and-route guide, with fares and the Dongdu advice, but it sells its own tours and notes that its booking program only opens in China. Lonely Planet's Xiamen page is a hub without ferry detail. This page puts the committee's, the newspaper's and Wikivoyage's figures side by side with dates, shows where they disagree, and says plainly that we could not confirm the foreign-passport purchase route in the official app.
See also
- Xiamen travel guide
- Where to stay in Xiamen
- Nanputuo Temple
- Fujian Tulou from Xiamen
- China travel guide for foreigners
Official sources and further reading
- Xiamen Daily (xmnn.cn): Gulangyu ferry tickets for the May Day holiday, 22 Apr 2024 (where to buy, piers, check-in)
- Xiamen Daily: official "Kulangsu" platform, CNY 19.9 official tour, luggage service (20 Jul 2024)
- Xiamen TV (xmtv.cn): combination ticket cut from CNY 90 to 60, 7 Apr to 30 Jun 2022
- Kulangsu management committee public-service site: daytime tourist ferry (undated, archive to Apr 2019)
- Same site: 24-hour ferry overview, Dongdu and Lundu piers
- Wikivoyage: Gulangyu (fares, fees, hours; not official)
- Wikipedia: Kulangsu (World Heritage 8 Jul 2017, citing UNESCO)
- China Highlights: Gulangyu Island guide (benchmark, read 17 Oct 2026)
- Lonely Planet: Xiamen (benchmark, read 17 Oct 2026)
Prices, schedules and entry rules change. Figures here are approximate as of 2026; always confirm on the official or operator page before you book. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
