Day Trip to Dongju Island (Matsu Islands, Taiwan)
Part of Juguang Township / 莒光鄉 along with Xiju Island / 西莒 (West Ju), Dongju Island / 東莒 (East Ju) is the southernmost of the Matsu Islands / 馬祖群島 / 马祖列岛 ( Juguang township can be reached by ferry (NTD200 or $6.66 one way - 50 minutes, then 10-15 minutes between the two islands) from Fuao Harbor in Nangan / 南竿鄉 / 南竿乡 or by helicopter which only operates during the winter and priority is given to local residents. Sites visited included:
- Fish Trail. Yulu (Fish Road) Historic Trail is a century old. In the old days, when times were hard, local residents seeking to keep themselves clothed and fed shuttled back and forth over this trail between Dapu and Fuzheng.
- Dapu. The Chinese words for Dapu were originally written to mean “Big Little Harbor.” In earlier days, when the waters around Dapu yielded a rich catch of yellow croaker, pomfret, and ribbon fish, this was the second-largest village on the island, after Fuzheng. The mouth of this natural harbor faces south; the scenery is lovely, and the facing Duimian (“opposite”) Mountain blocks the northerly winds in winter. The islanders customarily switched the harbors they used for fishing according to seasonal wind conditions, using Fuzheng in summer and Dapu in winter. Before the ROC government moved to Taiwan in 1949 Dapu was home to more than 200 residents in over 50 households, and the harbor was crowded with dozens of fishing boats. The Lord of the White Horse Temple here has a history of more than 170 years. But the residents moved away as fishing declined, and today the settlement is home to not a single soul.
- Mysterious Little Bay - Viewed from a certain angle, the sea-eroded pillars and trenches of this mysterious little bay lying south of Fuzheng Village give plenty of range to the imagination. There is a folk tale about the fulfilling of a romance between the immortals Lü Dong-bin and He Xian-gu here, so it is also named “Lü -He Cliff.” Below the platform to the right is a horizontal rock said to be the scepter of the Jade Emperor, placed there to subdue Lü and He. The distant ridge to the right of the platform looks just like a stone lion guarding the scepter. At high tide, an eroded column rising from the sea below the stone lion looks like a shark; at low tide, it resembles a rhino and stone lion together. A tunnel above the east side of the bay, called by the locals “Swallows’ Nest,” is indeed a gathering place for birds. The tunnel runs to the seacoast, and was once used by oystermen on their way to the coastal harvest. It is also said to have been used by the local people to hide from the pirates who once ravaged the Matsu islands. The tunnel is not safe to enter, since it contains unexploded munitions.
- Fuzheng. Once the most prosperous village on Dongju, but due to the gradual decrease in fish catches, residents of Fuzheng moved elsewhere, and it is no longer the bustling place it once was; all that is left are the dilapidated stone houses, the Dongquan Lighthouse overlooking the village, and the White Horse Respected King Temple that protects it.
- Dongquan Lighthouse. Also called Dongju Lighthouse, it was built in 1872 to guide ships to Fuzhou when China was forced to open it and four other treaty ports to trade in the late Qing Dynasty. It was designated a second-grade historic site in 1988. Its body is made of granite; it rises 19.5 meters and casts a beam of light, diffracted through a crystal lens, that can be seen 16.7 nautical miles (about 31 kilometers) away.
⛴{Trip} Taiwan Travel -- Trip to MATSU, Day 2, DONGJU (馬祖東莒)
Second day of our recent trip to the islands of Matsu. We explored the sights of Dongju Island, lots of old house, a beautiful lighthouse, and many scenic outlooks.
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Music by Lee Rosevere (
Gear used for this video
Camera:
Panasonic Lumix GH4:
Lenses:
PANASONIC LUMIX G X Vario Lens, 12-35mm:
PANASONIC LUMIX G Vario Lens, 100-300mm:
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8:
Panasonic DMW-MS2:
Timeline (if you want to go directly to certain parts of the video)
00:20 Dongyin Haijiao Guesthouse (東引海角民宿)
00:45 Leaving Dongyin (離開東引)
02:00 Arriving in Nangan Island (抵達南竿)
02:30 Fu'ao Harbor (福澳漁港)
03:00 Leaving Nangan (離開南竿)
03:15 Arriving at Dongju (抵達東莒)
03:50 Dapu Village (大埔聚落) + Happy Inn (幸福居民)
08:00 Lunch at Daping Village (大坪村中飯)
08:30 Bao'an Temple (保安宮)
08:50 Houses in Daping Village (大坪村房子)
09:40 Dongquan Lighthouse (東犬燈塔)
11:30 Fuzheng Village and beach (福正聚落+海灘)
17:45 Dapu Village (大埔聚落) + Huanshan Trail (環山步道)
18:00 Shop of Dongju Community Development Association (東莒 社區發展協會)
19:40 Dapu Village Baimazunwang Temple (大埔聚落白馬尊王廟)
21:00 Dinner in Daping Village (大坪村晚餐)
Our guesthouse
Happy Inn (幸福居民)
Tel: 0926-812-841 / (0836) 89-021
Add: No. 106-1, Daping Village (Dapu), Dongju, Juguang Township, Lianchiang County (連江縣莒光鄉東莒大坪村[大埔]106-1號)
Website: (Chinese)
Restaurant where we had dinner
Feng Shulin Xiaochi (楓樹林小吃)
Tel: (0836) 89-137
Add: No. 23, Daping Village, Dongju, Lianchiang County (連江縣東莒大坪村23號)
More info about Matsu:
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Also watch the latest video on this channel: {Trip} LALASHAN on the Northern Cross-Island Highway (北橫拉拉山)
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Travel in Taiwan (7/8, 2016)
By Rick Charette
Dongju
Forty minutes from Nangan by ferry, sleepy and sparsely populated Dongju and its partner to the west, Xiju, are Matsu’s most southerly islands.
Matsu’s double-story stone-residence architecture, so medieval European in look, is a world apart from the traditional south Fujian wood frame/brick wall/stucco courtyard residences seen elsewhere throughout Taiwan. During the Cold War era many old fishing villages emptied. Today, tourism is leading to revivification. Lovely, tiny Dapu Village is a prime example. The village was for a time abandoned, but with the help of an artist-in-residence program supported by the Matsu National Scenic Area Administration, homestay and other enterprises are now taking root – the first two homestays opened within the past year.
Dongquan Lighthouse, atop a cape in Dongju’s northeast corner, is informally called the “Red-Hair Lighthouse.” The term red-hair was commonly used for Westerners during China’s imperial days after the Dutch appeared in regional waters. Like Dongyin’s lighthouse, the tall British-built facility, finished in 1872, guided foreign vessels into the nearby China mainland’s Min River after Fuzhou city was opened to trade following the Second Opium War. Britain built numerous lighthouses in the region – China had none – after losing many vessels. The highlight at the cape-tip stronghold below the lighthouse, beyond the stupendous seagull-angle views, is a massive gun poking from a camouflaged emplacement.
Fuzheng Village, significantly larger than Dapu, is another old fishing village just recently launched along the road to revivification. If you are a photography buff you might feel here like a kid in a candy shop, a photo opp at every turn with possibilities seemingly endless, with scores of tiered old residences, harbor-moored fishing craft, beached hulks, the lighthouse atop its backdrop hill, a flaming-orange-red temple and display tanks at its base.
Take your time savoring the architecture up close. Most structures are two-storied, the second floor providing sea views, cooling breezes, and relief from ground-level dampness. Windows tend to be small and higher up, facilitating defense (way back when) against pirate attack.
馬祖馬祖之星抵達東莒猛澳港 Arrive at Dongju Island, Matsu (Taiwan)
猛澳港是東莒對外的海運交通門戶,直昇機場也在附近.距離最熱鬧的大坪村,步行只需十分鐘.
馬祖東莒清晨廢棄六洞據點 Discarded military bases, Dongju Matsu (Taiwan)
六洞據點已廢棄,晚上當然可以來觀賞藍眼淚,還有一大批山羊.
Day Trip to Dongju Island / 東莒 (Slideshow)
Part of Juguang Township / 莒光鄉 along with Xiju Island / 西莒 (West Ju), Dongju Island / 東莒 (East Ju) is the southernmost of the Matsu Islands / 馬祖群島 / 马祖列岛 ( Juguang township can be reached by ferry (NTD200 or $6.66 one way - 50 minutes, then 10-15 minutes between the two islands) from Fuao Harbor in Nangan / 南竿鄉 / 南竿乡 or by helicopter which only operates during the winter and priority is given to local residents. Sites visited included:
- Fish Trail. Yulu (Fish Road) Historic Trail is a century old. In the old days, when times were hard, local residents seeking to keep themselves clothed and fed shuttled back and forth over this trail between Dapu and Fuzheng.
- Dapu. The Chinese words for Dapu were originally written to mean “Big Little Harbor.” In earlier days, when the waters around Dapu yielded a rich catch of yellow croaker, pomfret, and ribbon fish, this was the second-largest village on the island, after Fuzheng. The mouth of this natural harbor faces south; the scenery is lovely, and the facing Duimian (“opposite”) Mountain blocks the northerly winds in winter. The islanders customarily switched the harbors they used for fishing according to seasonal wind conditions, using Fuzheng in summer and Dapu in winter. Before the ROC government moved to Taiwan in 1949 Dapu was home to more than 200 residents in over 50 households, and the harbor was crowded with dozens of fishing boats. The Lord of the White Horse Temple here has a history of more than 170 years. But the residents moved away as fishing declined, and today the settlement is home to not a single soul.
- Mysterious Little Bay - Viewed from a certain angle, the sea-eroded pillars and trenches of this mysterious little bay lying south of Fuzheng Village give plenty of range to the imagination. There is a folk tale about the fulfilling of a romance between the immortals Lü Dong-bin and He Xian-gu here, so it is also named “Lü -He Cliff.” Below the platform to the right is a horizontal rock said to be the scepter of the Jade Emperor, placed there to subdue Lü and He. The distant ridge to the right of the platform looks just like a stone lion guarding the scepter. At high tide, an eroded column rising from the sea below the stone lion looks like a shark; at low tide, it resembles a rhino and stone lion together. A tunnel above the east side of the bay, called by the locals “Swallows’ Nest,” is indeed a gathering place for birds. The tunnel runs to the seacoast, and was once used by oystermen on their way to the coastal harvest. It is also said to have been used by the local people to hide from the pirates who once ravaged the Matsu islands. The tunnel is not safe to enter, since it contains unexploded munitions.
- Fuzheng. Once the most prosperous village on Dongju, but due to the gradual decrease in fish catches, residents of Fuzheng moved elsewhere, and it is no longer the bustling place it once was; all that is left are the dilapidated stone houses, the Dongquan Lighthouse overlooking the village, and the White Horse Respected King Temple that protects it.
- Dongquan Lighthouse. Also called Dongju Lighthouse, it was built in 1872 to guide ships to Fuzhou when China was forced to open it and four other treaty ports to trade in the late Qing Dynasty. It was designated a second-grade historic site in 1988. Its body is made of granite; it rises 19.5 meters and casts a beam of light, diffracted through a crystal lens, that can be seen 16.7 nautical miles (about 31 kilometers) away.
馬祖東莒清晨大坪村卡蹓 Daping Village, Dongju Matsu (Taiwan)
大坪村到處走走,發現新天地.
馬祖東莒返回到大坪村 Back to Daping Village, Dongju Matsu (Taiwan)
村中有東莒國民小學,電信局,郵局,自來水廠,消防隊,派出所,衛生所,早年更有電影院「中正堂」一座,與英雄館,村公所為鄰,其四周皆有駐軍戍守,有道路可通福正,大埔及艋澳.
馬祖東莒清晨六洞戰備步道 Discarded military bases, Dongju Matsu (Taiwan)
從大埔石刻往猛澳有一條戰備道,沿途車轍道蜿蜒,林木蓊鬱,各種原生植物遍佈,是一條非常值得細細品味的景觀步道,每個轉彎都有一個驚喜,或黃山老松,或遠眺西莒,或楓香片片,或石蒜花開,或鳥瞰猛澳港,隨處可得的靈感,值得攜伴走一回.
Visiting Beigan Island (Matsu Islands / 馬祖群島 / 马祖列岛)
Beigan Township / 北竿鄉 is one of the five major islands of the Matsu Islands / 馬祖群島 / 马祖列岛 ( The main places I visited there included:
- Banli / Banli Beach - The Beihai Tunnel of Beigan was closed though - maybe due to the tide? The tunnel is 550 meters long and 9–15 meters wide and visitors are able to ride canoe along the tunnel.
- War and Peace Memorial Park Exhibition Center
- War and Peace Memorial Park - Encompasses Strongholds 06, 08, and 12 and covers a total of 38.8 hectares. The completion of Stronghold 08 provided Taiwan’s first prototype for such a park. Stronghold 08 focuses on the display of weapons, at the same time using space in an old barracks to exhibit military equipment.
- Houao Village - Receding waters at low tide leave a bare expanse of beach four or five hectares in area. A bridge now connects Houao with Tangci, where in olden days people moving between the two villages when the tide was up had to wade through water.
- Qinbi Village - The village of Qinbi is also known as “A Mediterranean town on the Taiwan Straits.” Yet another name for the village is Jingao, or “mirror harbor,” derived from the crystal-clear waters of its bordering sea. The present name means “rice pile wall,” because from Turtle Island just offshore it resembles a pile of rice against the mountain slope behind it. Qinbi has the best-preserved eastern Fujian-style buildings in all of Matsu.
馬祖 莒光 東莒自由行
2016/05/19 馬祖 莒光 東莒自由行
青帆港→猛澳港→大坪村→福正聚落→東莒燈塔→神秘小海灣
→大浦聚落→大埔石刻