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.

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.