Gulangyu Island

We woke up the next morning bright and early and pumped to start vacation and starving because we still hadn't eaten dinner the night before. The other girls were still sleeping in the room so we snuck out to grab some breakfast and find a corner store to buy some toothpaste. It was bright and sunny and warm outside and we had breakfast and tea out on the patio of the Bayview Inn. The people at the Inn gave us a map and told us where we could find a store. Turns out it was a little bit more complicated than we thought to find the “corner store”. Although main streets were labeled on the map, the streets themselves were not labeled, and “streets” crossed with sidewalks and it was really a jumbled mess to find our way using a map, but eventually we stumbled into a market shop that sold some toiletries.

Anyway, we got dressed and headed out for the day. The weather was perfect – around 70 degrees and sunny, but still breezy and not too hot. Prior to coming, we had done some research on line in regards to the fun and interesting things to do on the Island so we had somewhat of an idea, but we really did not have a game plan, so we just started walking. We say a ton of cool markets and a lot of street food. There were a ton of tours going on everywhere and although we wanted to see the touristy things, we figured we would not get a whole lot out of a Chinese directed tour. Instead, we bought a day pass to see the five major scenic spots and spent the day wondering around at our own pace. I am actually pretty happy that we did it this way because it worked out perfectly. For the first half of the day we literally just wondered around looking at all of the European influenced architecture, weaving in and out of streets and allies and enjoying the people of the island. The people in Xiamen were much friendlier than the people in Shanghai, and since foreigners are not very common on the island, everyone wanted to talk to us and wanted to know where we were from and what we were doing in China. The Chinese word to America literally means “beautiful country” and the word for American literally means “beautiful people” and they always talk about how beautiful Americans are and they LOVE the color of our skin (how pale we are). Of course, usually they are just trying to get us to buy something, but really there were so many kind people.

The island itself was rather peaceful. It had a tropical feel to it, but very Chinese, and the downtown city of Xiamen was visible across the bay which made for a beautiful view. Gulangyu was pretty similar to Mackinaw Island – small, crowded and very touristy, there were no motorized vehicles or bikes allowed on the island which made it quiet and enjoyable.

So anyway, by the time we made our way to the gardens and museums for the touristy stuff, it was already mid to late afternoon so the majority of the tours were gone and it worked out that it was not very crowded anywhere we went. In fact, there was hardly anyone. First we went to the Haoyue Park that overlooked the beach and home of the huge Zheng Chengong statue that protected intruders to the island. We walked up to the statue which sat on a lookout and admired the view. Then we climbed down to the bay and climbed on the rocks. The water was freezing but it was nice to get my feet wet and look for some neat sea shells.

After that, we had lunch at a local café before making our way to Sunlight Rock. They say that “if you don’t climb up Sunlight Rock, you may not have been to Xiamen.” Sunlight Rock is the highest peak in the near center and offers a spectacular view of Gulangyu and Xiamen. Not only was the view from the top amazing, but there was a lot to see along the way. There were several statues and memorials, and there were different paths, steps and look outs that winded through the mountain as we climbed higher. Thankfully, it was not crowded at all and we did not have any trouble climbing the narrow paths to the top. I really cannot even describe how breathtaking the view from the top was. We could see everything on the entire island – although, the downside was the hazy China air. It is always hazy in China, even when it is sunny, it is still hazy. I have yet to see a clear blue sky day in China since I have been here, so even though the view was incredible, it could have been absolutely amazing if the sky were clear. The climb back down was not nearly as fun, but we did find some new statues and looks out that were neat.

After Sunlight Rock we headed to one of the famous Gardens and Piano Museums – Shuzhuang Garden, although following Sunlight rock, the garden was pretty disappointing. Since it is still early spring, there was hardly anything in bloom, so really the walk through the garden was just a walk along a bridge through an empty garden. However, we did get to enjoy the sunset from the garden bridge which was pretty over the beach. The Piano Museum was interesting. Gulangyu is called the piano island, so the museum was a huge attraction. There were a ton of really historical and interesting pianos. The majority of the museum was translated in the English as well so I was able to read about the pianos and everything (which is always helpful).

Following the Museum, it was dark and getting late, we were exhausted from the long day but STARVING for some street food, so we ended up in a market area near our hostel lined with street vendors and cooks. We found some cotton candy (that was bigger than our heads for only 1 RMB), grilled squid on a stick for Courtney (which she threw away because she said it was gross), and eventually to a street dive where we ate some deliciously greasy food. The really great thing about Court and I sharing food is that we can order several dishes and she eats all of the meat out of everything and I eat all of the veggies so it works out perfectly. After dinner we also did a little bit of shopping at the market and enjoyed some street music and entertainment. That night we both passed out by 11:00 pm because we were so worn out!