On July 8 Beijing time, during the 41st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, China’s nomination “Gulangyu: a Historic International Settlement” was successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List. With this addition, China now has a total of 52 World Heritage sites, surpassing both the UK and the US to claim the top spot globally.
The World Heritage Committee noted that Gulangyu bears witness to the early stages of China’s modernization amid global development, showcasing remarkable cultural diversity and the quality of modern life from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. It distinctly reflects extensive cultural exchanges across various domains, and its well-preserved historical sites authentically and comprehensively document its complex development and vivid stylistic evolution, vividly illustrating the history of a time of dramatic change.
The Sediment of Minnan Culture
Before the Song Dynasty (10th century), Gulangyu was a small, lush but uninhabited island. From then until the Opium War in 1840, it underwent a relatively long developmental phase, during which the indigenous traditional culture, dominated by Minnan culture, formed a cultural foundation on the island. Due to Gulangyu’s unique coastal geography and insular characteristics, it established close ties with overseas regions—especially Southeast Asia and Japan—relatively early through maritime trade.
A panoramic view of Gulangyu Island in the 1880s
In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (mid-17th century), it is said that Zheng Chenggong stationed troops on Gulangyu before recapturing Taiwan, adding a strong sense of national sentiment to the island.
Early Life on Gulangyu Island
By the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (mid-to-late 18th century), Gulangyu had a small population. It wasn’t until the early 19th century that three main traditional settlements formed on the island, located in Neicuo’ao, Luerjiao, and Yanzi’jiao.
Nanputuo Temple is a famous ancient temple in southern Fujian, traditionally believed to have been first built in the late Tang Dynasty, and renamed in the 23rd year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1684).
Today, remnants of the original residential forms are hard to find, but the construction of that period can still be observed in the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty (19th century) residences preserved in the northeastern area below Sunlight Rock, such as the Si Luo Da Cuo, Da Fu Di, and Huangshi Xiao Zong—traditional Minnan red-brick courtyard homes and ceremonial buildings that remain simple yet exquisite.
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Sunlight Rock Temple
Built during the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, it was named by Zheng Chenggong. Three stone inscriptions span three different periods. Master Hongyi once practiced meditation here in seclusion and personally inscribed the plaque “Sunlight Hermitage.”
Si Luo Da Cuo
Built in the first half of the 19th century, it faces the sea with mountains behind and features a front gate pavilion. Its depth is symmetrical along the central axis, composed of four groups of “Da Cuo” units following traditional architectural standards, making it one of the oldest surviving Minnan red-brick residences on Gulangyu.
Da Fu Di
Built in the first year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, it is one of the earlier surviving red-brick residences on Gulangyu. Its owner held the official rank of fourth-grade imperial official, hence the residence displays the “Da Fu Di” plaque to signify prestige.
Zhong De Gong
Built before 1622, worshippers call it “Da Dao Gong An.” It is the only remaining temple on Gulangyu dedicated to “Baosheng Dadi.”
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Implantation of Western Culture
The First Opium War between China and Britain broke out in 1840. In 1843, according to the Treaty of Nanking, Xiamen was opened as a port, becoming one of the first treaty ports of the Qing Empire to engage in foreign trade. With the rise of Minnan immigration, Gulangyu entered a new historical phase, beginning its modernization process.
In 1844, Britain established its first consulate building on Gulangyu.
Foreign merchants and Western missionaries used this as a base to construct numerous consulates, trading firms, warehouses, churches, and chapels on the island. The architecture and facilities built by foreigners turned Gulangyu into one of the most densely populated and representative areas for multinational residents and diverse cultures along China’s southeastern coast at the time.
Several major Western residential areas formed, including those along Tianwei Road, Lujiu Road, Fujian Road, and Sanming Road, coexisting with the Chinese settlements in Neicuo’ao and Yanzi’jiao. During this period, Western buildings were relatively independent and scattered, often situated in scenic locations such as rocky cliffs, precipices, or coastal areas.The Netherlands established its consulate in Xiamen on Gulangyu in 1857.
Former Site of the U.S. Consulate
The existing consulate building was reconstructed in 1930, with all the red bricks imported from the United States, showcasing strong elements of American neoclassical revival architecture.
Former Site of the HSBC Bank Mansion
Built in 1876, this cloverleaf-shaped colonial veranda-style building was once the leisure residence of the British trading firm Elles & Co., and historically served as a high-end residence for HSBC.
Union Church
Constructed in 1863, it is the earliest church on Gulangyu Island, built by missionaries on the island and originally called the "International Church."
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Cultural Diversity
As the number of Chinese and foreign residents on Gulangyu increased, the Gulangyu Municipal Council was officially established in 1903. The period from the council’s founding in 1903 to the outbreak of the Pacific War in 1941 marked the most extensive and profound era of cultural collision, exchange, integration, and mutual learning on the island. The construction achievements during this time form the main part of the island’s current community cultural heritage.
The densely packed buildings in the northeastern part of Gulangyu were mostly constructed by overseas Chinese around the 1930s.
A large number of Minnan immigrants settled on Gulangyu, giving rise to a unique overseas Chinese architectural style. Among them, the distinctly characterized Amoy Deco style buildings reflect the efforts of overseas Chinese residences on Gulangyu to localize and innovate during their pursuit of modernization. The influence of the Amoy Deco style extended beyond Gulangyu to the Xiamen, Zhangzhou, and Quanzhou regions.
In the 1930s, the Overseas Chinese villa complex at the foot of Chicken Mountain on Gulangyu
Trinity Church
In the 1920s, Christians from Xiamen moved to Gulangyu and built this church. Its name signifies the joint construction by three congregations, representing the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Eccentric Building (Bagua Lou)
The Eccentric Building is a representative work of modern architecture on Gulangyu. Taiwanese tycoon Lin Heshou aimed to construct a building on the island that blended classical Eastern and Western architectural styles.
Tianhai Tangge
Built between 1920 and 1930 by overseas Chinese from Jinjiang residing in the Philippines, this site consists of five symmetrically arranged villas. The design draws on the strengths of both Chinese and Western cultures, and the architectural form is a classic example of East-West fusion.
Shuzhuang Garden
Built by Taiwanese tycoon Lin Erjia on the slope of Caozi Mountain on Gulangyu. The garden owner named it after the homophonic sound of his courtesy name “Shuzang,” featuring the water scenery of Baishuiyang, reefs reminiscent of a volcanic island, and the beauty of grasslands like those on Rabbit Ear Ridge.
Liao Family Villa (Former Residence of Lin Yutang)
Built in the late 19th century as a colonial veranda-style building. In 1919, the renowned Chinese modern writer Lin Yutang married Liao’s second daughter here and lived there for a period afterward, hence the name “Lin Yutang’s Former Residence.”
Yanping Theater
Built by overseas Chinese from Myanmar, this site was originally a vegetable market on Gulangyu in 1931. Later, a theater and cinema were constructed on the market grounds and named “Yanping Theater,” hosting plays and screenings of both Chinese and foreign films.
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