Step into Gulangyu's History, Trace Xiamen's Cultural Soul through Qiaopi Letters

The Hong Kong media delegation continued its Fujian tour on August 4, spending the afternoon on Gulangyu Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where they explored its century‑old international community through a rich tapestry of architectural styles. In the evening, the delegation strolled along Zhongshan Street and visited the Qiaopi Exhibition Hall, discovering the enduring nostalgia of Minnan culture.

The Gulangyu Piano Pier, Photo by Bastille Post

Arriving by ferry at the Gulangyu Piano Pier, the delegation stepped into a tranquil “garden on the sea," an island where red‑brick villas, consulates, and arched colonnades stand alongside swaying banyan trees, weaving a living tapestry of East and West.

The Gulangyu island, Photo by Bastille Post

Covering just 1.88 square kilometres, Gulangyu has served as a window for Sino‑Western cultural exchange since the 1840s, with over a thousand buildings blending Chinese and Western architectural styles. In 2017, the island was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Gulangyu island, Photo by Bastille Post

The Gulangyu island, Photo by Bastille Post

The delegation’s first stop was the Gulangyu Piano Museum, housed in Shuzhuang Garden. Built in 1913, the garden was originally the private villa of Lin Erjia, a wealthy Taiwanese businessman. Nestled against the hills and overlooking the sea, it blends natural scenery with garden design. The museum displays dozens of antique pianos from around the world, bearing witness to Gulangyu’s rich musical heritage as the “Piano Island.” On‑site staff gave an impromptu performance of Waves of Gulangyu on a century‑old piano, enchanting the delegation members with its melodic charm.

The Gulangyu Piano Museum, Photo by Bastille Post

The impromptu piano performance by museum staff, Photo by Bastille Post

The second stop was the former British Consulate. This 19th‑century colonial‑style building has been repurposed as the Gulangyu Art Space of the National Art Museum of China, the museum's first local branch. Currently featuring 21 contemporary artworks ranging from painting and sculpture to installation art, the century‑old arcades and columns create a striking dialogue between past and present, infusing the historic space with new vitality and adding a fresh cultural layer to Gulangyu.

The former British Consulate, Photo by Bastille Post

Picasso pieces in the collection of the Art Space, Photo by Bastille Post

The delegation concluded its Gulangyu tour at the island's landmark — the Bagua Building. Built in 1907, this red‑domed structure is the largest and tallest villa on the island. Today, it houses the Gulangyu Pipe Organ Art Center, a world‑class museum and the only one of its kind in China, with a collection of over 5,000 organs of every description.

The Bagua Building, Photo by Bastille Post

The entrance of the Gulangyu Pipe Organ Art Center, Photo by Bastille Post

The centre’s most striking feature is a magnificent Norman‑Beard pipe organ, several storeys high. The guide explained that this giant instrument was purchased from abroad in 2004, disassembled, shipped to Xiamen, and reassembled over three months. The Art Center officially opened to the public in 2005, and this pipe organ has been played there for 21 years.

The Norman‑Beard pipe organ, Photo by Bastille Post

The core difference between a pipe organ and a piano lies in their sound production: a piano is a struck string instrument, relying on hammers to strike the strings; a pipe organ, on the other hand, is an aerophone, requiring continuous airflow and valve opening to produce sound. The instrument is divided into two main parts: the lower section is the performance console, and the upper section contains the sound pipes. The console features a three‑tiered manual keyboard and a single‑tiered foot keyboard, with a structure vastly different from a standard piano. White circular draw‑knobs are located on both sides; by adjusting the push‑pull combinations, the timbres of various instruments can be simulated. The director also performed different styles of music on the spot, from ethereal and melodious to majestic and powerful, fully demonstrating the pipe organ’s rich expressiveness.

The director performed different styles of music on the spot, from ethereal and melodious to majestic and powerful, fully demonstrating the pipe organ’s rich expressiveness. Photo by Bastille Post

After nightfall, the delegation strolled through Zhongshan Street. This century‑old Nanyang‑style arcade street is a benchmark for the integration of urban renewal and cultural tourism in Xiamen, carrying the memories of a century of trade between Fujian and Hong Kong overseas Chinese merchants.

The Zhongshan Street, Photo by Bastille Post

The delegation focused on visiting the Qiaopi Exhibition Hall on Zhongshan Street. Following the recent popularity of the film Dear You, the exhibition hall has seen a significant increase in daily visitors, with many parents bringing their children to experience the interactive installations for handwritten Qiaopi (overseas Chinese remittance letters), bringing the warmth of traditional letter‑writing back into the public eye.

The Qiaopi Exhibition Hall, Photo by Bastille Post

Su Xiaodong, chief curator of the Qiaopi Exhibition Hall and founder of Xiamen Xinge Cultural and Creative Industry Co., Ltd., explained that Zhongshan Road once housed 286 Qiaopi agencies, accounting for 95% of the total in Fujian Province. It was the core distribution hub for Qiaopi in southern Fujian, radiating to Quanzhou and Zhangzhou and connecting Kinmen and Taiwan. The hall building is a renovated ancient structure, preserving the original architectural features. Interactive exhibits include an ancient sailboat and a Ming‑dynasty lighthouse. The exhibition hall houses over 300 Qiaopi letters from Xiamen, including precious artefacts such as letters written during the War of Resistance against Japan and family letters documenting the abolition of foot‑binding in modern times.

The Qiaopi collection at the exhibition hall, Photo by Bastille Post

The Qiaopi collection at the exhibition hall, Photo by Bastille Post

The Qiaopi collection at the exhibition hall, Photo by Bastille Post

The display item at the exhibition hall, Photo by Bastille Post

The sailing ship model in the exhibition, Photo by Bastille Post

On the cultural connotations of Qiaopi, Su Xiaodong said many visitors ask whether these letters contain words like “I love you.” In reality, he noted, such sentimental expressions are rarely found in the letters written by Minnan and Chaoshan ancestors. Instead, Qiaopi carry the most authentic narratives of survival: “When I send this letter back, it’s thousands of miles away. I can’t return, so I send a Qiaopi. When it arrives, it tells my family I’m safe. Money and news arriving together means I’m safe, all kinds of safe.”

He continued: “As the saying goes, a letter from home is worth its weight in gold. And Qiaopi are truly worth that much, not because of the money, but because of the warmth and affection they carry across the distance.”

Su Xiaodong, chief curator of the Qiaopi Exhibition Hall, Photo by Bastille Post

According to Su Xiaodong, the exhibition hall is now planning to take the Qiaopi exhibition overseas, with Singapore as the first stop. OCBC Bank will open its century‑old Qiaopi archives there, allowing them to be cross‑referenced and integrated with the historical materials held by the Xiamen museum. The exhibition is also set to travel to Malaysia at a later stage.

The Hong Kong media delegation visiting Fujian continued its itinerary on the evening of August 3, arriving at Time Meets Island, a Minnan-themed immersive cultural attraction.

As China's first immersive cultural park dedicated to Minnan (southern Fujian) culture, the attraction has been transformed from a former cruise terminal space. It brings together 83 living intangible cultural heritage items from Xiamen, Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, and features eight Minnan-style streets and alleys alongside 116 distinctive historical buildings. The park also hosts over 100 daily performances of Nanyin music, Gaojia opera and puppet shows.

Time Meets Island: Minnan Cultural Theme Park, Photo by Bastille Post

Positioned as a “Window to Minnan Culture,” the park follows the principles of “tracing origins without being conservative, innovating without simply replicating, and being both authentic and dreamlike.” From nearly a thousand intangible cultural heritage items across the three cities, it has selected 83 to create a five‑sensory experience, one that can be tasted, touched, worn, heard, and seen.

At the heart of the park's experience lies the history of “going to Southeast Asia.” “Qiaopi” — overseas Chinese remittance letters — serve as a vital cultural carrier of this history, bearing witness to the struggles and homesickness of Minnan ancestors. These were letters that combined family news with remittances, sent home by Chinese emigrants to support their loved ones.

The park transforms this history into an immersive experience. In the “Time Post Office,” visitors can take part in a fun quiz about Qiaopi, unlock the “Thousand-Mile Delivery” mission, and experience the unwavering commitment of the “water carriers” who once delivered these precious letters.

Time Post Office, Photo by Bastille Post

Time Post Office, Photo by Bastille Post

A collection of Qiaopi displayed at the Time Post Office, Photo by Bastille Post

Visitors can write messages to their families on retro Qiaopi paper with a brush or fountain pen. Photo by Bastille Post

Members of the media delegation also experienced this firsthand: writing messages to their families on retro Qiaopi paper with a brush or fountain pen. The activity proved especially popular among families with children, with many parents and little ones writing down their feelings on‑site and turning them into a cherished keepsake. Visitors can also redeem free handicrafts with their “silver notes,” and the park offers Minnan specialities and snacks for purchase, along with plenty of photo‑worthy moments.

Visitors can also redeem free handicrafts with their “silver notes." Photo by Bastille Post

The park offers Minnan specialities and snacks for purchase, along with plenty of photo‑worthy moments. Photo by Bastille Post

The park offers Minnan specialities and snacks for purchase, along with plenty of photo‑worthy moments. Photo by Bastille Post

The park showcases an innovative fusion of tradition and modernity. At Nanyin Square, eight folk Nanyin teachers from Kinmen regularly perform. The park plans to add Chinese subtitles in the future and bring classic plays such as Chen San and Wu Niang to the stage, allowing more young tourists to understand this ancient music.

Photo by Bastille Post

The “Electronic Music Prince” parade, combining traditional intangible cultural heritage costumes with electronic music, became a sensation in Chinese Mainland as early as 2016 and is now one of the most popular interactive attractions for young visitors at the park.

Photo by Bastille Post

Hong Tao, Deputy General Manager of the park, said that during the summer, peak daily visitor flow increased by approximately 75% compared to weekdays, with visitors spending an average of five hours per day. The proportion of families with children and overseas tourists has risen significantly. So far this year, the park has received over 40,000 overseas visitors, with Taiwanese visitors accounting for about half. The number of Hong Kong tourists and student groups continues to grow, making them an important source of visitors.

Hong Tao, Deputy General Manager of the park, Photo by Bastille Post

He noted that the park's location at the cruise terminal was carefully planned, adjacent to the Dongdu Passenger Terminal and the International Cruise Terminal. Visitors can experience intangible cultural heritage after arriving from Gulangyu Island. Since the second half of last year, Star Cruises has been calling at Xiamen, with many Hong Kong tourists disembarking and visiting the park. “The park’s costume changes, food and interactive performances have all received high praise.”

This summer, the park launched a brand‑new, nationally first‑ever aerial piano music interactive show under the theme “Encountering a Century of Gulangyu Island, Journeying Through a Thousand Years of Minnan.” Inspired by the romance of Gulangyu Island, known as the “Piano Island," the performance features a high‑altitude piano concerto on a retro stage, incorporating interactive elements such as song recognition and duets of classic hits. The carefully selected repertoire includes popular songs like “Waves of Gulangyu,” “The Moon Represents My Heart,” and “Hometown Clouds,” using familiar melodies as “letters home” to invite travellers from home and abroad to visit and experience the charm of Minnan.

A singer performed a Teresa Teng classic on stage. Photo by Bastille Post

Chen Tao, the director in the park, explained that the selection of Teresa Teng’s songs was intended to evoke childhood memories for visitors of all ages and to resonate with the feeling of kinship between people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through classic melodies. He shared a touching detail: “When ‘Hometown Clouds' reached its climax, a Taiwanese tourist stood on the bridgehead, watching the sails of returning travellers rise, and took out a tissue to wipe away tears. At first, I thought he was unwell, but upon looking more closely through the lens, I realised he was indeed crying, and his family gently patted him to comfort him.”

A banner bearing the words “Come Home” was displayed at the finale. Photo by Bastille Post

Chen Tao said the Taiwanese audience was particularly enthusiastic during the photo sessions after each performance. Some elderly people even said, “We are one family, and Kinmen will soon have a road connection," which was especially moving. “The Taiwanese audience's feelings towards these performances are even deeper than those of mainland audiences; this is a real occurrence.”

The “Jun Jun” character in the aerial piano show aims to evoke emotional resonance across different age groups through familiar music. Whether it's tourists from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, or mainland families and middle‑aged and elderly tourists, everyone is very familiar with Teresa Teng and her classic songs. The park uses these musical elements to connect everyone with shared emotions.

Chen Tao, the director in the park, Photo by Bastille Post

Chen Tao said this summer’s Nanyin performance invited 12 Nanyin performance groups from Hong Kong, Xiamen, Quanzhou and other places to perform together. Plans include inviting more teams from Taiwan, overseas Chinese communities and the Mainland to collaborate. He pointed out that the park is not only geared towards Taiwanese compatriots, but also towards all overseas Chinese worldwide. “We use these works to welcome overseas Chinese and Taiwanese compatriots, allowing people on both sides of the strait to connect through music.”

Regarding expansion into the Hong Kong and Macau markets, the park has already established deep partnerships with local study tour and travel agencies. It will subsequently collaborate with universities such as Xiamen University to connect with institutions from Hong Kong and Macau, creating customised study tours and team‑building experiences for students.

The first phase of the park‘s themed street is already operational. The second phase, a large‑scale moving performance drama titled Echoes of Ancient Waves, is planned for release next Spring Festival, and the third phase is also in the planning stages.

“We warmly welcome young people, families and student groups from Hong Kong and Macau to visit,” Hong Tao said. “The park’s indoor areas are cool and offer rich interactive experiences, making it perfect for summer family outings.”