Gulangyu Island, Xiamen (15th January 2014)

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Wednesday, 15th January 2014

Gulangyu, a traffic-free island off the coast of Xiamen is arguably one of the city's top tourist draws. It helped that access to the ferry terminal from our hotel was through a comfortable walk along Zhongshan Road Pedestrian Mall. Once on the island, touts offering every imaginable walking tours possible were determined to grab a share of the tourist dollars. This was absolutely unnecessary with a Google Earth print out map and a pair of good walking shoes.

With the exception of Zheng Cheng Gong Memorial Hall where views of the island could be had, most of the other tourist sites required some sort of admission fees. The island was littered with many quaint cafes and B&B establishments converted out of old colonial buildings. They provided good rest stops after an afternoon of walking through the narrow streets.

Gulangyu made a nice excursion from the city and spending unnecessary money on tourist sites could be avoided if you are merely trying to experience a glimpse of colonial vibe. Since we only had a one night layover in the city before our next flight, we were quite happy with what we saw in Xiamen.

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