A quiet bird watcher’s secret sanctuary at Yundang Lake, Xiamen
- Nov 27, 2023
- 4 min read
Since coming to Xiamen I have wasted no time in trying to find my "third place", a place that is not my tiny apartment or the small library close by, where I spend the majority of my mornings. Any place in the open where there are no hordes of Chinese tourists with their loud exclamations about seeing 外国人，老外，黑人，非洲人， or any other term to bring attention to the obvious fact that I am different and they need to make this known loudly. Some will try to excuse this behavior by asserting that it is perfectly normal for them to do that, that they are just surprised or excited or curious, but it does not make it any less uncomfortable to endure every time I so much as set foot outside my apartment. So I have started to prefer places with fewer people, granted a lot to ask for in any city in China, but I find still achievable. One just has to be desperate enough.
And I'm desperate.
As an introvert, I've developed a knack for discovering hidden sanctuaries in the busiest of places. Places like Yundang Lake and the Garden of Time Cafe. They usually exist close to residential apartment complexes to give residents the opportunity for outdoor exercise and escape.
Luckily, Xiamen is full of wide open spaces of undeveloped or conserved land reserved for parks, usually on mountains or near the many little reclaimed lakes spotting the island. This aspect is one of the many reasons I love ecology-friendly city planning and attention to environment preservation, an aspect that has been taken particularly seriously in Xiamen. It not uncommon to see many of the flyovers in the city covered in creeping plants and the bright deep pink of the bougainvillea.
Yundang Lake Huanhu Greenway
One of these reclaimed lakes in Xiamen is Yundang Lake in Siming District, and it surrounds a small island park called Bailuzhou Park 白鹭洲, or Egret Island, and feeds into the sea. Surrounding the lake are various parks, gardens, and walkways that provide residents with plenty of comfortable breezy tours, a relief from both the sweltering heat of the humid summers and an escape from the busy city life.
About
Yundang Lake Greenway
A few years back, the lake had been heavily polluted and could no longer sustain any bird life. Due to ecological conservation efforts by Xiamen City the lake and its surroundings have seen a drastic transformation, not only succeeding in attracting birds back but also turning the area into a quiet urban upscale residential and leisure area.
For bird watchers, the banks of Yundang Lake are a paradise and you will often find legions of bird watchers hunching over expensive camera equipment to capture images of the various bird species, but especially the egret which is the bird of Xiamen.
Location
Egret Island, Hubin North Road, Siming District
Xiamen, Fujian Province
白鹭洲，思明区湖滨北路，
厦门市福建省
For food...
时光花园 （Shiguang Huayuan)
Shiguang Huayuan, translates to "The Era Garden" or "The Time Garden" or "The Garden of Time".
The boutique shop location is tacked into a quiet part of town that is filled with high end restaurants, tea houses, bars that are frequented by the wealthy residents in the area.
About
时光花园
The restaurant/ cafe opened in 2015, as the result of some old cement tiles and some crowdfunding.
As well as a location on Xiamen Island, the shop has a location on Gulangyu (鼓浪屿）a neighboring island.
Aside from serving as a restaurant, tea shop, and cafe, it provides a space for community activities, art shows, and exhibitions and has even been a location for some TV shows. The store allows artisans and craftsmen to sell or exhibit their products in the shop.
The Ambiance
The pretty hand-painted tiles and period interior decor give the shop a tastefully dated look that is favored in many of the boutique shops and cafes on the island.
The Food
I often find foreign food very cringy and awkward to eat in most Chinese restaurants. Mostly due to the fact that it is usually attuned to the tastes of the Chinese people. You will often find uncomfortably surprising flavors in dishes you least expect. Plus, foreign food is often so ridiculously overpriced, that it's not worth it most of the time.
When I first discovered the Garden of Time, I had only planned to have a coffee but became curious about their brunch items after seeing a table nearby order the bright red shrimp pasta. Perhaps it was the proximity to the lake or perhaps it was my hunger, I opted to try it. And oh boy, I've never had pasta like that in China.
While still a little bit pricey, like their coffee, the food is simple, what you would expect to get at a small coffee shop, the service is quick and efficient and the ambiance, memorable.
The coffee and artisan teas range between 30元 to 139元 and a brunch for one will cost between 60元 to 80元.
Images from Meituan APP 美团 , a helpful APP for finding places and reviews for restuarants, hotels and more in China.
On my student budget, I drop by when my desperation for escape outweighs common sense.
Images from 时光花园 Wechat
Getting there
Getting about in Xiamen is fairly simple by taxi, subway or public transport. If you put the address into the Maps app or Baidu, you will pretty much end up close to 海湾公园 or the Bay Park. From there it is only a few minutes walk, which is enjoyable for the beautiful clean scenery along the way.
Until next time,
Pat in China.
Comments