A museum shaped like a piano keyboard and a 31-kilometre island route reveal two different sides of Xiamen. When planning your trip, it is worth treating the individual cultural sites, the Botanical Garden and excursions to the surrounding area as separate priorities. This way, when looking for hotels in Xiamen, you can first consider which destinations you want to shape your stay.

Piano Keys, Temple History and Fortress Architecture

The Xiamen Piano Museum is located in Shuzhuang Garden and is designed like a piano keyboard. Spread across two sections, it displays more than a hundred historic pianos collected from around the world by Hu Youyi, a patriotic overseas Chinese. Alongside the garden, it offers a separate focus on instruments and their history.

The exhibits include a rare gilded piano, the world’s first rectangular piano, and the world’s oldest and largest upright piano. They are joined by a historic hand-operated instrument, a hundred-year-old self-playing piano with a foot pedal, and a historic piano with eight pedals. The exhibits on display may change, so check the current exhibition before visiting.

Another historic highlight is South Putuo Temple, at the foot of Wulao Peak in the south of Xiamen Island. It was built during the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD) and is one of the most visited Buddhist sanctuaries in Fujian and China. The attached South Fujian Buddhist Academy was founded by Master Huiquan in 1925; it is considered China’s oldest Buddhist academy.

Hulishan Fort takes you back to the Qing dynasty: built in 1891, it covers more than 70,000 square metres, including a 13,000-square-metre fortress complex. The figures distinguish the total area from the fortress complex itself. Along with the temple and academy, the fort offers another historical perspective on Xiamen.

Gardens, Island Heritage and Route Planning

Xiamen Botanical Garden is located on Wanshi Mountain in the southeast of Xiamen Island and was first established in 1960. As a distinct scenic highlight, it can be included in your travel plans alongside the historic sights. On nearby Gulangyu Island, Sunlight Rock is the highest point, at 92.68 metres above sea level.

The cultural heritage of Kulangsu includes 931 historic buildings in a variety of local and international architectural styles, natural landscapes, a historic network of paths and historic gardens. Kulangsu is also considered the birthplace and finest expression of the Amoy Deco style. For travellers interested in architecture, this offers the chance to appreciate both individual buildings and the interplay of architectural styles, gardens and paths.

The Gulangyu Island Scenic Area includes Sunlight Rock, Bright Moon Garden, Shuzhuang Garden, the Piano Museum and the Zheng Chenggong Memorial Hall. From Xiamen Island, you can reach the area by ferry in about five minutes. Check the timetable before your excursion so you can factor the crossing into your day’s plans.

On Xiamen Island, the Island Circle Route offers a different way to explore: it runs for 31 kilometres along the southern part of the island and connects numerous sights, including Hulishan Fort, Shangli Reservoir and the International Convention and Exhibition Center. If you prefer to view places along a route, you can make this a separate focus of your plans, alongside individual cultural and scenic destinations.

Discover more destinations: Sanming, Nanping, Ningde, Putian, Longyan, Quanzhou, Fuzhou, Zhangzhou.

See the main travel overview: Fujian.