Expectation of Safe Return

Shuzhuang Garden in Kulangsu

Overlooking the Strait for Reunion

Gulangyu, I had the privilege to step onto this small and marvelous island for the first time in 1981 when I was enlisted for nearly a year. Since then, my love for Xiamen and Gulangyu began to grow in myself, which helped make up my mind to settle in Xiamen in future. For this, I, through hard efforts, became the only officer of news photography in the group army starting from the grass-rooted level in Xiamen, beginning to take photos of Gulangyu. Due to my love for this island, I decided to take a civilian work after being transferred from the army in 1994, and being a media journalist has laid a favorable condition for me to take more pretty pictures of the island. Nearly 10,000 pictures depicting the island beauty and events on this island of music have benefited me from holding various photography exhibitions——The Musical Images of My Gulangyu in Taiwan and many other places in the mainland and publishing the photography album--- ZHU Qingfu: The Musical Images of My Gulangyu and other photography events, such as Poems and Images Album of Gulangyu to present the loveliness of this island. It was worth mentioning that the island, thanks to all my photos, has become the top amongst the Most Beautiful Urban Areas in China, a geographical contest of prettiness held by Chinese National Geography.

Gulangyu, also called as Kulangsu in English, earned her name in the dynasty of Ming as the rising waves hit the rocks to the southwestern part of the island, like the sound of drumbeats. The small island, 1.91- sq.km in area, presents the world with her lasting prosperity, red buildings and green trees, rugged sea reefs and mountains showcasing flowing rhythms. The great nature created the extraordinarily scenery of Gulangyu with masterful skills, while the Cave of Gulangyu, the shuzhuang Mansion, and the Statue of ZHENG Chenggong…… have formed spectacular picture scrolls.

With most lovely and eye-catching natural scenery, profound cultural details and rich historical and humanistic accumulations, Gulangyu, a bright pearl inlaid in the East China Sea emanating strong amorous feelings from the European architecture compounds, is the national key scenic spot enjoying popularity home and abroad, the top amongst China’s most pretty urban areas, the top of Fujian's ten best scenic spots and one of the top five deserving destinations for foreign visitors in China.