Sunlight Rock (日光岩, Riguangyan) is the granite summit at Gulangyu's centre — only 92.7 metres tall, but offering the single 360° view that defines the island in every postcard: Xiamen city to the east across the strait, Gulangyu's villas tumbling down all sides, and the South China Sea beyond.
The climb from the ticketing gate takes 15–20 minutes on stone steps. The final stretch passes the Ming-dynasty Zheng Chenggong memorial cave and narrows into a ladder to the summit platform. It gets tight when busy — go first thing in the morning or 30 minutes before closing for the quietest windows.
Practical: 60 CNY admission (separate from the ferry ticket). Open 07:30–18:30 in summer, 07:30–17:30 in winter. Skip in rain — the rocks get slippery. Combine with Shuzhuang Garden (10-minute walk) and lunch on Longtou Road.