August 2011 - This was our home when we returned to China/Xiamen in August 2011. The university campus where the freshmen and sophomores were housed was across the bay from Xiamen Island in a small area known as Zhang Zhou. We had to travel back and forth to town on Sunday or other shopping days by a ferry (in good weather) or a bus when it was really foggy.
Gulangyu is a small islet between Xiamen Island the mainland. This history of the island is fascinating ad the architecture unique. Several books about the islet have been written by one of our friends, Dr. William N. Brown. I just love going over and taking photos of the old mansions, most built in the early 1900's.
Another advantage of living on an island is the beaches. We are on the south-west side of the island, so when the weather is nice we can see some really pretty sunsets. I guess if I got up early enough and looked the opposite way, I could see the sun rise too!