Located in the lively city of Xiamen in the Fujian province, the Jimei Turtle Garden is a world-renowned attraction that draws culture vultures from across the globe. The city is home to a diverse array of attractions, entertainment, and many a quality hotel in Xiamen steeped in luxury and prominence. Consider the Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen as a welcome choice of Xiamen hotel that adeptly caters to all leisure and corporate guests. Make sure the Jimei Turtle Garden occupies a prime spot on your cultural itinerary, as its 9,000-metre area is dotted with a variety of intriguing sculptures sure to command the attention and eye. The brainchild of Tan Kah-Kee, it was erected in the 1950s and 60s to evoke his teaching style that merges amusement and travel. Featuring the depiction of ancient and modern Chinese and international cultures, the artefacts enact various themes of astronomy, industry, geography and agriculture. This impressive garden is artfully sectioned off into three parts, the Monument of Liberation, Tan’s Mausoleum and the Portico, the first point of entry. It is a traditional Chinese hallway extending twenty metres in length, decorated by fifty-eight bluestone carvings of historical personalities. The walls outside the portico also feature 291 sculptures depicting a ariety of cultural themes. The garden also features the intricate Chinese calligraphy that speak of alluring couplets and inscriptions by famous personages to result in an exquisite example of Fujian stone work. Venture through the portico and you will come across the main feature – the Monument of Liberation, which represents the triumph of the Chinese Communist Party after almost three decades of war. The serve on the monument was inscribed by Mao Ze Dong with Tan Kah-Kee’s calligraphy adorning the back of the monument. Lastly, Tan Kah-Kee’s Mausaleum is fashioned in the form of a turtle’s shell, framed by fifteen reliefs that capture significant aspects of his life. This elaborate garden serves as an exquisite example of Fujian creativity.
Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and hopes to visit them all someday.
