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Gulangyu Sunlight Rock Scenic Area
By admin on 2015-03-03

Attraction Type:

Also known as Huang Rock, Sunlight Rock is the most famous scenic spot in Xiamen. Sunlight Rock consists of two hugh rocks, one horizontal and the other vertical. The two rocks leaning on with each other, with an elevation of 92.68 meters, form the highest spot of Gulangyu Island. The lofty and rugged rocks in the mountains form many caverns and gullies, while pavilions, kiosks and terraces are tucked away in the lushly growing woods. When Zheng Chenggong, China's national hero, recovered Taiwan, his troops were stationed here, leaving behind a lot of stories.

Located in this area, Sunlight Rock Temple is one of the four top Buddhist temples in Xiamen. The temple was first built in the Ming Dynasty and was famed far and wide, attracting accomplished monks throughout the dynasties.

? What to See

Sunlight Rock's oldest carving was inscribed about 400 years ago on a rock near the main gate and reads, "Gulang Dongtian": "Gulangyu—a Fairyland." The 100-year-old characters to the left read, "Lujiang Diyi". The horizontal characters, "Tianfeng Haitao", carved in 1915, suggest that you can hear both roaring wind and raging sea as you climb Sunlight Rock.

Sunlight Rock Temple, one of Xiamen's four most important temples during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, was built between 1506 and 1521 and called Lotus Temple. It was rebuilt in 1596 and renamed Sunlight Rock Temple, and is now dedicated to worship of Guanyin, goddess of mercy (a formerly male deity whom Chinese women changed to female over 1,000 years ago because they felt male deities were unsympathetic to their needs).

Sunlight Rock Scenic Area is Xiamen's premier tourist attraction. There is a saying that if you haven't ascended Sunlight Rock, you haven't really been to Xiamen.

? Travel Tips

Climate: There is a cave in Sunlight Rock scenic area. It is an ideal site to get rid of the heat summer. So summers are the best season to travel to Sunlight Rock scenic area.