Famous Landmarks in Xiamen

Famous Landmarks in Xiamen are considered the Name Card of Xiamen, like the Gulangyu Island, South Putuo Temple, Hakka Tulou in Nanjing, etc. ancient and new. They are somehow, represent a certain character or role Xiamen played to the world. Come with TopChinaTravel, to witness and appreciate those famous Xiamen Landmarks.

Gulangyu Island
Xiamen Gulangyu Island covers an area of 1.87 square kilometers. Sunlight Rock, the highest peak on the islet, is the symbol of Xiamen. Because the holes in the southwestern reefs hit by the waves will make sounds like beating the drum, so this area got its name "Gulang Islet".

On the islet, tourists can find the winding coastal lines, natural and gentle seaside bathing grounds with the fine sands, and oddly shaped reefs. The whole islet offers a clean, tidy and tranquil environment. Besides, many building on the islet showing both the Chinese and foreign architectural styles have been well preserved. Hence Gulang Islet is known as the gallery of International architecture.

Walking on the street, visitors can hear the melody of pianos everywhere. The winding and zigzag paths are another major characteristic of Gulang Islet. All the paths on the islet are linked with each other, with the delightful serenity of seclusion.

South Putuo Temple
Lying at the foot of Wulao Peak in the south of Xiamen Island, South Putuo Temple is a famous temple in South Fujian as well as in China. The temple backs on to a group of exquisite peaks and is adjacent to Xiamen University.

The temple has endless worshippers and pilgrims all the year around. The statue of Goddess of Mercy with 1,000 hands was built with the superb craftsmanship, and the Sutra House contains various kinds of Buddhist relics.

A great number of inscriptions by celebrities have been well preserved round the temple, and a Chinese character 'Buddha' was inscribed on a cliff behind the temple, nearly five meters high and over three meters wide. Behind the temple is Wulao Peak. Standing on the peak, tourists can overlook the mountains and sea in a distance.

Hakka Tulou in Nanjing
Tulou is a unique and mysterious Hakka architecture with a thick earth wall enclosure found only in the mountainous areas in southwestern Fujian province bordering Guangdong in Southern China.

Tulou is usually an enclosed buildings, mostly square or circular in configuration, with a very thick earth wall which is up to 6 feet thick and wooden skeletons, from three to five stories high, housing up to 80 families. These earth buildings have only one entrance, guarded by 4-5 inch thick wooden doors reinforced with an outer shell of iron plate. The top level of these earth building have gun holes for defensing against bandits. What is amazing about these earth buildings is the fact that in spite of the earth wall, some of them are more than 700 years old, surviving through centuries of natural elements, including earth quakes, yet still standing solid. There are more than 20,000 earth buildings to be found in southern China.

Xiamen University
Xiamen University was founded in 1921 by Mr. Tan Kah Kee, a famous overseas Chinese patriot, who was acclaimed by Chairman Mao Zedong as the banner of the overseas Chinese and the glory of the nation. It is the first university founded by an oversea Chinese in China's modern education history, as well as one of the key high-level university in China.

With an area of nearly 1.46 million square meters, Xiamen University is permeated with strong academic atmosphere and cultural flavor, and boasts picturesque campus. The university embraces some scenic spots, such as Lotus Lake and Lover Valley Reservoir, with a tranquil and romantic atmosphere. The old buildings in Xiamen University include Qingshui Walls and glazed rooftops, displaying the unique features, and being a typical model of the combination of the Chinese and the West styles. Besides, the Jiannan Auditorium and Shangcian Stadium are very gorgeous. In the June every year when phoenix flowers are in full bloom, making the campus becomes a red sea. While graduates will leave the university, and at this time the whole campus is full of an atmosphere of sadness and beauty.


More famous attractions in Xiamen please click Xiamen Attractions
Highly recommended Xiamen Tours at Classic Xiamen Tours