Historic island a feast for eyes - and ears

Left: Bagua Building is home to a large collection of pipe organs. Right: A piano museum, with nearly 100 pianos from countries worldwide on exhibit, is situated on Gulangyu Island.

Visitors, residents love Gulangyu for its cultural sites, musical talent, varied architecture, beach ambiance

About five minutes' ferry ride from Xiamen, across the Lujiang River in Siming district, lies the romantic Gulangyu Island, a place of only 1.88 square kilometers, but a site of musical, architectural and cultural importance that far outweighs its size.

Called "Kulangsu" by locals, the island has a long history that can be traced back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279). With hundreds of years of development, it was a land of villages in the 19th century. That changed after the Treaty of Nanking with Britain in 1842, when foreigners started settling on the island and setting up consulates. In 1903, it became an international settlement, serving as home to a group of non-native residents until it was officially regained in 1945.

Also known as piano island, Gulangyu is famous for the music that emanates from its buildings, the calm breeze from the ocean and a relaxed pace of life.

Beside the seashore of Gangzaihou Beach at the south of the island stands the Shuzhuang Garden, where one of Asia's largest piano museums is located, with nearly 100 pianos from countries worldwide on exhibit.

To the northwest of the piano museum is the famous Bagua Building, or Trigram Building, which has a large collection of pipe organs, donated by Hu Youyi, a famed musician who was born in Gulangyu.

Near Sunlight Rock, the highest peak on Gulangyu famous for its view of Xiamen, there's a concert hall on Huangyan Road, where concerts are regularly held on weekends.

Gulangyu Island in Siming district of Xiamen has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2017. Photos provided to China Daily

Strolling through its residential area, a soft echo of music drifts out of open windows from time to time and there is often a sound of piano from the villas that lingers as visitors wander the island's narrow streets.

From the 1920s to the 1930s, Western music prevailed around the island, since it was then occupied by foreigners, and that influence remains today.

Perhaps nourished by the ambiance of music, there are many musicians who hail from Gulangyu, and locals naturally become music lovers.

Xie Daqian, a 63-year-old local resident, has established a folk band that has more than 10 members and all of them are older than 60.

As a resident of Gulangyu, Xie has experience a strong love of music since childhood.

"We were born in an atmosphere of music, which accompanies us from childhood through adulthood," Xie said.

During the 1950s and the 1960s, descendents of overseas Chinese brought music from around the world back to Gulangyu, Xie said.

"Living in such an international settlement, we are exposed to music and are taught different types of music," he said.

"My family could only afford a guitar at more than 10 yuan ($1.49) at that time and I started the orchestral music."

On weekends, Xie's band will play music with guitar and ukulele on the island by the beach or under a tree.

"It is not only about our lifestyle, but also our aspiration to inherit the music culture of our island going back generations," he said.

Bearing a background of international elements, the island is also known for its museums from many nations, which grew out of its 13 consulates. In 2017, the island was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A visitor from Hebei province, surnamed Li, said she had been to Gulangyu twice and quite enjoyed the island's ambiance.

"I first came here in the summer of 2016 and was enchanted with the winding lanes and slow pace of life," Li said.

This time, she brought her family to take part in self-drive tours and planned to spend two days wandering on the island.

"I think it is the unforgettable calmness that takes me back here."

Hu Jiahui, a visitor from Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province said: "I have seen the beauty of the island in Douyin, a mobile video-sharing app.

"I have never been to an island before. The warm weather really attracts me and it is a good destination for a vacation," he said.

liangkaiyan@chinadaily.com.cn