The Matsu Archipelago is a group of small islands off the coast of China that belong to Taiwan. Acting for a long time as military outposts for Taiwan, the islands have recently opened to tourists. Here you can find traditional stone house villages, magical "blue tear" bioluminescent phenomena, wild sika deer, military museums, a Mazu memorial park including the largest Mazu statue in the world, a variety of local food, and much more to explore.
Background: Thousands of years ago, stone aged peoples once inhabited the Matsu Islands. These stone aged people later disappeared. The Matsu islands were inhabited again around the Song Dynasty (990 - 1200 AD) by Chinese fisherman, the descendants of whom still inhabit the islands today. Because the Goddess Mazu's corpse washed ashore on this island, Nangan is also known as Matsu Island. During the Chinese Civil War, Matsu was used as a military outpost for the retreating ROC. During the years that followed, it withheld shelling and threats of invasion from China, helping to keep Taiwan free of communist control. In 1992 after cross-strait relations had warmed up, martial law was lifted on the islands and tourists were allowed to visit. In the year 2000, a ferry link with Fuzhou started to provide constant China Mainland visitors to the island, as part of the three links with China. In 1994 Beigan Airport was opened and was the only airport in Matsu for 9 years. In 2003, the Nangan Airport was opened, which significantly lowered the number of travelers to Beigan. However fast and convenient boat travel has made it so that most tourists travel to both islands. Matsu (or officially Lienchiang County of Fujian Province 連江縣) consists of 36 islands or islets, with 5 major islands: Nangan, Beigan, Xiju, Dongju, and Dongyin, and minor islands including Daqiu, Xiaoqiu, Gaodeng, and Liangdao. Nangan has a population of 4,000 people and is the largest island in Matsu in terms of population and geographical size. Beigan Island is the second largest island in Matsu (behind Nangan), and has a population of about 2,500. Xiju and Dongju Islands sit next to each other and have a combined population of 1,500 people. Dongyin is the third largest island in terms of size and population, with about 1,300 people. Daqiu is a small island near Beigan with a population of 1 human and about 300 wild sika deer. Xiaoqiu is another small uninhabited rocky islet next to Daqiu. Gaodeng Island and Liangdao Islands are also sizable islands in the chain but are military islands that are currently closed off to tourists. How to get there: The easiest way to get around the islands is to take a plane from Songshan Airport or by boat from Taipei or Keelung Nangan and then go island hopping from there. Nangan is the main transportation hub for all the islands. You can book flights to Matsu on Trip.com or CheapO Air. You can also search for cheap flights in Taiwan on Kiwi here. You can book ferry tickets to Matsu on KKday here. Dongyin Island: By Boat: There are daily ferries from Keelung Harbor that usually take an overnight trip to Nangan, passing through Dongyin Island. The price for a one-way ride is 400-2000 NT depending on the type of accommodation you want on the boat. Boats from Nangan leave twice a day and take 2 hours. The price for a one-way ride is 350 NT. Beigan Island: By Boat: There are boats from Nangan Fu'Ao Harbor (南竿福奧港) to Beigan Baisha Harbor (北竿白沙港) every hour from 7 AM to 5 PM. There are no daily routes to Beigan from other islands (except Daqiu). You can book tickets between Nangan and Beigan Islands on KKday here. By Plane: There are flights to and from Taipei Songshan Airport three times a day via Uni Air. You can book flights on KKday here, Trip.com here, CheapO Air here, or Kiwi here. Daiqu Island: Public Ferry from Nangan Fu'Ao Harbor (福澳港) (April to October): 350 NT round trip per person (Stops at Baisha Harbor in Nangan) Nangan departure times: 9:50 AM, 1:30 PM, Daqiu departure times: 12:10 Noon, 3:40 PM Trip takes about 20 minutes. You can book a ferry to Daqiu Island on KKday here. Public Ferry from Beigan Qiaozi Harbor (橋仔港) (May to October): 300 NT round trip per person Beigan departure times: 8:30 AM, 2:30 PM, Daqiu departure times: 10:30 AM, 4:30 PM https://hotels.matsu.idv.tw/ferry.php Trip takes about 10 minutes. Chartered ferries: Around 300 NT per round trip. You can book tickets between Nangan and Beigan Islands on KKday here. Nangan Island: By Boat: There are daily ferries from Taipei or Keelung that usually take an overnight trip to Nangan, passing through Dongyin Island. There are boats from Beigan Baisha Harbor (北竿白沙港) to Nangan Fu'Ao Harbor (南竿福奧港) every hour from 7 AM to 5 PM. You can book tickets between Nangan and Beigan Islands on KKday here. By Plane: There are flights to and from Taipei Songshan Airport three times a day via Uni Air. You can book flights on KKday here, Trip.com here, CheapO Air here, or Kiwi here. Dongju and Xiju Islands: By Boat: Ferries from Nangan leave every 3 hours, with three trips per day. The trip takes about an hour. Price is 200 NT one way. Price (to Nangan): By Boat: 500-2000 NT per person (one way from Taipei or Keelung) 160 NT per person (one way from Beigan) By Plane: About 2000 NT (one way from Taipei). There are flights to and from Taipei Songshan Airport three times a day via Uni Air. You can book flights on KKday here, Trip.com here, CheapO Air here, or Kiwi here. How to get around the islands: Matsu has large, hilly islands and it would be very hard to get around on foot or bicycle. We recommend one of the following. By Ferries: The only way to get to smaller islands without airports is by ferry. You can check KKday here for ferry tickets or buy them at the harbor. By Scooter: We recommend riding a scooter as your #1 choice. It's fast, convenient, and there isn't much traffic on the island. A scooter will cost about 500 NT per day to rent. You can rent a scooter on Klook here or KKday here. When braking on hills, use both brakes, otherwise, you could lose traction on one tire and skid. Don't stop or park on a slope. Also, some hills that are too steep are closed off for scooters. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. By Car/Taxi: You can rent a car or hire a taxi for 200O NT per day. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. By Bus: There are buses that go around the islands, but wait times can be 30 minutes or more. By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. Hotels: We have stayed at and recommend Fu Hwa Homestay on Nangan (you can book on Agoda here, Booking,com here, or Trip.com here), and B&B of Blueshine on Beigan (you can book on Agoda here, Booking,com here, or Trip.com here). Both places were excellent, and provided us a car ride to and from the airport for free. You can also check out our Taiwan hotels guide here. Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the island. You can also book Wifi and SIM cards for Taiwan on Gigago here. Need travel insurance? Compare prices on Insubuy here. When to go: We recommend going between April and June when the "blue tear" phosphorescent microbes in the water will be the most visible at night. Also, winters can be cold and windy, and summers very hot, and there could also be typhoons in the summer and fall. Tours and Activities: Beihai Tunnel Rocking Boat: about 150 NT Blue Tears Museum: about 300 NT SUP/Paddle experience: about 2300 NT You can search for other tours and activities on KKday here or Klook here. Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. Map: Please see below:
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Riding a bicycle around Taiwan may be the best way to enjoy the island. Taiwan is known as the bicycle kingdom not just because it is one of the top manufacturers of bicycles in the world, but also because the Island of Taiwan has many amazing world-class roads waiting for cyclists to discover such as hundreds of kilometers of coastline, mountains above 3000 meters, and the world's deepest marble gorge. If you are a fan of cycling, you definitely need to check out this amazing island.
Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here. Looking for a bike tour of Taiwn? Search KKday here to search for options. |
Author 作家I am an American expat who has extensive experience living, working, and traveling in Taiwan. In my day, I had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But I have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. This blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. I am just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Tutor ABC - World's No. 1 Online Platform for learning English and Chinese. Get 10% off all Tutor ABC website listed prices with promo code: FOREIGNERS10 Tutor ABC - 世界第一英語和中文線上學習平台 使用促銷代碼: FOREIGNERS10 可享有 Tutor ABC 網站上列出的所有價格 10% 的折扣 Archives 檔案
May 2024
Tutor ABC - World's No. 1 Online Platform for learning English and Chinese. Get 10% off all Tutor ABC website listed prices with promo code: FOREIGNERS10 Tutor ABC - 世界第一英語和中文線上學習平台 使用促銷代碼: FOREIGNERS10 可享有 Tutor ABC 網站上列出的所有價格 10% 的折扣 Categories
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