Kulangsu: Bringing Diverse Cultures Together

Surrounded by the vast expanse of sea，

Kulangsu was lapped by waves.

The lyrics of the song The Waves of Kulangsu best represent Xiamen， a charming coastal city in southeastern China’s Fujian Province. The beautiful melody， known to many Chinese people， was heard time and again during the 9th BRICS Summit held in Xiamen this September.

Crowned as the Garden on the Sea and famous for its diverse architectural styles， Kulangsu (also known as Gulangyu) was inscribed on the World Heritage List as a cultural site on July 8， 2017. The small island is also a popular tourism destination reachable via a short ferry ride from downtown Xiamen.

With the island’s successful application for UNESCO World Heritage recognition and the success of the BRICS Summit in Xiamen， both Kulangsu’s historical importance and popularity in the international community have been greatly enhanced， giving it a bigger role to play as a specimen as well as a window for Sino-foreign exchanges.

Blueprint for Heritage Protection

“We need to draw up a blueprint for heritage protection first and stick to the plan，” said Liang Yixin， deputy director of the Administrative Committee of the Xiamen Kulangsu Scenic Area. “This is the most useful experience that I want to share with my friends from BRICS countries.”

Liang noted that like China， the other four BRICS countries are all ancient civilizations that need to take a firm stand and make active efforts to protect their historical and cultural heritage sites.

The historical buildings of Kulangsu represent a variety of local and foreign architectural styles， such as the Lingnan style， the classical revival style， Gothic architecture， the Mansard roof and American country style. They are an important testimony of the integration of Chinese and exotic architectural techniques and cultural elements. Both foreign residents and returned overseas Chinese have contributed to the remarkable cultural diversity of the island.

The scientific protection of Kulangsu officially kicked off when Chinese President Xi Jinping served as a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Xiamen Municipal Committee and deputy mayor of Xiamen more than 30 years ago. At the time， Xi was in charge of the drawing-up of the Xiamen Economic and Social Development Strategy (1985-2000). He pointed out in an appendix to the strategy， titled The Social and Cultural Values of Kulangsu and Its Tourism Development， that “given the fact that there are few examples of maintaining natural beauty in harmony with cultural landscape in the process of urban construction and tourism development in China， it is of great necessity to make a systematic plan to protect Kulangsu as a national treasure”. In June 2002， when Xi visited Xiamen as deputy secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee， he once again stressed that Kulangsu needed to be placed in a more prominent position and be given a bigger role to play in heritage protection.

Now， a total of 931 historical buildings and 183 other historical and cultural sites on the island are under strict protection， as a series of laws and regulations have come into force， such as the Regulations of Xiamen Special Economic Zone for the Protection of the Historical Buildings of Kulangsu， the Conservation and Management Plan for the Kulangsu Cultural Heritage Site and the Regulations of Xiamen Special Economic Zone for the Protection of Kulangsu Cultural Heritage.

“We have made active efforts to keep intact all the heritage attributes of Kulangsu to ensure its sustainable development，” Liang said. “For example， we provide golf cart-like vehicles instead of motor vehicles for visitors to travel around the island. Meanwhile， the Administrative Committee of the Xiamen Kulangsu Scenic Area was established as a result of administrative division adjustment aimed at more targeted and effective management and protection.”

Paying attention to accepted global standards and practices has been an important part of protecting Kulangsu， Liang added.

“We have applied international standards to the protection of Kulangsu that embody the merits of Chinese culture，” he explained. When the island applied for UNESCO World Heritage status， a number of experts were invited as advisers. The Kulangsu International Research Center and a research base for historical buildings on the island were set up， providing technical and intellectual support for heritage protection.

Museum Exhibition Dedicated to Cultural Exchange

Since Aug. 29， 2017， all visitors to Kulangsu have had a rare opportunity to appreciate foreign jade articles like a white jade hilt with ornamental flowers and leaves and a gray jade writing-brush washer with two handles. They are part of a collection of artwork displayed at an ongoing exhibition themed on Hindustan jade at the Kulangsu Gallery of Foreign Artefacts from the Palace Museum Collection. The Kulangsu Gallery is the first branch of the Palace Museum outside Beijing， as well as the first museum for foreign artwork in China. Its establishment this May made Xiamen the first Chinese city in cooperation with the Palace Museum to set up a branch and hold exhibitions.

Dating from the 17th to the 19th century， the collection on display is comprised of typical jade carvings from the Mughal Empire (1526-1857) in Southern Asia， the Ottoman Empire (1299-1922) in Western Asia and even Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Two-thirds of these works had never been shown to the public before. As one of the most famous art collectors in China， the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was particularly fond of Hindustan jade and praised such works as “extraordinary， as if done by spirits”. He wrote more than 70 poems about these kinds of jade articles， which were best represented by those made in the Mughal Empire.

In addition to the jade show， exhibits in the Kulangsu Gallery also include lacquers， metalwork， pottery， porcelain， textiles， paintings， furniture， timepieces and instruments from countries like Russia， Great Britain， France， Germany and Japan.

As introduced by deputy curator of the Kulangsu Gallery Li Shijuan， the gallery was founded with the purpose of complementing the island’s signature multinational architectural style with the Palace Museum’s diverse collection of art.

“This varied collection serves as evidence of intercultural exchange throughout history，” Li said. “With salient regional characteristics， they demonstrate the cultures of foreign lands and reflect the frequent political， economic and cultural contact between China and the rest of the world.”

Li added that she believes that inclusiveness and mutual learning in the communication between different cultures precisely echoes the BRICS’ cooperation spirit.

Li also explained that as these works of art faithfully record past interaction between China and BRICS countries as well as countries along the Belt and Road， the Kulangsu Gallery will continue such cultural exchange by exploring methods of cooperation with related countries on exhibition events.

Kulangsu witnessed China’s twists and turns in the process of early modernization and became a window for exchange between diverse cultures at the time. Today， the small island still plays an important role in Sino-foreign exchanges and fascinates the world with its unique charm.