Since I have come back to China in February I have not been able to leave the municipality of Beijing because of very strict covid prevention measures in China. With the situation coming back under control I have finally managed to leave Beijing for a long weekend in the coastal southeastern city of Xiamen.
It was wonderful!
I must admit that it rained all four days that I was there so the weather was extremely humid, and so was everything one touched. However, the strong downpours made the day-time temperatures more bearable than if the sun had been shining strong.
The hot humid weather, the sound of heavy rain falling on the roof and streets, the lush green vegetation, the seaside air, the mix of colonial and modern architecture, clean streets and public toilets, the delicious local food specialities and seafood, the sound of Hokkien spoken by the older folks... It all reminded me of Singapore. So I felt very much at home on Xiamen island and on its Gulangyu islet.
Strolling and getting lost within the array of narrow streets of Gulangyu with its early-20th-century buildings was very soothing. I enjoyed walking for hours without a goal while knowing that I would certainly come accross something very interesting and without ever getting lost on this small islet. At random moments, one would hear the sound of a piano being played in one of the houses or numerous music schools.
Sipping tea while admiring old buildings;
sipping tea by the seaside;
sipping tea in a Zen garden:
I had time to reflect on my current situation and plan for other travel projects in China.
There is a country far beyond the stars
C. Hubert Parry, Songs of farewell, Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, Conifer
