Winter on Gulangyu Island

Winter on Gulangyu Island is like this: bougainvillea blooms on the walls, camphor trees in the courtyards are lush, and banyan trees are full of vitality. From time to time, there's good weather, just like early summer, making it hard to feel the winter, and even if you do, it doesn't quite feel like winter. The temperature usually hovers around the teens, the air is moist, and the sea breeze is not too biting, with just a hint of chill, but it's very comfortable, reminiscent of the saying 'the grass is yet to die at the end of autumn in Jiangnan'. This is the best season to wander around Gulangyu Island, without the severe cold of winter or the scorching heat of summer. The clear seawater gently surges, and the sea breeze blows softly. Even if the temperature drops occasionally, it's not too cold, and the sky is exceptionally clear, with the sunlight playing hide and seek in the alleys, and the streets are lined with green plants. Seeing greenery in winter is such a luxury, especially when it's tall green trees. Gulangyu Island is home to countless famous trees that have grown for over a hundred years, standing with dignity and grace in the courtyards, as if you're in the shade of summer woods. Looking up at the dense leaves hanging from the branches, the leaves shimmer in the sunlight, and from a distance, they look like twinkling stars, which is incredibly beautiful and spectacular. The alleys of Gulangyu Island are so winding, going up and down hills, that even with a map in hand, it's hard to discern your direction. The best way here is to let go of the map's constraints and wander freely, meandering and looking around at will. With every climb up a hill and every turn around a corner, you may encounter an unexpected surprise: perhaps a brilliant flower behind a rusty iron gate, perhaps a once lavish but now desolate villa, or perhaps a cat that suddenly darts out from an abandoned courtyard...