Gulangyu "A Relative Stillness of an Island"

It's not my first time to Xiamen, but it is my first time setting foot on Gulangyu. Only when I truly stepped onto this small island did I understand that it's different from the impressions I had before. There are no modern means of transportation; the way of getting around the island goes back to a leisurely and slow pace on foot, with the occasional rumbling of the ferry and the sound of waves hitting the shore heard in the background. A local friend led the way through the less crowded alleys, the residential areas are full of life, and the occasional 'getting lost' was a pleasant surprise. Every few steps, you could encounter cats that are not shy and exude a clean aura, and by chance, I overheard a few stories behind the architecture from elementary school students on a study trip. The scattered international architecture on the island still has its own charm, each brick and tile accumulating a profound cultural heritage. Time has left its mark here, yet it has formed a kind of 'relative stillness' of ease. The early mornings and late nights belonging to the island are even more leisurely and unhurried. Passing through the paths, staying in a century-old chapel deep within the island, leaning against a boulder. The ancient keys and wooden furniture convey the eternity of time, while the attic roof and the low-saturated cement brick walls give a warm and simple feeling of repairing the old as old. Steep rocks and ancient banyans wrap the outdoor stone platform, the natural setting here is silent yet perfectly integrated, a tranquil corner that is indifferent to time. On the island, the deeper you go, the slower time seems to pass.