Dean of Confucius Institute witnessed Gulangyu’s successful application for world heritage
At 23:10 on July 8 Beijing time, at the 41st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Krakow, a historical and cultural city of Poland, Chairman Jacek Purchla smacked the gavel onto the podium, indicating that the World Heritage candidate “Gulangyu Island：a Historical International Settlement” was successfully included on the World Heritage list on the basis of the second and fourth selection criteria of the World Heritage. So far, the World Heritage Sites in China have amounted to 52.
The site of ersewhile Foreigners’ Football Field
The moment the news came out, the ground in front of the Krakow International Conference Center instantly became a scene of jubilation. In order to offer their congratulations at the earliest possible time, local overseas Chinese and students had been waiting there for a whole day. As the Chinese dean of the Confucius Institute co-founded by Xiamen University and University of Wroclaw, Wang Hu arrived in Krakow as early as July 5.
Wang Hu recalled that he first set his foot on Gulangyu Island in 2003. He admitted, at that time, he only noticed her external beauty. It was not until after he had lived there with his family for a week that he was deeply impressed by her inner beauty. “There are a myriad of old villas and each one has a story to tell. During that period, I had the honor of being acquainted with many musicians and artists hailing from Gulangyu Island. I’ve gradually got to know this place better with the passge of time .”
The site of former Amoy Club
Wang pointed out that Gulangyu’s success reflected the full approval and earnest expectation of the world for Xiamen to preserve and protect the world heritage. For Xiamen city, this is not only an honor but also a responsibility. And one of the major responsibilities for Xiameners, according to Wang, is to fully tap into the beauty of Gulangyu, “the beauty of her art, the beauty of her inhabitants, and the beauty of their love for life."
Edited by: Zhao Ruchen &Ye Zihan
Source:http://news.xmu.edu.cn/7e/ae/c1552a294574/page.htm
