[2025 Xiamen Attraction] Travel Guide for Gulangyu Guanfengqin Art Center (Updated Oct)

When visiting Gulangyu, don't just wander the beaches and alleys; consider attending a pipe organ concert. The Organ Art Center holds concerts every Friday afternoon from 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM. Free reservations are available through the "Gulangyu Core Attractions" mini-program at 12:00 PM every Friday. Only valid admission is required. Both Friday concerts and daily tickets include pipe organ performances. Daily tickets include performances such as "Waves of Gulangyu," each lasting approximately 15 minutes. The Friday concerts feature a wider repertoire and last 45 minutes. I snagged tickets for the Friday concert last Friday at noon and immediately made plans to visit the island. Known as the king of instruments, the pipe organ boasts a wide range and diverse timbre. Even a solo performance can sound like a symphony orchestra. The Organ Arts Center boasts a massive, century-old organ. Upon entering, I was struck by its sheer size. When the musicians sat down and began playing, I was pleasantly surprised by the music. At times, it was majestic and imbued with a sense of destiny, resonating throughout the entire hall; at others, it was bright and ethereal, soft yet tinged with a touch of playfulness and romance. 🎵The songs I was most familiar with at the event included: "If Love Has Providence" "A Beautiful Myth" "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" "City of Stars" "Love In" 🌟 Tips ✔️This Friday concert requires a separate reservation. Regular tickets to the art center are not valid for this concert. ✔️Reservations open every Friday at 12:00 PM. My rule of thumb is to record my information in advance and have it ready at 11:59 AM. Click on it at 12:00 PM. The "Friday Concert" option will appear first (it won't be available on other days). ✔️You'll need to buy a ferry ticket to get to Gulangyu Island. The venue is near Sanqiutian Pier, and tickets are available there. [Organ Art Center - Friday Concert] 🕙Time: Every Friday from 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM 🎵Playlist: Check the Gulangyu Cultural and Tourism Center account for updates. 📍Organ Art Center, No. 4 Sanming Road, Gulangyu, Siming District, Xiamen 📱Reservations: Use the "Gulangyu Core Attractions" mini-program > Ticket Booking > Organ Art Center > Friday Concert #IslandTour #XiamenTravel #Gulangyu #OrganMusicHall

I spent 3 days and 2 nights in Xiamen at the end of August. The sea breeze and sunshine were truly soothing. Although the weather was a bit hot, it didn't dampen my spirits at all! This itinerary is a proven success, ensuring no backtracking and offering authentic shacha noodles. 🌊Day 1: [Gulangyu Island Day Trip] This morning, I departed from the Home Inn (so convenient, right by the subway station) and took the ferry to Gulangyu Island. The island's architecture is incredibly unique, creating stunning photos. I highly recommend the Gulangyu Pipe Organ Art Center, said to be the largest organ in Asia, and the performances are truly breathtaking! Remember to book tickets in advance through the "Xiamen Ferry+" mini-program; if you don't get one, you can wait until the next day for return tickets. I ate at Sili Shacha Noodles before work closed. I think I ordered a bit of everything, but the broth was rich and the toppings were plentiful. At just over 25 yuan per person, I was quite full. 🌵Day 2: [Botanical Garden + Ring Road] Today, I chose to enter the Botanical Garden from the South Gate and take the super-long escalator up the mountain. The panoramic views of Xiamen were amazing! To reach the West Gate, you can take the scenic bus for 5 yuan one-way. The succulent area is perfect for photos, so be sure to wear light-colored clothing. From the West Gate, I went directly to the Bell and Drum Cableway. The aerial view of Xiamen is breathtaking. It can get a bit hot during the day, so be sure to take precautions against the sun. We arrived at Nanputuo Temple at 4 PM for some vegetarian noodles, which were absolutely delicious! They were much more fragrant than I had imagined. I also bought some shortbread and donated some electronic merit! I was a little disappointed at Shapowei... it was full of internet-famous shops, and the photo spots were completely crowded... 🚲Day 3: [Jimei School Village] The last day was a bit more relaxed, with a visit to Jimei School Village. The Jiageng architecture is quite distinctive, and the sea subway on the Ten-Mile Causeway feels like something out of a cartoon. Photos here are stunning, no filters needed! ✨Practical Tips: 1. Buy your Gulangyu ferry ticket in advance from "Xiamen Ferry+" for 35 yuan round-trip. 2. It's best to visit the Botanical Garden in the morning, as it's too sunny in the afternoon. 3. For satay noodles, try the old shop; while the ambiance is average, the flavor is excellent. 4. Xiamen is located by the sea, so while the temperature may not be as high as in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, or Shanghai, it's still quite hot, so be sure to wear sunscreen.

Arriving at the Piano Museum on Gulangyu Island, you'll find it brimming with classical charm. The entrance is filled with a giant organ, and as you enter the inner hall, you'll find more than a dozen antique pianos, each with a history of two to three hundred years. Guided by the tour guide, you'll deeply appreciate the life each piano has bestowed upon the musicians. Aiolia, Bell, Smith, Alexander... are like swords in the hands of warriors, making these musicians great again.

Gulangyu Island is definitely a place worth staying for two days, allowing you to stroll and explore at a leisurely pace. The blue-green sea complements the classical Western architecture perfectly, along with the stories and people behind them. During holidays, the streets near the ferry terminal are crowded with tourists, but if you walk a bit further inland, it becomes very peaceful, with several less crowded yet interesting places to visit. 📍Pipe Organ Art Center The Pipe Organ Art Center is located near the Sanqiutian Ferry Terminal. Inside is an enormous pipe organ that makes you feel like you're standing in a Western cathedral. There are four performances daily, which are truly spectacular. Visits require booking tickets online at midnight one day in advance, with 100 tickets released online daily. On-site reservations are also possible, but overall visitor numbers are controlled, making for a pleasant visiting experience. 📍Puppet Shows and Nanyin Performances at Haitian Tangkou As one of Gulangyu's top ten architectural sites, its most distinctive feature is the blend of Chinese and Western architectural styles. However, we were more interested in the puppet shows and Nanyin music performances inside. The puppet show lasts about 20 minutes, after which staff members come to the front of the stage to demonstrate how to control the puppets. You can also purchase a puppet as a souvenir. Since it's a tourist attraction, it's not exactly quiet. We skipped the main building tour and arrived 20 minutes early to secure seats for the puppet show. The second floor above the puppet theater also hosts Nanyin music performances. 📍Palace Museum Gulangyu Foreign Cultural Relics Exhibition This exhibition displays Western and Japanese artifacts from the Palace Museum collection. Though not far from the ferry terminal, it's on the opposite side, making it much less crowded and providing an excellent viewing experience. So if you can't visit Quanzhou, come to Gulangyu to see puppet shows; if you can't visit Beijing, come to Gulangyu to see Palace Museum exhibits. We walked all the way from Sunlight Rock to Bijia Mountain's Moonlight Rock, then to the former HSBC Bank site, and finally to the Foreign Cultural Exhibition. Even during the National Day holiday, the entire route was peaceful, especially the latter half. 📍Sunlight Rock As the highest point on the island, Sunlight Rock offers a panoramic view of the entire island and is certainly crowded. I recommend staying at the Linghai Old Villa Hotel at the foot of Sunlight Rock—the rock is just around the corner from the hotel. If you enter half an hour before closing time in the afternoon, there will be far fewer people. Overlooking the island and sea during sunset is particularly beautiful. 📍Organ Museum The Organ Museum and the Pipe Organ Art Center are in different locations. When we visited, the Bagua Building was under renovation. I've heard that the Organ Museum has now moved back to the renovated Bagua Building, which is the iconic red circular building near the ferry terminal. The museum displays various types of organs that you can examine one by one at your leisure. 📍Piano Museum The Piano Museum is located inside Shuzhuang Garden, right next to the Gangzaihou Beach. The sand there appears quite fine from a distance. I didn't have much of an impression of Shuzhuang Garden on my first visit, but this time I discovered many photogenic spots. The Piano Museum exhibits numerous pianos. Being inside a popular tourist attraction, it gets quite crowded. Staff members also perform "Waves of Gulangyu" on schedule.

Day 1: Guangzhou → Xiamen Station, arrive at around 4:30 pm, take a bus to Xiamen Ferry Terminal (book a night flight in advance), wait for the sunset at the ferry terminal, go to Bashi or Zhongshan Road for food, and then take a ferry to the island. Day 2: Gulangyu Island tour (buy a joint ticket) ~ Organ Museum (go early, there are seats for the performance) ~ Eight Diagrams Building ~ Haoyue Garden ~ Shuzhuang Garden ~ Sunlight Rock (we didn't go) ~ finish the tour at around 2 pm, pack up and prepare to leave the island (pay attention to the direction of the ferry) After leaving the island, go to Bashi for food, return to the hotel, and then go to Shapowei for food. Day 3: Take a bus to Qingshui Temple to take photos of planes (an old man will remind you when the plane arrives) → take a subway to Jimei School Village (pass through the sea subway) → navigate to Chu Yuxun's house (No. 7 Jicen Road) → go to the sea bike path for cycling → go to Shili Longdi for sightseeing → return to Shapowei for dinner Day 4: Go to Elliston Business School (Xiamen University) → University History Museum → Furong Lake → Jiannan Auditorium → Track and Field Stadium → Baicheng Beach → pack up and return

All sisters coming to Gulangyu! Remember these 7 spots! Gulangyu is really my favorite place in Xiamen. The island is very quiet, without the hustle and bustle of traffic. Walking in the alleys, the air is particularly good. You can see cats everywhere, green trees, red tiles, and various styles of villa architecture. Leisurely wandering through the alleys of Minnan ancient houses, walking and stopping, it's really comfortable! After staying in Xiamen for 7 years, every visit to Gulangyu brings a new surprise. Gulangyu is the must-visit attraction in Xiamen, without a doubt! The commercialized area is just the tourist commercial street, which accounts for less than 1/5 of Gulangyu. The other 4/5 is worth exploring slowly. The international architecture on Gulangyu is also very beautiful! It gathers thousands of historical buildings, including European-style consulates and foreign firms, as well as Southeast Asian-style villa mansions. These places are highly recommended: 1️⃣ Shuzhuang Garden Suzhou garden on the sea, worth the 30 yuan. 2️⃣ Catholic Church Gothic church, occasionally with newlyweds getting married inside, very sacred. 3️⃣ Dadeji Bathing Beach So beautiful, looks great in any photo, even on cloudy days it has a great atmosphere. 4️⃣ Organ Art Center The largest organ in Asia, very impressive to hear live! 5️⃣ The Most Beautiful Corner Crowded but indeed beautiful. 6️⃣ Gulangyu Coconut Grove Not many people know about it! There is a lonely big tree on the lawn, with many benches nearby. Sitting here basking in the sun is very pleasant, with the sounds of birds and waves in your ears. 7️⃣ Mini Beach Very beautiful! You can see the sunset and the sparkling sea. Very few people, giving a sense of island solitude. Perfect for relaxing and daydreaming, I love it.

When you go to Gulangyu Island, don’t just go to the snack street! ! Here are 8 places on Gulangyu Island. 0⃣️Yuan has produced another film 📸️ in the exhibition hall‼ ️ Hurry up and mark it and let your stupid bestie take you there! ! / 1⃣️Organ Art Center 2⃣️Bagua Building 3⃣️Gulangyu Photography Exhibition Hall 4⃣️HSBC Residence, Gulangyu Island 5⃣️Gulangyu History Exhibition Hall 6⃣️Lin Qiaozhi Memorial Hall 7⃣️Mayouhan Memorial Hall 8⃣️File Bookstore 📱How to make an appointment⬇️ 1⃣️2⃣️3⃣️Search for "Xiamen Gulangyu Cultural Tourism Center" to make a reservation You can book tickets within 2 days, and the next day's tickets will be available after 0:00 every day. If you can't make an appointment, you can directly buy a 90 yuan combo ticket, which includes 4 attractions: Sunlight, Shuzhuang, Haoyue, and Carving Museum, and also gives away 1⃣️2⃣️3⃣️, the king of cost-effectiveness. 4⃣️There are only 40 places available each day, reservation required 5⃣️6⃣️7⃣️You can make an appointment directly on site 8⃣️Search for "File Bookstore" to make an appointment

Shuzhuang Garden, built on Gulangyu Island, which is known as the 'Garden on the Sea', is undoubtedly the most beautiful garden within a garden. 'Occupying less than ten acres, the scenery is more than ten thousand', is the comment of knowledgeable visitors to Shuzhuang. When I visited this garden, I felt the same way. Shuzhuang is located on a hill with a wide view. Looking forward, seagulls fly among the blue sky and sea waves, and distant sails are dotted; looking back, the sunny Sunlight Rock stands tall in the sky, and a group of tourists like small birds have already spiraled to the top of the rock. Walking along the Forty-four Bridge, I admire the stone bridge extending into the sea, resembling a dragon swimming in the waves, and we are all dragon riders. Incorporating mountains, sea, land, and sky into one garden, Shuzhuang is full of atmosphere, with ingenious details, and Shuzhuang is also elegant. The layout of the buildings in the garden is harmonious and exquisite, and every pavilion and building is unique and unique. For example, the pavilions are like half moons, like fans, with various shapes and arrangements, which are pleasing to the eye. The towers are unique and interesting. Take Renqiu Tower as an example, half of it is built on land and half is supported in the water. From here, you can enjoy the mountains and the sea, and the joy is overwhelming. The greening highlights of the park are also many, planting trees and flowers layer by layer along the coastal slope, with a better three-dimensional effect. The flowers and trees are lush and beautiful, even in winter, the purple bougainvillea, the pink egg flower, and the orange trumpet-shaped flowers that I don't know the name of, are all blooming. The most impressive trees are the different-leaf Podocarpus, whose leaves are dark green and shiny, like dense small sticks clustered together, full of vitality. There is also the Taiwan Acacia tree with strong regional characteristics. In the breeze, the branches and leaves sway, bringing up countless homesickness of compatriots on both sides of the strait. Speaking of this, I have to mention two virtuous people. One is Mr. Lin Erjia, a local gentry, who built this private villa in 1913 and named it 'Shuzhuang'. Walking up, you can see his reading pavilion 'Wanshi Mountain Villa' and the family residence 'Ye Ai Wu Lu'. Although it has been over a hundred years, it is still sturdy and tidy, and the courtyard is elegant. Mr. Lin is knowledgeable and elegant, patriotic and pro-people, and teaches his children well. In 1955, his descendants donated this private garden to the country, so that it could be shared by the public. The other virtuous person who should be remembered is Mr. Hu Youyi, a patriotic overseas Chinese and musician who traveled to Australia. He collected more than 100 ancient pianos in his lifetime and donated them all to Gulangyu in 2000. They are displayed in the Tingtao Pavilion Piano Museum in Shuzhuang Garden and the Organ Museum in Gulangyu Bagua Building. In 2007, Mr. Hu once again generously donated all his and his ancestors' property, and bought a giant organ with a history of more than 100 years at an auction in Boston, and donated it to Gulangyu. Since then, this group of organs, which are more than ten meters high and wide, beautifully carved, and have more than 7,000 sound pipes, has become the largest organ in Asia, shocking the world, and standing in the Gulangyu Organ Art Center. Every day there are musicians playing, the solemn and harmonious and melodious piano sound will spread all over the island at that time. Returning to the topic, let's go back to Shuzhuang Garden and take a walk in the Tingtao Pavilion Piano Museum. The Tingtao Pavilion is a typical representative of the fusion of Chinese and Western modern architectural styles. The exterior is generous and durable, and the interior decoration is even more exquisite. For example, the staircase in the first exhibition hall spirals up, and each step is inlaid with a beautifully decorated real copper guard face, which is dazzling. The two floors display more than 40 ancient pianos, most of which were produced in the 19th century, from the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Australia and other places; the types include grand pianos, square pianos, upright pianos, reed key pianos and children's pianos, etc., many of which were top-quality products at the time, and some can still play beautiful music now, which is amazing. These ancient pianos have great value for the study of Chinese and Western art, technology, and cultural history, and have also given Gulangyu the beautiful name of 'Piano Island'. Visiting Shuzhuang Garden, I benefited a lot physically and mentally, and I really enjoyed the beautiful scenery and humanistic atmosphere here. After returning to Xi'an, I will tell my friends about these feelings.

Share a free photo spot where you can also listen to the sound of nature👉Gulangyu Organ Art Center . The museum has a treasure of the town👉🏻Organ. This organ comes from Boston-Lingguang Church. The organ is beautifully carved and gives a solemn and harmonious feeling overall. It has 7341 sound pipes, 132 sound plugs, controlled by a console with a 4-layer keyboard, 132 sound plugs and 1 layer of pedal keyboard. The restoration project of this organ is also extremely large, it took more than 40 years and more than 40 engineers from more than a dozen countries to complete. . There are regular performances in the museum. When the Boston-Lingguang Church Casavant Opus 700 organ under the 10-meter-high dome in the central hall sounds, the sound of nature fills every corner of the hall, and the sound is particularly solemn and beautiful. . The sister played the sound of nature After the staff on the scene explained the history of organ restoration and the principle of performance, they personally played the treasure of the town for us, 'Boston-Lingguang Church Casavant Opus 700 organ', and felt the 'national treasure' on the spot. The lingering sound is fascinating. Such a sound of nature, you have the opportunity to come and listen too❗️ . ❤️Notes: 1️⃣The Organ Museum and the Organ Art Center are not the same place 2️⃣The Organ Museum joint ticket can go directly without an appointment, if you want to go to the Organ Art Center you need to make an appointment in advance 3️⃣Make an appointment in advance at the 【Gulangyu Cultural and Tourism Center】 4️⃣Every day at 0 o'clock, the next day's number is released on time 5️⃣Free to listen to performances and live explanations, very shocking 6️⃣The performance times are 10 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 14 o'clock, 16 o'clock, a total of 4 performances a day

I mentioned the Piano Museum earlier, but there's actually a Pipe Organ Art Center on the other side of Gulangyu Island. Its unique feature is a 1909 pipe organ that stands over five meters tall. I was fortunate enough to hear a guided demonstration that day, and the mere sound of a single section resonated throughout the entire venue, truly captivating. #Xiamen #Gulangyu #Gulangyu Pipe Organ Art Center #Overseas Travel

In Gulangyu, Xiamen, there is such a special literary and small fresh spot called Gulangyu Pipe Organ Art Center. Here, you can not only see the largest organ in Asia, but also listen to a special musician to play, full of literary atmosphere, you want to come and feel it?