Koxinga statue, Gulangyu (郑成功雕像)

The Koxinga statue is a 15.7-metre granite monument to Zheng Chenggong, known in the West as Koxinga, on the eastern shore of Gulangyu Island, off Xiamen in Fujian province, China. Zheng Chenggong lived from 1624 to 1662 and was a Ming loyalist who continued to resist the Qing dynasty after the fall of Beijing in 1644. He used Xiamen and Kinmen as bases for his fleet and army in the 1650s, and in 1661 and 1662 he led an expedition across the strait that expelled the Dutch East India Company from its fort on Taiwan. He died soon after, and he is remembered in mainland China as a national hero and on Taiwan as a founding figure. The statue was completed in 1985, designed as a standing figure looking out over the water toward Taiwan, and it is carved from granite blocks assembled on the hillside. It stands in the Yanping Park area, named after the title of Zheng's principality, and the nearby paths and pavilions are laid out for walking. The monument is a modern commemoration rather than a historical structure, so its interest lies in the story it recalls and in its position: from the shore, visitors can see the strait, Xiamen's skyline and the open sea. It is free to view, with no gate, and open all day. The statue forms part of the island walk that includes Sunlight Rock, Shuzhuang Garden and the consular lanes. Because the area is exposed, it is best seen in clear weather, and the sunset and morning light over the water can be good for photographs. Signs in the park describe Zheng's career in Chinese and some English. Interpretive panels recount his naval campaigns, his base on Xiamen Island and his role in the history of both sides of the strait. The surrounding path is a pleasant, mostly level stretch of the island walk, and benches along the shore allow a rest between the steeper climbs elsewhere on Gulangyu.