Scenic views from Sunlight Rock a must-see attraction
Sunlight Rock, the highest point of Dragon Head Hill and Gulangyu Island, is considered a must-see for first-time visitors to Xiamen.
In fact, there is a saying that if you haven’t climbed up Sunlight Rock, you haven’t really been to Xiamen.
The huge rock, with a diameter of more than 40 meters, enables visitors to glimpse all the beautiful scenery in Gulangyu as well as Xiamen.
If visitors can get up early, they can enjoy the hue of burning sunrise, which reflects onto the golden sea and bathes the surrounding area in a warm tone.
Looking around on the rock, visitors can enjoy the view of the island’s famous mansions and churches below.
To its north, the red and round dome of Bagua Building, a Taiwan-style landmark, can be clearly spotted.
The Trinity Church, one of the most famous Xiamen churches finished by three Christian communities in 1945, is also close to the rock.
Looking out further, visitors can spot the city of Xiamen, with its numerous metropolitan buildings, over Lujiang Bay, where stands a great number of metropolitan buildings.
A panorama of old Xiamen is printed on the rock’s security handrail, giving visitors a sense of how the scenery has changed over time.
“I seldom make it to get up at 5:30 am to catch the sunrise. But the sunrise on Sunlight Rock deserves it. I took pretty good pictures,” said Wang Changxiaolei, a visitor from Jiangsu province who loves travel and photography.
The Sunlight Rock scenic area also includes the relics of Chinese national hero Zheng Chenggong, who recaptured what was then Dutch-occupied Taiwan during the 17th century.
Before Zheng went to Taiwan, he is said to have been stationed in Gulangyu and trained his army on the field of Dragon Head Hill. The stone gate on the hill is said to be the gate of his garrison.
There is an inscription saying “Relics of Navy Training Field” on a huge rock to its north.
The well below Sunlight Rock, called “Well of the State Surname” is thought to have been dug by Zheng.
In the years following Zheng’s conquest, the scenic area never lacked for visitors, who included famous scholars and celebrities in Chinese history.
At the foot of Sunlight Rock, there is a Buddhist temple called Sunlight Rock Temple.
First built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it is said to be the place where Master Hongyi, known as Li Shutong, a pioneer of new culture in China during the 19th century, spent eight months in seclusion, studying Buddhist doctrine.
In the early 20th century, when China was in crisis, a number of scholars and celebrities paid homage to Zheng by writing inscriptions, which can still be found around the rock.