It is said that the fastest way to access a city’s culture is to become one of its citizens. With meandering lanes and shaded streets， Kulangsu is a retreat well worth spending a few days. In order to reduce pollution， motor-driven vehicles are forbidden on the island. Therefore， exploring on foot along the streets that run around the tranquil island is a cheerful way to appreciate the nature and gain an unforgettable experience. The experience would be much better than you expect. There are many things for you to do on the island. Breathing the fresh air， enjoying the azure sky， and appreciating the ever-green trees and lovely flowers， anyone here can feel that they are lost in a paradise.

Beauty for discerning eyes

Located in the subtropical zone， Kulangsu belongs to maritime climate， warm and rainy. Famous for its year-round spring， lush trees and fresh air， Kulangsu can be a top destination for travel enthusiasts to enjoy its famous Oolong Tea and lovely scenery.

Walking along the winding roads on the island， you can feast your eyes on stunning seaside views， historical sites， local villages， exotic flowers and palm trees. Among those scenic spots， Sunlight Rock， Shuzhuang Garden and Bright Moon Garden are popular and worth-seeing sights.

As the saying goes， if you travel to Kulangsu， it would be a trip in vain without climbing the Sunlight Rock which is the symbol of Kulangsu. Situated at the top of Longtou Hill near the center of Kulangsu， the Sunlight Rock consists of two huge rocks， with a huge vertical rock piercing into the sky. Standing at the top of the Sunlight Rock， tourists can have a clear panoramic view of Kulangsu. Every day when the sun rises， the rocks in the Sunlight Rock Temple will be illuminated and bathed by the morning light， thus it got its name. When the national hero Zheng Chenggong recaptured Taiwan from western invaders， his troops once were stationed here， leaving a lot of stories to inspire generation after generation.

At the foot the Sunlight Rock， there is the Shuzhuang Garden， a tranquil oasis that is a must-see sight for horticulture enthusiasts. Once being a private villa of a wealthy Taiwanese businessman Lin Erjia， Shuzhuang Garden was exquisitely designed with well-conceived layout and borrowed scenes to embody the characteristics of gardening. With natural features like hills， ocean views， pools， waterfalls， and a walkway beside the sea cliffs， the garden serves as a visual feast. The garden was divided into parts — Canghai Garden and Bushan Garden. Canghai Garden literally means that the sea is hidden by the garden. Although this garden is right next to the seaside， a wall hides the seascape. However， once you get out through the Moon Cave Gate， the seascape will leaps into view， and then you will burst upon the implication of its masterly design.

Walking along the winding roads on the island， you can feast your eyes on stunning seaside views， historical sites， local villages， exotic flowers and palm trees.

Not far away， Bright Moon Park， located on the southeastern seashore of Kulangsu， is a theme park to commemorate the national hero Zheng Chenggong. The majestic bronze statue of Zheng Chenggong in martial attire standing on the rocks looks over the sea looks like that he was commanding an army， full of power and grandeur.

For every traveller， Kulangsu is amazing and completely overwhelming. Nature-lovers will enjoy the beautiful views， children will love exploring the theme park， photographers won’t miss any photo opportunities， music lovers will be surprised by the extensive collection of pianos， and those looking for a slower pace will enjoy the amenity in those gardens.

A tranquil retreat

“Petty bourgeoisie” may be one of the words that will flash on your mind while mentioning the Kulangsu. With warm weather and verdant surroundings， Kulangsu is a romantic destination for people to get rid of the noisy city. With smooth traffic， people are in no hurry. On Kulangsu， it is perfect for walking and the time seems to go slowly. Also， you can easily get away the commercial district by taking a detour to an elegant gardens.

Winding alleyways are another characteristic of Kulangsu， offering you a delightful serenity. Strolling on this island， you can walk in the waves along the beach， or listen to the church bells lingering in the alley. On the afternoon， you may prefer to sit in a tea shop to nap and just be in a daze to kill the time. Perhaps this is the mood of Kulangsu. Among the alleys and lanes， you will soon chance upon a lone busker playing the saxophone.

On the island， there is a maze of restaurants， shops， hotels. The roadside coffee seats， Zhangsanfeng Milk Tea and Miss Zhao’s Shop are full of the taste of petty bourgeoisie， providing a tranquil retreat for tourists to get away from the hustle and bustle life. In addition， the street is a haven for coffee lovers， local and foreign alike， to sip and chat. Tea culture is also popular among the locals. It is true that you never know what the real culture is until you have a cup of tea in the teahouse.

The traditional food is no weakness. More often than not， you’ll find people are queuing to sample some of local food such as all sorts of barbecued seafood， five-spice rolls and vegetarian dumplings. The Huangzehe’s peanuts soup， a famous snack cooking in the lane， is very attractive. Seasoned peanut soup drinkers will never drink the soup without adding one or all of the following as a side dish： deep fried dough sticks， fried doughnuts， vegetable pastries， meat buns， sweet buns or fried glutinous rice. Fried oyster， fragrant soft and very delicious， should be the first consideration for enjoying the food in Kulangsu. One of the clever ways to get rid of the fishy smell of oyster is to put egg around it.

When night falls， the cafes along the road turn on their neon lights， illuminating one of the trendiest places on Kulangsu. Nightlife could be not only busy and noisy but also peaceful and leisure. A quiet piano bar in the city is a good place for you to avoid the noisy crowd.

Kulangsu is a city that you can’t help falling in love with. Its aroma of romance seeps from the red roof of an old villa， the aerial roots of a banyan tree， the ethereal notes of a distant piano and a lazy cat lying on the road.