Borrowed this book from NLB, would like to share it =)

The most attractive part of Xiamen (China) is found in the port area that faces the island of Gulangyu. The colourful bustle of Zhongshan Lu runs east from the harbor front. Peerk down its small side streets for a taste of a bygone age.

The fanous Nanputuo Temple in the south of town is a wonderful comlex, set against Drum Hill opposite Xiamen University.




Gulangyu Island is known as the piano island because people here love the piano.
As early as 1913, students in schools run by foreigners started learning the piano. The enthusiasm for music later spread to more ordinary people on the island. Many piano families have since then come into being and produced accomplished musicians.



Located five minutes by boat from Xiamen, Gulangyu is really a Shangri-la-like tourist attraction. No road vehicles are allowed here, bicycles are the only means of transportation. In recent years, some battery-powered sightseeing vehicles commute from the beach to the port, as more and more people come to Gulangyu sanatorium to recuperate.
No tourist can afford to miss one attraction located on the island -- the nation's largest piano museum.

Divided into two exhibition halls, the museum guides visitors through a vivid history of the instrument with displays and illustrations. All different types of pianos such as miniature pianos, automatic pianos, accordion pianos and round-shaped pianos, are on display. It is difficult not to start playing the instrument when faced with such an amazing variety of instruments. But be careful. It is forbidden to touch them, as these pianos are cherished collections of overseas Chinese, who hope to allow more people to see and be inspired by these displays.




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