Gulangyu, a car-free island (Xiamen)

An island of 1.88 square kilometres where the law bans cars — and bicycles with them. About 600 pianos are kept on it, the highest density in China.

View on the official siteThat page is in Chinese only.

Gulangyu was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2017 as 'Gulangyu: a Historic International Settlement'. Xiamen's heritage-protection statute bans vehicles from the heritage area outright, so the island is walked rather than driven — a scale of street life that is hard to find anywhere else in urban China.

The ban covers bicycles too, not just cars: Article 36 prohibits motor vehicles and non-motor vehicles alike on heritage-area roads, with permits issued only for public duties, licensed tourism operations and disability access. Plan to arrive by ferry and cover the island on foot, including any luggage.