Kulangsu International Settlement

The Kulangsu International Settlement was an international settlement in China on the Kulangsu or Gulangyu Island of Xiamen, Fujian province. During the Opium Wars, the British Army occupied Gulangyu Island for four years and did not withdraw until 1845. After 1843, Xiamen was opened as a treaty port in accordance with the Sino-British Treaty of Nanking. The United Kingdom also acquired a beach on the coast of Xiamen's main island to build a British concession, while Gulangyu retained its original features. Over time, more nations established embassies as the settlement prospered.