Gulangyu Island Xiamen China

• published: 12 Oct 2014
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Gulangyu Island is located just southwest of Xiamen City. Visitors can reach it by steamship from Xiamen City in about 5 minutes. Gulangyu Island is renowned for its delicate natural beauty, its ancient relics, and its varied architecture. The island is on China's list of National Scenic Spots and also ranks at the top of the list of the ten most-scenic areas in Fujian Province. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the island was called 'Yuanshazhou Island'. It got its present name from the huge reef surrounding it. When the tide comes in, the waves pound the reef and it sounds like the beating of a drum. The island came to be named 'Gulang'. Gu in Chinese means 'drum', and Lang, 'waves'. During the later Ming Dynasty, the troops of national hero Zheng Chenggong were stationed here. After the Opium War in 1842, 13 countries including Great Britain, France and Japan established consulates, churches, and hospitals, turning the island into a common concession. In 1942, Japan occupied the island until the end of the War of Resistance against Japan. Gulangyu Island has about 20,000 permanent residents, all of whom enjoy a comfortable, relaxing life. Only electric-powered vehicles are permitted on the island, so the environment is free from the noise and pollution of combustion engines. Breathing the clean air, appreciating the ever-present green trees and lovely flowers, anyone here can feel like they are in heaven. With classical and romantic European-style architecture, the island truly deserves to be called the'Architecture Museum'. It is also known as the 'Cradle of Musicians' and 'Island of Music' because of its reputation for music appreciation. The Island Ring Road, which circles the island, allows you to fully enjoy all the sights of this small, charming island. Among the many scenic spots on the island, the most attractive are Sunlight Rock and the Shuzhuang Garden. Sunlight Rock Sunlight Rock Scenic Spot Sunlight Rock Scenic Spot Located in the south-central part of the island, Sunlight Rock is the island's highest point with an altitude of 92.7 meters (304 feet). Though it may not rank with high mountain peaks, it appears superb and grand when seen from afar. The name comes from a sun-shaped formation in the granite. When the sun rises, the morning light illuminates the granite in Sunlight Temple and the rocks are bathed with sunlight. At the foot of Sunlight Rock stands the Memorial Hall of Zheng Chenggong, built in honor of the hero's feats which include expelling the Dutch colonists and re-occupying Taiwan. Wandering up the steep rock path, visitors will see many profound inscriptions left by poets, the oldest of which dates back to over 400 years. This is the main cultural sight on the hill. Continuing on, you will see the preserved training grounds of Zheng Chenggong's troops. Near the field is a huge rock bridging two cliffs, forming a natural entrance to a cave. This is called 'Old Summer Cave' (Gu Bishu Dong) where you can feel a pleasantly cool breeze. It's the perfect viewing spot to appreciate the scenery of Gulangyu Island. A fantastic panorama of Xiamen City, including Nanputuo Temple, Xiamen University, and Hulishan Battery is within view. --- http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/fujian/xiamen/gulang.htm --- Gulangyu (鼓浪屿 ; pinyin : Gǔlàngyǔ) est une île côtière d'environ 1 km2 située au Sud Ouest de l'ile de Xiamen, ville du Fujian dont elle dépend administrativement. Passée sous contrôle européen par le traité de Nankin en 1842, elle a conservé de nombreux bâtiments coloniaux et attire de nombreux touristes. En tant que résidence pour 13 nations étrangères, à la suite du traité de Nankin de 1902, elle fut l'un des ports coloniaux de la Chine. L'île est réputée pour son architecture d'inspiration coloniale. Le Rocher du rayon de soleil (日光岩, rìguāng yán), et le point culminant de l'ile permettant de l'observer, ainsi que l'ile et le port de fret de Xiamen. Pour y monter, il faut passer par différents pavillons (notamment un petit temple bouddhiste et une sculpture représentant une partie de jeu de divinités chinoises. L'île héberge un musée des pianos (钢琴博物馆，gāngqín bówùguǎn) situé dans le pavillon Tingtao, environ 200 pianos, le seul musée chinois de pianos , ce qui confirme son surnom de village des pianos (鋼琴之鄉/钢琴之乡/gāngqín zhī xiāng) ou d'île de la musique… et un musée d'orgues (风琴博物馆, fēngqín bówùguǎn). Ces pianos et ces orgues y ont été réunis par Hu Youyi un Chinois d'outremer patriote, fortuné et amateur de musique2, Le nom chinois de l'île a des résonances musicales : gu lang signifie vagues de tambour, en raison du son généré par le bruit des vagues frappant les écueils, et plus exactement certaine roche percée; et yu signifie "petite île". --- http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulangyu