Day 10- Xiamen Botanical Garden & Gulangyu Island

After lunch we walked across the street from our hotel to Xiamen Botanical Garden. It was really hot! Still with the umbrella handy we only had 3 hours to tour the garden. It was massive. There was so much I wanted to see but unfortunately there just wasn’t enough time. The terrain was mostly uphill which made it a little more difficult. The landscape was beautiful. There were various themes throughout the park. One theme that I really enjoyed was the Hundred- Flower Hall. Upon entering this scene you see a grand temple like structure. As you walk through the building you come to an opening with a water feature. Lotus plants cover the water, koi fish are seen swimming about and a stone figure is standing above the water. It was impeccable. It felt so calm and serene. I wish we had more time to explore since we were only able to see ¼ of the park. The park was so hot and there were these furry caterpillars hanging all over the place. I found out they were poisonous and a nuisance this time of year.

After the park we took a 15 minute public transportation (bus) ride to the ferry departure area to Gulangyu Island. It was loaded with many visitors wanting to visit the island. It was a five minute ferry ride to the island. Gulangyu Island is known for its colonial architecture, traditional piano-playing and organized sports. Cars are not allowed on the island for preservation purposes. The island is loaded with tourist and little store front shops for tourists. It was a big and unfortunately we couldn’t see everything but the architecture was beautiful. The buildings were so old and well preserved. It was a great experience. Food was terrible. We went to this little restaurant that didn’t have much food left. We stayed until 8p and caught the ferry back to the main island.

Photos from left to right- Xiamen Botanical Garden in a forest of ferns, Gulangyu Island shops, Xiamne Island Ferry area, xiament Botanical Garden