Gulangyu Islet

[khiemtran]

So, you've made it to Gulangyu islet. Now, it's time to have some fun...




Wander around the narrow streets...



Admire all the quaint little shops...







Chen's Tea Shop, complete with a hand-waving model of the Queen.



I have no idea what this pig is selling, but he has a gun, so I'm not going to make fun of him.





Try the food...







No cars allowed on Gulangyu's narrow streets, so hand carts do a lot of work.



Watch out if you hear someone grunting behind you...



Visit the famous Piano Museum (Gulangyu is also known as the Piano Island, and there are piano and music related things everywhere).



Or the Shuzhuan Gardens...





This is the "44" stone bridge, built to resemble a zigzagging dragon.



As you walk along it, take your time and contemplate the sound of the lapping waves (ideally in the moonlight, although it doesn't look too bad in the daylight either). Can you hear them?



If you're feeling energetic, climb Sunlight Rock...



Or visit the beach...



No bikinis today... (Although it is winter, it was actually quite nice in the sun, around 20 degrees.)



Or just admire the flowers (although those middle ones look suspiciously like vegetables to me...)

Comments

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

I've been struck, looking at your photos, by how western are the clothes everyone is wearing in China.

Mind you, on reflection, that shouldn't really surprise me, since half the clothes we wear are probably made there...

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

There has been a real change in the last ten years in how people dress, especially the younger ones. It used to be that you could tell the mainlanders by sight, but now it's quite hard. There's also an affluent middle class now that likes to shop and keep up with the latest trends.

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Like matching clothes for a "Three Mouth" family...

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/28298008@N07/6837777089/)

(I noticed a lot of couples in Korea doing this too...)

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Coffee and chocolates are always good...

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Most of the little shops had adapted to the lack of space by selling food and drinks you can walk with out of hole-in-the-wall windows. I also saw some clever combination drink and food containers, so you only needed one hand to hold both.

Gulangyu was an old Foreign Concession, so some of the older architecture looks very European.