Xiamen & Gulang Yu

:: Cue Pianos...hit the lights; Let's get the island...um...walking ?

Travelling south through Fujian province we stopped in the coastal city of Xiamen and took a ferry out to the tiny island of Gulang Yu two kilometers of the coast. In 1902 the island became an international settlement and many consulates were based here in huge colonial mansions. It almost reminded us of a land in Disneyland, big themed houses, flowers everywhere, quaint windy streets lined with seafood and biscuit speciality shops and sandy beaches. It looks so perfect and manicured that it almost looks manufactured. At night huge multicolour laser lights sweep across a big rock formation in the centre of the island light up the sky. The absence of traffic heightened the theme park experience. Cars, motorbikes and bicycles are banned from the island. The only thing that can run you over here is the police golf carts. It was refreshing to be able to walk around without the constant need to dodge motorbikes and cars running lights before making illegal turns.

The island is also known as Piano Island, as early as 1913, students in schools run by foreigners started learning the piano. The enthusiasm spread to more ordinary people on the island resulting in many accomplished musicians. In the evening times piano music filled the air as the locals played. A very strange thing to experience in China - maybe not in a theme park.

If you're getting married in this neck of the woods it's simply a must to have your wedding photos taken out on the island. We were entertained by numerous couples decked out in their finery walking along the beach, staring out wistfully towards the ocean as the camera clicked and waves rushed in completely soaking them. It is customary in China to have your photographs taken two weeks before the wedding day so all the brides wear jeans underneath their white dresses. I'm not sure how good a dress that's been soaked with seawater, dragged along muddy paths and picked up a few grass stains from the "park poses" is going to look a fortnight later.
Xiamen city is famed for its street food and seafood. We did our best to sample some of the best, some egg-McMuffin type things loaded with corriander, chilli and pickles and chicken bites dredged in cumin and chilli. Its always great to see new street food in each city and Province.

Planning our next stop to be Hong Kong we hopped over to the mainland to buy train tickets. We happened by chance on the information that there was a ferry to Hong Kong. Enquiring at the ferry office we found out that the ferry goes once a month and was leaving that day in a couple of hours. For a few minutes we were Phileas Foggs, seriously contemplating making a mad dash back for our bags with a romantic vision of sailing into Victoria Harbour in style on a once monthly vessel. In the end we decided we were a little tight on time that day and lucky enough not to be racing an 80 day hourglass. We stuck to the original plan and bought tickets for Guangzhou.

Click for more phots of Xiamen