Xiaoliuqiu (aka Little Liuqiu or Lamay Island) is a small island paradise off the southwestern coast of Taiwan. The island is known for its clear water, amazing coral reefs, white sand beaches, and quiet laid back atmosphere. Only a short half hour boat ride from the Taiwan mainland, the island is easily accessible. In addition, the island is small enough that you can round the entire island by scooter in a matter of minutes.

Background:
In 1622, a Dutch ship crashed on the island, two years before the Dutch began to rule Taiwan, and all but one of the crew members were killed by the aboriginal tribe living on the island at the time.
In retaliation, the Dutch sent a force to massacre the natives on the island. 300 men, women, and children were suffocated alive in a large cave, and the rest of the people were put into slavery by the Dutch. This was known as the Lamey Island Massacre. Later Chinese people began inhabiting the island in 1645.
Later the island fell into Qing, Japanese, and ROC rule.
Currently the island is a township of Pingtung County with a population of over 10,000 people. Most of the people on the island rely on fishing and tourism for a living.
The island also has one of the largest concentrations of temples in Taiwan.
Xiaoliuqiu started to become a major tourist destination after 2004, reaching over 400,000 tourists per year.

How to get there:
The only way to get there is via ferry from Donggang's Dongliu Ferry Terminal. The ferry ride takes about 30 minutes. There is a ferry leaving from Donggang roughly every hour from 7 AM to 5 PM.

Price:
Ferry ride: 410 NT per round trip
Scooter rental: about 300 NT per day. There is a gas station on the back side of the island.
Snorkeling: about 300 NT per hour
Scuba diving: around 2500 NT for 2-3 hours

When to go:
Anytime! Xiaoliuqiu is a tropical island that has warm water and temperatures (above 25 degrees Celsius) year round.

Map: Please see below:

Maoshan Tower is an ancient pagoda dating to the 14th century AD that sits on top of a hill on the southwest side of Kinmen Island. From the top of the hill, one can see pristine views of the Xiamen Harbor, the Taiwan strait, and Kinmen Island. The hike takes about 10 minutes and is definitely worth a stop on your trip to Kinmen.

Brief Historic Background:
There are three ancient towers in Kinmen: Wentaibao Tower, Daoying Tower, and Maoshan Tower. The towers were originally built in the Ming Dynasty by Jiang Xiahou 江夏侯 under the Hongwu Emperor (1368-1398 AD) for military purposes to ward off pirates, and to act as landmarks for ships (kind of like lighthouses). Maoshan Tower was built in 1387 AD.
The tower also served as target for the PRC during the 823 Artillery War in 1958, killing many soldiers stationed around the tower. To make it less of a target for the communists, it was taken down for a few years. During deconstruction, a few people were crushed by the stones (the local people said this was due to the wrath of the ancestors). However, sometime around the end of martial law in Taiwan, the tower was rebuilt to its current form.
The tower was struck by lightning in 1997 causing some damage, so the Kinmen City Government installed a lightning rod on top of the tower.

How to get There:
By Scooter or Car: On Kinmen Island, take Xihai Raod Section 1  西海路一段 south past Shuitou Village and you will see it on top of a prominent hill.

Hours: 24/7

​Map: Please see below:

If Taiwan is the best kept secret in Asia, then Penghu is the best kept secret of the best kept secret in Asia. It has just everything you could possibly want from a tropical island vacation getaway. Less than an hour plane ride from Taipei with multiple flights daily, its also easy to get to. We are sure that a trip to Penghu is one that you will not regret, and there will be more things to do than you could ever have time for.

History of Penghu:

The Penghu Islands were historically an important strategic position for trade and military defense in the area. The Dutch, French, and Japanese all led campaigns against these islands. The Dutch first invaded Penghu in 1622, but soon after retreated to Anping after a treaty was made with the Ming Dynasty.
Konxinga later took control of Penghu and Taiwan after defeating the Dutch in 1661, Later, Kongxinga's kingdom fell to the Qing Dynasty.
In 1885 during the Sino-French war for control of Vietnam, the French sent as fleet to Taiwan, but failed to take the island. Later they attacked the Penghu Islands and occupied them for a short time, before retreating to Vietnam due to the Treaty of Tianjin.
After Japan took control of Korea in 1894, they also attacked and occupied Penghu in 1895, after which the Qing Dynasty ceded the islands to them.
After World War II, the islands were given to the ROC government, who retreated to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil war and still control the islands today under a free democratic government.

How to get there:
By Plane: There are daily flights from Taipei Songshan, Taichung, and Kaohsiung airports to Makung. the flight takes roughly under and hour. Rates can range from around 2200-6000 NT for a round trip.
There are also flights to and from Chiayi, Tainan, Kinmen, and Chimei, with charted flights to Hong Kong starting September 2018.

By Boat: There are daily ferries from Chiayi and Kaohsiung. A one way trip takes about 4 hours from both locations. A one way ferry from Kaohsiung costs about 900 NT for just a reclining seat, and a one way ferry from Chiayi costs about 1000 NT.

When to go there:
Spring to Autumn. Winters are rather miserable.

Map: Please see below:

Qimei is a beautiful island getaway on southernmost end of Penghu County. The main attractions there are the iconic double heart rock (Twin Hearts Stone Weir), as well as little Taiwan rock. Getting there is not easy, but it is definitely worth the visit. 

Qimei's History:

The name Qimei, meaning seven beuties, refers to seven women that committed suicide during the Ming dynasty on the island (in the mid 1500s), rather than be defiled by raiding Japanese pirates.
The name also has come to mean the seven beautiful things about the island: the scenery, seawater, products, hearts of the people, geology, buildings, and history. Taiwan touch your heart!
This island and double heart rock are also central to some of Taiwan's tourist marketing in the recent past.
The island is 7km2 and has a population of just under 4,000 people. The main industry is fishing and fish farming, but goat and cattle farming is a growing industry as well.

How To Get there:

By Boat: Boats leave daily from Magong (Makung) from 6:30-9:30, stop at Wangan island, and make the round trip back in the afternoon. It takes about 2 hours to get to Qimei from Magong, and then 2 hours back. A boat ticket for one person round trip from Magong is around 800 NT.
You can buy ferry tickets at the dock or via travel agency (travel agencies include scooter rental, but times are not as flexible).
You can also reach the island by boat via port of Kaohsiung for about 900 NT.

By Plane: There is an airport on Qimei with service to Kaohsiung and Magong.

By Swimming: Do not try to swim there!

Map: Please see below:

Whale Cave is a natural basalt sea cave on the north side of Hsiaomen Island in Penghu (Shomom 小門嶼) , and one of the many tourist attractions in the area. According to some it looks like a whale, but that is not the true origin of its name.

The actual reason for the cave's name "Whale Cave" is that, a long time ago, a whale got stuck in the cave and died. According to local legend, a bone from that whale is now inside Dayi Temple. See more about Dayi Temple in our blog here.

How to get there:
The best way to get there is via scooter or car from Magong. But be careful to park in a designated spot because the cops there are strict.

Hours: Open 24 hours every day.

Price: Free!

Map: Please see below:

Erkan Historical Village is a unique place in Taiwan that preserves nearly 300 years of Southern Min culture. Isolated and cut off from the rest of Taiwan for quite some time on Siyu island of Penghu County, the village is a living museum for visitors. Every home is built in traditional red brick Southern Min style, and offering a unique splice in time. 

How to get there:
The easiest Way to get there is by car or scooter from Magong.

Price: Free, except for the Chen family ancient house which charges an admission of about 30 NT.

Hours: 8:00 AM - Dusk

Map: Please see below:

Siyu East and West forts are some of the best preserved fortifications in Taiwan dating back to the Ming Dynasty. They provide a rich history of the many invasions of Taiwan throughout the ages. Currently they are open to the public if you can get yourself over to the west side of Penghu.

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How to Get there:
The easiest way to get there is to take a car or scooter from Magong to the very southernmost part of Siyu (Xiyu, or Fisher) Island.

Hours:
Siyu East Fort: 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, closed on holidays
Siyu West Fort: Open all day every day!

Price:
Siyu East Fort: Free!
Siyu West Fort: 30 NT per adult, 15 NT for students and seniors

​Map: Please see below:

Dayi Temple Lies in the northern part of Siyu Island in Penghu County, Taiwan. On the outside, it is a normal Taiwanese Daoist temple like any other, but due to its collection of live endangered sea turtles, whale bones, rare marine specimens, and coral rocks kept in an underground chamber, it has become one of the main tourist attractions on the archipelago. 

The morality of keeping these endangered species in the temple chamber has been a topic of debate over the past few years, and it is clear to see that they are not living in an ideal environment. This, including allegations of animal rights violations, will be discussed further below.

How to get there:
Go across the cross-island highway to Siyu Island. On the top of the first hill you will see a brown sign pointing left to Dayi Temple. Keep going down the hill and the temple will be on your right.

Address: No. 76 Zhuwan Village, Siyu Township, Penghu County
​西嶼鄉竹灣村76號 

Price: Free, but donations are welcome.

Hours: 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Map: Please see below:
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Guanyin Temple Swimming Area (aka. Guanyinting, Guanyin Temple Leisure Park, and Guanyinting Recreation Area) is one of the main tourist attractions in Magong and Penghu. It is a relaxing place to enjoy views of the ocean and the sunset, as well as other activities such as jogging, swimming, parasailing, and fishing. 

How To Get There:
It lies on the very west part of Magong City. It's really quite hard to miss.

Price: Free!

Hours: Open all day every day.
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Map: Please see below: