Gulangyu Island sums up Xiamen

If there is a single place to visit in Xiamen, it is Gulangyu Island. This mile-square patch of land sitting in the bay is a microcosm of Xiamen: It has a busy shopping center, small temples, Christian churches, museums, beach, small hotels, winding, shady streets, grand old colonial mansions, and panoramic views. It is accessible only by inexpensive ($3) ferry boats that take minutes.

May 19, 2010