趁著假日時光往廈門一遊。飯店就在海邊，對岸是鼓浪嶼。清晨大夥乘船繞最近有名的金廈航線，聽著導遊訴說著八二三炮戰的故事，船經五十分鐘航程，在經過警戒線後繼續往前趨近至距岸一百公尺遠處，終於看到小金門島，山壁上寫著偌大的一行字“三民主義統一中國”，右壁上還鑲著一面中華民國的國旗，同船的人議論紛紛，大部分人都沒見過此旗幟，雖然景緻一樣，但觀賞者心情截然不同，導遊說船上每個人的一舉一動都在受著岸上駐軍以高倍望遠鏡的監視，並建議同船的女同志靠到船兩側，向岸上清一色阿兵哥揮手表示善意。
回程再至鼓浪嶼遊覽，此島號稱是最平等的地方，島上除了救護車及垃圾車之動力車外，沒有機車甚至自行車，所有人都必須靠步行方式，因為曾經受列強侵佔留下各式風格的建築。也參觀台灣板橋林家花園主人在島上建的菽庄花園，是很典型的閩南庭園，整座庭園依山傍海座落有緻，也參觀收集十餘部世界早期鋼琴的展覽館，之後登上島上最高點海拔九十二公尺日光岩，再乘索道至石鳥園觀賞後，才把島上遊完。
第二日遊玩植物園後，到胡里山砲台參觀目前世界最大的古砲台，炮管長19.6公尺，另一清兵駐防改成的展覽室有世界最小的砲台約十幾公分，還有明清兩代的寶刀寶劍。後至南普陀寺參觀並用素餐，絕的是所有菜皆以葷菜命名的素菜，最有名的是郭沫若先生命名的半月沉江。下午再至集美參觀一座陳嘉庚的鰲園，園內牆上的青石浮雕及影雕真是巧奪天工。
結束了這似曾相似的地方，因為街道的建築有騎樓，人們講的話是台語也會通。同行的一位長在上海太太在機場內水果攤看到她一輩子從未看到的水果--番石榴，因為不曉的怎麼吃，所以也就沒有敢貿然的購買，我和銷售人員只能以閩南話笑說是上海都市佬。
*****
廈門旅遊鼓浪嶼，金門國軍視線遇，菽庄花園仿板橋，南普陀寺素菜語。
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Embracing the Holiday Leisure: A Journey to Xiamen
Our hotel was located right by the seaside, with Gulangyu Island just across the water. In the early morning, we boarded a boat to cruise along the famous Jinsha Route, listening to the guide's stories about the August 23rd Artillery Battle. After a fifty-minute journey, we crossed the alert line and approached to within a hundred meters of the shore. Finally, we caught sight of Little Kinmen Island. On the mountainside, there was a massive inscription that read 'Three Principles of the People Unify China,' with the flag of the Republic of China proudly displayed on the right. The people on the boat started discussing it, as most had never seen this flag before. Although the scenery remained the same, the viewers' emotions varied greatly. The guide informed us that every movement on the boat was being closely monitored by the soldiers stationed on the shore through high-powered telescopes. It was suggested that the female passengers on the boat should position themselves near the sides and wave to the soldiers as a friendly gesture.
On the return journey, we visited Gulangyu Island. Known as the most egalitarian place, the island prohibited motorcycles and even bicycles. Everyone had to rely on walking due to the various architectural styles left by foreign invasions in the past. We also visited Shuzhuang Garden, built on the island by the Lin family from Banqiao, Taiwan. It was a typical Minnan-style garden, nestled by the mountains and the sea. We explored an exhibition hall showcasing a collection of over ten early pianos from around the world. Afterwards, we climbed to the highest point on the island, Sunlight Rock, which stood at a height of ninety-two meters. We then took a cable car to Stone Bird Garden to admire the scenery before concluding our visit to the island.
On the second day, after exploring the botanical garden, we visited the Huandao Battery, which houses the world's largest ancient battery. The cannon barrel measures 19.6 meters in length. There was also an exhibition room converted from a Qing Dynasty defense post, showcasing the world's smallest battery, which is just over ten centimeters long, as well as precious swords and sabers from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. We then proceeded to Nanshan Temple, where we toured the temple and enjoyed a vegetarian meal. The unique aspect of the meal was that all the dishes were named after non-vegetarian items, with the most famous one being 'Half-Moon Sinking in the River,' named by Mr. Guo Moruo. In the afternoon, we visited Aoyuan, a garden built by Chen Jiageng in Jimei. The exquisite blue stone reliefs and shadow carvings on the garden walls were truly awe-inspiring.
As our journey in this familiar yet distinctive place came to an end, we noticed the presence of arcade-style buildings and heard people conversing in the local dialect, which was also mutually intelligible with Taiwanese Hokkien. One of our companions, whose wife hailed from Shanghai, encountered a fruit at a fruit stand in the airport that she had never seen before—a guava. Unsure of how to eat it, she hesitated to purchase it. Both the salesperson and I jokingly referred to her as a Shanghai city dweller in our Minnan dialect.
With the memories of our Xiamen adventure, we bid farewell to this captivating destination, where history, culture, and a sense of familiarity intertwined.
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