Gulangyu: The garden on the sea
Located in the southwest of Xiamen, Gulangyu is known as “the garden on the sea” and “the island of piano”. According to legend, there is a hollow rock situated in the beach of the island. When the tide rises and hits the rock, it sounds like beating of the drums. Therefore, the island is named as “Gulangyu”.
Due to its fascinating scenery and gentle pace of life, it ranks among one of the top twenty popular scenic spots in China. Every year, thousands of tourists around the world are attracted to the island by its reputation. Last summer, I was honored to appreciate her beauty.
After getting off the tour bus, I was met by a gentle sea breeze, mixed with the flavor of sea and the fragrance of flowers. The fresh air around me gave me an immediate peace and relaxation. Looking around, two rows of phoenix trees, the civic tree of Xiamen, were standing along the roadside, stretching their arms to greet the guests coming from afar. The phoenix flowers were in full blossom, exhibiting various shapes. Though the sun was hot, yet strolling under the trees, I was enclosed by coolness as the flourishing branches and leaves formed a natural sunshade for the visitors. Moving ahead, clusters of lovely purple flowers caught my eyes. Triangle plums, the civic flowers of Xiamen, were displaying their graceful figures. Enormous of them dotted the trees, resemble thousands of stars decorated the night sky. They clustered around and leaned forward, blinking their eyes. Immersed in the sea of flowers, I slowed down my step unconsciously, enjoying the sweet taste of early summer.
Passing across the trees and flowers, the sunlight rock revealed in front of me. High up in the air, constructed by one horizontal rock and one vertical rock through the hand of nature, it occupies the highest altitude of the island. Climbing up along the rough mountain road, standing behind the viewing platform, the whole picture of the island was demonstrated in front of me. The statue of Zheng Chenggong was standing opposite me, with a firm expression, looking into a distance. The sea looked vast and boundless. Extending ahead, it merged with the sky at the horizon. Sunshine spread across the surface of the sea, reflected by the fluctuating waves. The whole sea was glinting. Holding my breath, I could clearly hear the sound of waves and the voice of seagulls. At that moment, it seemed that all the tiredness was gone, leaving me with pure serenity and comfort.
When the night fell, the melody of piano floated in the wind of the island. As if commanded by a conductor, “the island of the piano” put on all its makeup and dressed up. The neon lights were lightened, sparkling with the rhyme of the music. Far away from the hustle and bustle of the big city, people in this island seemed to be endowed with ease. Rather than rushing across the streets in their cars, most of them tended to walk side by side with their families or rent a tandem bicycle, touring around the island. Everyone seemed to slow down their pace, enjoying the precious leisure moments.
Under the deep night, everything in the island appeared that calm. Accompanied by the elegant music, Gulangyu fell asleep.
It has been almost a year since I went there, yet from time to time I could still feel the touch of the soft sea wind. The song of the waves, the melody of the piano seems to linger in my ears. Gulangyu is more than “the garden on the sea”, it is the “garden in my heart”.
