Gulangyu Poems (1904) by a Foreigner

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Gulangyu Poems! (by Xiamen foreigner before 1904!).
Poems courtesy of author Valery Garrett E-mail: vgarrett AT hkucc.hku.hk (anti-SPAM measure; replace "AT" with "@")
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Click Here for brief bio of Ms. Garrett
Click Here for "How Valery Discovered "Gulangyu Poems"
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Author Valery Garrett kindly provided these poems from "The Drum Wave Island And Other Verses of the China Coast". (1904, Hong Kong, Kelly & Walsh, Ltd.) Excerpts below are from "Finale," "Goodbye," "In Kolongsu" and "Drum Wave Island."
Click to view or download the PDF file the four poems, or scroll down to view excerpts.
Please do not copy or distribute these poems without permission from Ms. Garrett

Valery Garrett is author of a score of fascinating books on China (Click Here for titles on Amazon), an Honorary Research Fellow, Centre of Asian Studies, Univ. of Hong Kong, as well as a Council Member of the 150+ year old Royal Asiatic Society, Hong Kong Branch--"generally regarded as the premier Society for the study of Hong Kong and South China."

Thank you, Valery. ................Enjoy Amoy!
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FINALE
When the last Amoy pomelo’s eaten
And the last Amoy oyster is sped,
When the last Amoy tiger is beaten
From out of his cavern and dead...

GOODBYE
Passing away, the smoke behind us drifting,
The engine’s thud suggests the loss we rue—
Measured and slow, in strain like this uplifting:
Good-bye, and best of luck—to Kolongsu!...

IN KOLONGSU (Rondeau)
In Kolongsu the leaves were green,
And, high above the houses seen,
Gray rocks hung passive in the glare,
For, loftier still, with brilliance rare
The Sun displayed a glorious mien.

The sea flashed in a moving sheen
Our island and Amoy between,
A gentle breeze just stirred the air
In Kolongsu....
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DRUM WAVE ISLAND
The waves come on with an oily sweep,
but plunge with a thunderous blow,
Like a big drum banged by a sturdy hand,
certain, and full, and slow.
And Westward from the Drum Wave Island
the evening sky’s aglow....

Brief Intro to Ms. Valery Garrett
British born Valery Garrett has lived in Hong Kong for over thirty years. She has written nine books and many articles on Chinese antiques and traditional Chinese dress, and lectures frequently at home and overseas. Her tenth book, due out early 2007, is The Art of Chinese Dress, pub Tuttle and covers the history of Chinese dress from the 17th century to the present day. All her books are available from amazon.com.

Valery has served as consultant for museums and collections around the world, and her personal collection of Chinese clothing was acquired and exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, as well as other museums in Asia and Australia. She is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre of Asian Studies, University of Hong Kong.
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Click Here to view or download the PDF file
of the four poems.

How Valery Discovered “Gulangyu Poems”
“I suppose that being British, and living in what was a British colony, Hong Kong, since 1973 has made me curious about the lives of earlier westerners in China. So when Dragonair launched their service to Amoy (Xiamen), a one-time Treaty Port, back in 1989, Richard, my husband, and I were quick to plan a visit.

“Xiamen was all I hoped for and more. We were even more thrilled by Gulangyu and the western mansions there which were still preserved. Even the ones being renovated were built in the same style of brickwork. Gulangyu impressed me so much that I later wrote an article on it for Dragonair's in-flight magazine (August 1995).

“The island reminded me of Shamian in Guangzhou (Canton) another western enclave from 1862 to the mid 20th C. My book on the history of Canton has a lengthy chapter on Shamian: "Heaven is High, the Emperor Far Away: Merchants and Mandarins in Old Canton", pub Oxford University Press, 2002.

“In 1990 when I was on a visit to Singapore, I came upon a small book of poetry, entitled The Drum Wave Island and Other Verses, by B.N. published in Hong Kong in 1904. The poems clearly show the love the unknown author had for his temporary home on Gulangyu and the local people there. It captivated him then, as it still does for us today.”
Valery Garrett, July 12, 2006
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Click Links to view Valery Garrett Titles on Amazon
Heaven is High and the Emperor Far Away: Merchants and Mandarins in Old Canton
Chinese Dragon Robes (Images of Asia)
A Collector’s Guide to Chinese Dress Accessories
A Guide to Buying Antiques: Arts & Crafts in Hong Kong
Chinese Clothing: an Illustrated Guide
Mandarin Square: Mandarins and their Insignia (Images of Asia)
Traditional Chinese Clothing: in Hong Kong and South China, 1840-1980 (Images of Asia)