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Xiamen City
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Nanputuo Temple
On the southern outskirts of Xiamen city,this attractive temple was built more than 1000 years ago during the Tang dynasty.It was ruined during the Qing dynasty.
Entering the temple through Heavenly King Hall (Tianwang Dian) you are met by Milefo (Laughing Buddha),with the four heavenly kings on either side.The classical Chinese inscription reads: ¡®When entering regard Buddha and afterwards pay your respects to the four kings of heaven¡¯.
Behind Milefo is Wei Tuo,a Buddhist deity who safegards the doctrine.He holds a stick that points to the ground,indicating that the temple is rich and can provide visiting monks with board and lodging (if the stick is held horizontally it means the temple is poor and is a polite way of saying ¡®find somewhere else to stay¡¯)
In front of the courtyard is the Great Heroic Treasure Hall (Da Xiongbbao Dian),a two-storey building containing three Buddhas that represent Buddha in his past,present and future lives.
The Great Compassion Hall (Dabei Dian) contains four statuesof Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy).Worshippers cast divining sticks at the feet of the statues to seek heavenly guidance.
The temple has a vegetarian restaurant in a nice shady courtyard where you can dine in the compant of resident monks.Gulangyu Island
As an AAAA-level national scenic zone and a major scenic resort of the country,it is located at the southweat corner of Xiamen and faces Xiamen Island across the 500-meter-wide Egret River.
It enjoys a lauditory title "Garden on the Sea." The original name of the island was Yuan Zhou Zi. In the Ming Dynasty it was renamed Gulang, meaning ¡®¡®drum waves", because the holes in the southwestern reefs hit by the waves will make sounds like the drum.
The Dragon Head Hill, Hoisting Flag Hill and Hen Hill stand in a line in the island. Overlapping peaks foil the blue water, white clouds, green trees and bright flowers. The air here is fresh. The entire place is free from any sorts of vehicles and is particularly quiet. All these render an atmosphere of a fairyland.
The best way to enjoy the island is to wander along the streets,peeking into courtyards and down alleys to catch a glimpse of colonial architecture seasoned by local life.Most sights and hotels are just a short walk from the ferry terminal.
SIGHTS:
The most prominent attraction on the island is Sunlight Rock (Riguang Yan)---the island¡¯s highest point at 93m.On a clear day you can see the island of Jinmen.
At the foot of Sunlight Rock is a large colonial building known as the Koxinga Memorial Hall (Zhengchenggong Jinianguan).The hall has an exhibition partly dedicated to the Dutch in Taiwan,and partly to Koxinga¡¯s throwing them out.Both sights are located in Sunlight Rock Park (Riguang Yan Gongyuan).
Yingxiong Hill (Yingxiong Shan) is near the memorial hall and has an open-air aviary on the top with egrets and parrots.
Near the ferry terminal is Xiamen Underwater World (Xiamen Haidi Shijie),with an impressive collection of penguins,seals,dolphins,and exotic fish in cramped tanks.The immense shark tank is viewed via a tubular passageway.
Shuzhuang Garden (Shuzhuang Huayuan) is a very pleasant garden on the waterfront and close to the beach.Jimei
As one of the four major scenic spots in Xiamen, Jimei enjoys a long-term fame for its tourists attractions like Turtle Garden ,Returnees Garden and the former residence of Mr. Tan Kah-Kee.
Jimei is a small town on the other side of the bank facing notth Xiamen Island.With Gaoji Causeway and Xingji Causeway meeting there ,Jimei becomes the sole gateway into Xiamen.
Jimei is also the hometown of Mr. Tan Kah-Kee, a famous overseas Chinese leader who devoted homself wholly to the education cause.He had started various schools in the town, including Jimei Normal School,Jimei Navigation Institute, Xiamen Aquatic Products Technical Institute and Agriculture School besides Jimei Kindergarden, Jimei Primary School and Jimei Middle School. Equipped with Science Hall, library and hospital, these schools brought the town the name "Jimei School Village" which is renowned at home and abroad. The Turthe Gardeb was built during Mr. Tan Kah-Kee¡®s lifetime and later was chosen as the place where his grave was to be laid. Mr. Tan Kah-Kee¡®s residence was turned into a memorial hall and the Returnees Garden with Mr.Tan Kah-Kee¡®s bronze statue in it was built in his memory. In Jimei, there is still the relics where Zhen Chenggong had drilled his soldiers and the ruins of old Jimei Village--Yenping Old Fort.
The Turtle Garden was constructed in 1950 by Mr.Tan Kah- Kee on the former site of "Turtle Head Palace" from which came its present name.In the centre of the garden is the Jimei Liberation Monument with an inscription by Mao Zedong on the front and a tablet record written by Mr.Tan Kah-Kee on the back.The stone foundation of the monument consists of two stages. The lower stage has eight steps ,signifying the eight-year Anti- Japanese War; the upper stage is composed of three steps,symbolizing the three year Liberation War .They are telling the later generations that victories were hard- won and therefore should be cherished. The foundation of the monument is surrounded by gray jade carvings and relief sculptures polished with great care,embodying a concentrated reflection of exquisite workmanship and a unique style of south Fujian stone carving art.
The former residence of Mr.Tan Kah-Kee is situated on Jiageng Road in the town of Jimei.It is still keeping its old looks to be visited and pondered. Mr.Tan Kah-kee was living frugally all his life. No one can keep unmoved when they see how simple those daily necessities and clothings are.To the west of the residence is an exhibition of Mr.Tan Kah-Kee¡®s life story.Hulishan Fortress (Hu Li Shan Paotai)
Hulishan Fortress is a nationally key historical and cultural site. In August, 2000, it is listed into "the complete collection of Guinness World Records of the year 2000". The Fortress, built in the 20th year of the emperor Guangxu¡®s reign (1894), has more than 100 years¡®gloomy history of rise and fall. The base of the fortress is made of the mixture of camphor tree sap, liquid brown sugar, glutinous rice, clay and sand. Therefore, it is rather solid. The fortress is composed of the barracks, the secret tunnel, commanding tower, sentry platform, the ammunition depot, the trench, the castle, etc. The rectangular castle made of granite rocks occupies an area of 13,000 square meters. Xiamen had been an ancient battlefield where Xiamen people resisted imperial aggressors in the history. It played an important role in resisting foreign aggressors. There are east and west emplacements with two main cannons (only one left now) bought from the Krupp Company of Germany. The whole length of the cannon is 13.13 meters and its weight is 50 tons. The caliber of the cannon is 280 mm and its maximum range of fire is 16,000 meters. The fortress displays more than 50 iron cannons of the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty unearthed from the Xiamen waters and the building site of capital construction. The East and West emplacements are connected by a tunnel. There are military camps at the exits of the tunnel. As a coastal defense fortress, there is a trench outside and a patrolling path inside.
In 1986, platforms of yearning for return are built at the forward position of the fortress. The tourists observe Dadan and Erdan Islands under Jinmen¡¯s jurisdiction through telescopes. In recent years, the fortress yard has been cleaned up and large-scale wall carvings "national soul" is newly built, demonstrating the course of warehousing weapons, reviving military forces and resisting strong enemies with a profound artistic conception. "Rong Spring" is newly built on the left side of wall carvings, which is quite novel. Behind the wall carvings the small garden with evergreen grass has many sculptures and golden ball cactus. A leisure and sightseeing pavilion built in the high place is harmonious and natural with the surroundings. The scenic spot of Moonlight Rock is opened up in the north of the small garden with additionally set "dragon spring waterfalls", "a line sky", and "the poem wall of Hulishan fortress"
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