At the southwest corner of Xiamen in Fujian Province lies Gulangyu Island, a poetic and picturesque isle. Like a bright pearl in the sea, it is inlaid in the blue waves, attracting countless tourists with its unique natural scenery, profound cultural heritage and rich life atmosphere.
A Seaside Garden with Charming Natural Scenery
Covering an area of about 1.88 square kilometers, Gulangyu Island is known as the "Seaside Garden". It has a pleasant climate like spring all year round, belonging to the subtropical marine monsoon climate—warm and humid, with no severe cold in winter and no extreme heat in summer.
The island is lined with rugged reefs and winding coastlines. When you stroll along the seaside, the waves beat against the reefs, splashing white spray and making crisp sounds. Walking along the coastline, you will see many beautiful beaches, such as Gangzaihou Beach. With fine sand and clear seawater, it is an ideal place for swimming and sunbathing.
Gulangyu Island is covered with green rolling hills and undulating rocks. The highest point of the whole island is Riguang Rock, with an altitude of 92.6 meters. Climbing to the top of Riguang Rock, you can feel the sea breeze brushing your face and enjoy an extremely broad view, taking in all the beautiful scenery of Gulangyu Island at a glance. You can see the island surrounded by blue sea and sky, dotted with red tiles and green trees, and the high-rise buildings in downtown Xiamen looming in the distance, forming a beautiful landscape painting of a mountain and sea city.
International Architecture: A Frozen Historical Movement
Gulangyu Island is a unique witness to the cultural exchange between China and the West. The island preserves more than a thousand distinctive historical buildings of a combination of Chinese and Western styles, known as the "Exhibition of International Architecture". Most of these buildings were constructed from the late 19th century to the first half of the 20th century, and are an important part of Gulangyu's historic international community.
Here stand European-style villas with elegant and gorgeous appearances. Exquisite carvings and arched doors and windows highlight the lingering charm of European classical architecture. For example, Hai Tiantang Gou is a typical representative of European architecture on Gulangyu Island. Its main building was constructed by Huang Xiulang, an overseas Chinese in the Philippines. Magnificent in shape and exquisitely decorated inside, it integrates Chinese and Western architectural elements, with both Baroque-style pillars and traditional Chinese wood carvings and brick carvings as decorations.
There are also Chinese-style courtyards with white walls, black tiles and overhanging eaves, full of simple and unsophisticated lingering charm. Shuzhuang Garden is an outstanding representative among them. Built by Lin Erjia, a wealthy Taiwanese merchant, to cherish the memory of his former residence in Banqiao of Taipei, the garden is built along the sea and divided into two parts: the Canghai Garden and the Bushan Garden. With pavilions, terraces, towers, winding paths leading to sequestered quiet places inside, the garden not only has the exquisiteness and elegance of Jiangnan gardens, but also embraces the vastness of the sea.
A Hometown of Music with Flowing Artistic Melodies
Gulangyu Island has long been known as the "Island of Pianos" and the "Hometown of Music". It boasts a profound musical and cultural heritage, and the residents here have a unique love and inheritance for music.
The island is home to the "first-class in the world and the first of its kind in China" Piano Museum and the "largest in the world and the only one in China" Organ Museum. The Piano Museum houses nearly a hundred rare ancient pianos from all over the world, with different shapes and a long history, witnessing the development of piano art. The Organ Museum collects a large number of pipe organs, including many precious antique organs. Whenever the organs play, their grand and melodious sounds linger in the air, as if allowing people to travel through time and space.
Wandering in the streets and alleys of Gulangyu Island, you will be attracted by a pleasant piano sound before you know it. Sometimes melodious, sometimes passionate, the piano sound drifts out from the window lattice of the old villas, interweaving with the sound of the waves to form a wonderful musical picture. In addition, various concerts and music competitions are often held on the island, allowing tourists to immerse themselves in the ocean of music to their heart's content.
Lively Streets with a Strong Flavor of Life
Longtou Road is the busiest place on Gulangyu Island, filled with a strong flavor of life. There are various local snacks here, such as Ye's Glutinous Rice Cakes, Shen's Rice Noodles and Gulangyu Pastries, which make people salivate. You can sit down in a small shop, taste the delicious snacks, watch the coming and going pedestrians and experience the slow life on the island.
Besides delicious food, Gulangyu Island also has many small shops full of literary and artistic atmosphere. Some of these shops sell exquisite handcrafts, while others are characteristic cafes or bookstores. You can wander around slowly here, pick out some favorite souvenirs, or sit down to have a cup of coffee and read a book, enjoying the leisurely time.
The beauty of Gulangyu Island is a perfect integration of nature and humanity. It has not only charming natural scenery, but also profound historical and cultural heritage and a rich life atmosphere. Here, you can forget the troubles of the mortal world, fully enjoy the peace and beauty of the island, and feel its unique charm.
