Sunlight Rock is the highest point on Gulangyu at 92 meters, reached by a combination of steps cut into the granite and, for those who prefer not to climb, a cable car. The summit view encompasses the whole island, the ferry channel to Xiamen, and on clear days reaches to the mountains of the mainland interior. It is the single best orientation point on the island, and the combination of the view and the historical inscription makes it worth the ascent even when the crowds at the base are considerable.
The granite formation itself is impressive at close range — a rounded dome of bare rock with natural handholds and the characteristic orange-grey coloring of the local stone. The climb takes about twenty minutes at a steady pace. The small Sunlight Rock Temple, tucked into a hollow just below the summit, adds a devotional note to the view. The garden area around the base of the rock is a formal botanical collection with some good specimens of tropical and subtropical trees.