Feel the Romantic Style of an Intoxicating Island

Many people choose Kulangsu to enjoy its charming views， but I think that the romantic living style of this island is more worth tasting. As a cultural melting pot， Kulangsu has completely preserved various elements shaped in the early 20th Century， including the urban fabric， functional system and residential buildings in various forms and styles. Reputed as the “Gallery of International Architecture”， the island tells the stories of history with its classical and romantic European-style architecture. Also， it is known as the “Cradle of Musicians” because it is a fertile land for talents of music. No matter what kind of attractions you are interested in， you can spend more leisure time and indulge yourself in this charming city.

Strolling around old villas

Walking around Kulangsu to see European architectural heritages such as old consulates and churches， and lots of quaint shops is good for busy people to enjoy a relaxed weekend. Today， the island keeps nearly 1，000 intact historical buildings and gardens after more than one century， showing different styles and a good combination of Chinese and western elements， which has gained a long-standing title as the “Gallery of International Architecture”.

After the First Opium War and the Treaty of Nanking in 1842， the island was occupied by 13 countries， including the Great Britain， France and Japan. As a result， it is influenced by a variety of foreign cultures and the most obvious embodiment is the architectural style. Nowadays， the island is a center of historical architecture， including traditional Chinese temples with upturned eaves and corners， Fujian-style courtyard， Shanghai-style alley， baroque buildings， gothic cathedral， eight-trigram building， small and exquisite Japanese houses as well as consulates with continental style of 19th Century. With a great number of buildings of different periods and various styles， Kulangsu is like an encyclopedia of architecture， fully reflecting the construction achievements accomplished during the various historical stages and the fusion of diverse cultures in the aspects of politics， social life， architecture， gardening art and building technology. You might never find buildings with mixtures like this in other places.

The Haitiantanggou Villa is one of the most fashionable and exquisite old villas on Kulangsu. Its columns and windows show all kinds of styles. Shuzhuang Garden carries the features of the classical gardens in southern China. Furthermore， many pioneers of Chinese modernization including Lin Qiaozhi， a founder of modern Chinese gynecology， and Ma Yuehan， an icon in Chinese sports education left their former residences on Kulangsu. As an outstanding characteristic of Kulangsu， arcade buildings are preserved very well in this island. After going through the ups and downs of the past century， these buildings entwined with colorful flowers and lush trees still stand beside the paths. Walking slowly under the arcade buildings， you can feel a sense of romance. It is very common to see young girls posing for their photos at some secluded nooks. The small tea tables in front of the shops， the old people who sit against the pillars and the colorful smallwares constitute a picture of peaceful life.

Kulangsu tastes just as popular Oolong Tea， with the fragrance of Chinese green tea and the mellowness of western black tea. In addition to migrant workers and business people from across the country attracted by its buildings， this hidden gem has become a home to painters， sculptors， musicians， filmmakers and even architects in recent years. That’s why it is often described as an island for showcasing architecture， drawing artists from across the nation and around the world to learn and find a source of inspiration.

Spiritual sanctuary

Have you ever noticed that wherever you go on Kulangsu， you can hear the sound of piano music？ Because cars， buses and bikes are prohibited here， the island is so quiet that music played by the violin or the piano can be heard here and there.

Music is a vital part of Kulangsu’s culture. Soon after Xiamen became one of China’s earliest ports open for foreign trade， many countries established consulates and built villas on Kulangsu. It was at that time that piano was introduced to Kulangsu. In fact Kulangsu has more than 5，000 pianos owned by local families — the highest per capita ownership of piano throughout the entire country. Also， it is the home to a number of celebrated Chinese pianists. Therefore， Chinese Musicians Association named it the “Island of Music” or the “Home of Pianos”.

Everywhere on Kulangsu， you will always feel the charm of music. While staying on the beautiful Kulangsu， the music never seems to stop. The beautiful tunes we hear have just reflected people’s enthusiasm towards life. It is just like a tiny stream flowing slowly to moisturize your heart and let you feel that you are bathed in the ocean of music. Look， on the way you are walking on， there are many musical notes， which are not arranged randomly. If you put them together， it would be the popular song The Wave of Kulangsu. From time to time， you can hear the beautiful sound of piano music coming from a window on the side of the street. And sometimes， you may see talented locals performing musical instruments for passers-by.

From time to time，

you can hear the beautiful sound of piano music

coming from a window on the side of the street.

Located in the Hall of Roaring Tides in Shuzhuang Garden， Kulangsu Piano Museum houses an impressive collection of antique pianos from around the world. It is the only museum in China displaying various kinds of antique pianos from different places in the world. Most of those pianos in the museum were donated by the piano collector Hu Youyi， including precious pianos and over 60 ancient piano lamps. Treasures of the collection include a gold-plated piano， an ancient 8-pedal piano， an antique hand-powered organ and the oldest four-corner piano in the world.

The Kulangsu International Piano Art Festival， the biggest music festival with various activities in China， is held biennially on this island， attracting artists come from afar. Many renowned pianists， experts and scholars will also attend the festival. Music lovers and students are able to have close contact with some of classical musicians. Sometimes， activities about the festival can be extended throughout the entire year.

Strolling through Kulangsu’s narrow streets while being surrounded by music drifting out of windows is an enjoyable experience. During your long life， if you once met with the beautiful Kulangsu， this would be the most memorable romantic encounter. There is once a popular saying by Deng Dong， a famous tourism author： The biggest regret for people who have been to Kulangsu is that they cannot live there permanently.