Taiwan embraces sustainable tourism through the protection of its bays and islands

Sustainable tourism is fast becoming a global trend and Taiwan is focussed on embracing sustainability by promoting the protection of the country’s incredible bays and islands. 

Situated off the western coast of mainland Taiwan lies beautiful Penghu.  Penghu is an archipelago of 90 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait. With rich and unique flora and fauna, Penghu is the perfect destination for eco-conservation and tourism.  Nominated as one of the World’s Best Secret Islands by Lonely Planet, Penghu also lays claim to being a member of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club (world-bays.com).

The goal is to continue developing island eco-tourism and spread awareness about protecting marine ecology and highlight an appreciation of how this remarkable beauty can be preserved.

Moving forward it is proposed there will be increasing emphasis on the sustainable development of tourism resources, that the bay tourism image will grow, and that the market will mature.  This will also spread awareness about clean ecological activities in the archipelago, highlighting its rich ecological and cultural landscapes, marine culture and special natural landscape resources.

Among the many islands chosen to throw the spotlight on, there are three in particular worth a visit: Qimei, Yuweng and Jibei. 

Qimei is the southernmost island in the archipelago. Located about 295 kilometres southwest of Taipei, it covers an area of 6.99 square kilometres, making it the fourth-largest of the country’s islands.   The name Qimei, meaning seven beauties, refers to seven women that committed suicide during the Ming dynasty on the island, 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, building and history.

Yuweng is the westernmost of the three main islands, and second-largest.  It is reached from its brethren islands via the celebrated 2,494m-long Penghu Great Bridge. This is perhaps Yuwen’s most prominent landmark and underneath the powerful sea current roars by at a speed of 3m per second.  On the check-off list for geology enthusiasts are some of the main islands’ most impressive basalt-column formations – the Daguoye Columnar Basalt, Secret Three Stone Walls, and Chixi Rock Waterfall – located close together in Xiyu’s mid-section. The first faces the inland sea, with a sweeping view toward small Magong city far across the water (the islands’ largest settlement and main port of entry). The second is a triumvirate of column-walled dead-end canyons dug out of the island’s farmland-dotted plateau. The third stands before an abandoned coast-side fish farm teeming with sea cucumbers, eels, crabs, and other marine natives.

And thirdly, there’s Jibei, a gigantic tongue of fine coral/shell sand that spits out 1,500 metres into the sea and grows/shrinks markedly with the tides.  It is also known as Penghu’s ‘home of stone weirs’ with over 80 stone weirs awaiting treasure-hunt discovery.  It’s a focal centre for the protection of sea turtles with the sands of Jibei an important nesting ground. 

Penghu is the best-connected of all the outlying islands, with regular flights between Taipei and Magong, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung.