The small island of Gulangyu, a trump card of Xiamen in East China’s Fujian Province, obtained UNESCO World Cultural Heritage status on July 8th.
Covering an area of 8.86 square kilometers located five minutes boat ride off the coast of Xiamen, Gulangyu was home to an international settlement for Westerners and overseas Chinese from East and Southeast Asia during the 19th and 20th centuries. As such, it shines with multicultural influences.
Boasting 931 well-preserved buildings, gardens and a network of historical roads that feature a mixture of traditional local styles and Western designs, the site is a unique testimony of late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) colonial history and a once flourishing overseas Chinese culture.
The recognition of Gulangyu as UNESCO world heritage marks China’s 52nd world heritage sites listed by UNESCO.