Matsu
Qinbi is by far Beigan's most complete traditional village, with its array of interconnected stone homes built on a steep slope, facing the curved bay and…
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Taiwan Strait Islands
The very existence of Taiwan’s outlying islands comes as a surprise to many foreign visitors, although the three main archipelagos are rapidly growing as domestic tourist destinations. Attractions include traditional villages, beaches, birdwatching, marine life and, in Kinmen and Matsu, a plethora of intriguing ex-military sights. Both Kinmen and Matsu lie far closer to mainland China than they do to Taiwan itself, and for decades – until relations thawed between Taipei and Beijing – both island groups were effectively strings of defensive strongholds. Ironically, despite suffering years of bombardment, much traditional domestic architecture survived as the non-military economy was stagnant and many Fujianese-style houses were simply left while their owners sought safety elsewhere.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Penghu Islands
Those desert island paradise photos you probably saw on Penghu's promotion brochures and websites were most likely taken at Jibei Sand Tail, a dazzling…
Penghu Islands
This celebrated 17th-century Matsu temple sports high, sweeping swallowtail eaves and a wealth of gorgeous Chaozhou-style woodcarvings, mostly from a 1922…
Matsu
This 700m of sea tunnel took three laborious years to carve out with many soldiers losing their lives in the process. Completed in 1971, it was used as a…
Matsu
Until the start of this century, Beigan's steep eastern peninsula housed a slew of defensive military emplacements. Many have been preserved as part of…
Penghu Islands
This large, family-friendly experience is home to an engrossing collection of living sea life, from a rescued three-legged turtle and magical family of…
Kinmen
Blasted out of solid granite by soldiers in the 1960s, this V-shaped arc of sea tunnels was designed to protect boats from bombs during the war years…
Penghu Islands
Penghu's most photographed icon is a double hoop of stone walls linked to breakwaters in an ocean bay. Built with narrow openings, they were designed to…
Guidebooks
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