Gulangyu Island is located in the southwest corner of Xiamen Island, facing Xiamen City across the sea. It is only separated from Xiamen Island by the 600-meter-wide Lujiang River and can be reached by ferry in 5 minutes. It covers an area of ??1.78 square kilometers and has more than 20,000 people. It is a district under the jurisdiction of Xiamen City. The original name of Gulangyu Island was Yuanshazhou and Yuanzhouzai. Because there were sea caves in the southwest of the sea that were hit by the waves and made a sound like beating drums, it was refined into its current name in the Ming Dynasty. Due to historical reasons, buildings of different Chinese and foreign styles have been perfectly collected and preserved here, and it is known as the "Architecture Expo of All Nations". The island is also a fertile ground for music, with talents emerging in large numbers. The density of pianos is the highest in the country, and it is also known as the "Piano Island" and the "Hometown of Music". The island has a pleasant climate like spring all year round, without the hustle and bustle of cars and horses, and with the singing of birds and the fragrance of flowers, it is known as the "Garden on the Sea". The main tourist attractions include Sunlight Rock, Shuzhuang Garden, Haoyue Garden, Yuyuan Garden, Huandao Road, Gulang Stone, Museum, Zheng Chenggong Memorial Hall, Underwater World and Natural Beach, etc. It integrates history, humanities and natural landscapes and is a national-level tourist attraction. The scenic spot ranks first among the "Top Ten" scenic spots in Fujian and one of the 35 famous scenic spots in the country. With the development of the Xiamen Special Economic Zone, Gulangyu Island's various tourism supporting service facilities are improving day by day, becoming a comprehensive island scenic and cultural tourism area integrating sightseeing, vacation, travel, shopping, leisure and entertainment. On May 8, 2007, Xiamen Gulangyu Scenic Area was officially approved by the National Tourism Administration as a national 5A tourist attraction.

Gulangyu Island was originally named "Yuanshazhou", also known as "Yuanzhouzai". It was renamed "Gulangyu Island" in the Ming Dynasty. This is because there is a reef in the southwest of the island. Whenever the tide surges, the waves hit the reef with a sound like a drum. People call it "Gulang Rock", and Gulangyu Island got its name.