Li Ji Li Ji (礼即礼集)
The literal translation of the name is “gift, immediately, gift, gather,” and this popular chain, with branches all over China, does not disappoint the gift-seeker, especially if the intended recipient is a child. The highlights of the dazzling store are the immaculately detailed battery-powered wooden dioramas of ferris wheels and park scenes. Address: 103-107 Zhonghua […]
Kulangsu Supermarket (Xian Shang Chao Shi 夏商超市)
Kulangsu’s main supermarket is not huge, but it’s a great store and an essential point of reference on the island. The market is clean, well-run, and well-stocked, with fast and efficient service at the check-out lines. A good variety of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables is always available, along with a modest selection of mostly […]
Listening to Kulangsu (Ting Gulangyu 听鼓浪屿)
My first introduction to Kulangsu was “Gulangyu Zhi Bo,” played by Jing. I had heard it at least fifty times before I ever saw Kulangsu, and before I even knew this was originally a song with words. It was my favorite song on Jing’s CD, which I played obsessively in my car when she was […]
Pianist Yin Chengzong’s house (Yin Cheng Zong Zhai 殷承宗宅)
Kulangsu’s most famous pianist, Yin Chengzong, still owns and periodically visits this hilltop house. It is one of the island’s most beautiful private homes, now inhabited by the pianist’s brother, Yin Chengdian, who is a first-rate musician in his own right and the former dean of the Xiamen Music School. In 1924, Yin’s father bought the […]
Joy & Mario Shoe store (J&M Xie Dan 鞋店)
Many tourists find themselves needing a new pair of comfortable shoes for walking through Kulangsu’s cobblestoned streets and hills. Joy & Mario’s shoes combine the comfort of classic soccer-shoe shapes with designs that explore the daring cutting edge of Chinese fashion, integrating bold, original textures and stitched-on transfers. Address: Zhonghua Road, Gulangyu Island, Siming District, […]