Kulangsu International Settlement

The Kulangsu International Settlement (Chinese: 鼓浪嶼公共租界; pinyin: Gǔlàngyǔ Gōnggòng Zūjiè; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Kó͘-lōng-sū Kong-kiōng Cho͘-kài) was an international settlement in China (the other being the Shanghai International Settlement) 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 Nanjing Treaty. 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.