Highlights: Ferry, Blue Tears, Min Dong style architecture
Basically, each island in Matsu is small enough to be fully explored in one day. Therefore, the total number of days you decide to spend in Matsu depends on how many islands you would like to explore. The more days you stay, the better your chances of seeing the Blue Tears, similar to the Northern Lights or other weather-dependent natural wonders. Of the five main islets, I only visited three, but the other two are worth visiting if you have plenty of time.
Table of Contents
Rationale for the order of visit
I arranged to visit the islands other than the main islands (Nangan and Beigan) first because ferry schedules are less frequent, and there is a risk of cancellations. Traveling between Nangan and Beigan is much easier, so visiting them last will make your final day less stressful when catching a flight. For example, if your flight back to Taiwan is from Beigan Airport (MFK), you should spend the last night in Beigan. The same logic applies if your flight is from Nangan Airport (LZN). If you wish to visit Dongyin Island, be aware that there is only one ferry per day from Dongyin to Nangan, and it departs very early in the morning. If you miss it, you will be stuck on the island for another day.
Day 0
Overview: Take the overnight ferry
- Rationale: You can take the train from Taipei Main Station (臺北車站) to Keelung Station (基隆車站). The Keelung West Passenger Terminal (基隆港西岸旅客中心) is just a one-minute walk from the north exit. If you arrive in Keelung early, you can spend some time exploring the harbor and nearby attractions. There are paid storage lockers available at both Keelung Station south exit and the West Passenger Terminal.
Keelung Harbor
Main Attractions: Maritime Plaza, the Keelung Sign, docked cruise ship
*** For people who don’t speak Mandarin, formal Mandarin is traditionally written from right to left (similar to Arabic). Therefore, on the NEW TAIMA ferry, the Mandarin text above is written as 馬臺新 (Ma Tai New) rather than 新臺馬 (New Tai Ma), because it is intended to be read from right to left. ***
Miaokou Night Market (廟口夜市)
Main Attractions: Food stands, Dianji Temple (奠濟宮)
The night market is centered around Dianji Temple, which was built during the Qing Dynasty in 1873, making it over 150 years old. The closer a food stand is to the temple, the older it is. Many of the food stands within the court have been established for more than 100 years. The most famous food there is Ding Bian Cuo (鼎邊錯), made of rice flour dough, meat, seafood, vegetables, garnishes, and a clear broth. Personally, I don’t like it that much, but it is still worth trying. The night market can be extremely hot and crowded during the summer, so remember to stay hydrated.
Keelung Tower
This new attraction, opened in December 2023, offers a panoramic view of Keelung City and Harbor, as well as the nearby Zhu Pu Altar (主普壇). The tower is uniquely shaped like a crane.
Yeliu Geopark (野柳地質公園)
If you have time to spare, Yehliu Geopark is definitely one of the most famous attractions on the Northern Coast. You can reach it by taking the No. 790 bus, with the bus stop located just across from the Maritime Plaza. The bus ride takes about an hour. Alternatively, you can take a taxi, which takes only 30 minutes but is more expensive.
Source: https://www.ylgeopark.org.tw/
There are many rocks with interesting shapes at Yehliu Geopark, and the most famous one is the Queen’s Head. However, its neck is expected to break within the next few decades due to ongoing weathering. Here’s a photo of my parents taken at the same spot 40 years ago and another from this year; you can see the drastic change in the circumference of the neck.
| Yehliu Geopark (Link): https://www.ylgeopark.org.tw/ |
| Opening hours: daily 08:00-17:00 Entry fee: NT 120 (US$ 3.7) |
| *** During the summer, there will be a short period when the park is open to visitors at night. This information will be displayed on the website, but often only on the Mandarin version. |
Camel’s Hump Rock (萬里駱駝峰)
If you have time to spare, you can take a 15-minute walk to a nearby trail leading to the Camel’s Hump Rock.
Zhengbin Port Color Houses (正濱漁港彩色街屋)
It’s just a small photo spot on the way to Heping Island Geopark.
Heping Island Geopark (和平島地質公園)
Another beautiful geopark to visit is easily accessible. Take the No. 101 bus from the Keelung City Bus Station at Guomen Square (國門廣場). It’s a 40-minute bus ride or a 15-minute taxi ride.
| Heping Island Geopark (Link): https://www.hpigeopark.org/ |
| Opening hours: May to October 08:00-19:00; Novemeber to April 08:00-18:00 Entry fee: NT 120 (US$ 3.7) |
There are many other places to visit in the North Coast. May be I will write another post about it some day. You can visit the official website of North Coast Tourism.
| North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area (Link): https://www.northguan-nsa.gov.tw/user/main.aspx?Lang=2 |
Accommodation: New Taima Ferry (or Taima Star Ferry on Tuesdays)
Day 1: Juguang
Overview: Arrive at Nangan, take the ferry to Juguang, and stay the night at Juguang
- Rationale: As I mentioned before (see section “Rationale for the order of visit”), visiting the islands that are most difficult to reach first will make your remaining trip less stressful.
- Transportation: (Abbreviations: EJ – East Juguang, WJ – West Juguang)
- There are ferries that circle between Nangan, East Juguang, and West Juguang, and there are also ferries that travel only between East Juguang and West Juguang.
| Route | Time | Price | Duration |
| Nangan to Juguang | 07:00, 11:00, 14:30 | NT 250 (US$ 7.7) | ~45 min |
| Juguang to Nangan | **Odd months** WJ 07:50, EJ 08:10 WJ 11:50, EJ 12:10 WJ 15:20, EJ 15:40 **Even months** EJ 07:50, WJ 08:10 EJ 11:50, WJ 12:10 EJ 15:20, WJ 15:40 | NT 250 (US$ 7.7) | ~45 min |
| WJ to EJ | 07:30, 11:00, 14:30, 17:10 | NT 80 (US$ 2.5) | ~10 min |
| EJ to WJ | 07:40, 11:10, 14:40, 17:20 | NT 80 (US$ 2.5) | ~10 min |
Before introducing the attractions of the Juguang Islands, I must inform you that Google Maps of this island is quite messed up, and I don’t know when it will be fixed. A better solution is to obtain a physical map from the host of your accommodation or use Apple Maps instead. The routes on this tiny island are quite simple and easy to navigate.
Source: Google Maps (The roads appear to be floating on the sea in the map!)
Dongyin Island
Before reaching Nangan, the ferry made a brief stop at Dongyin Island, and you could see the Ganen Pavilion (感恩亭) from afar.
Dongju Lighthouse (東莒燈塔) [EJ]
A lighthouse near a viewing point that offers nighttime views of the Blue Tears.
Dapu Rock Carvings (大埔石刻) [EJ]
The carving was created during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, which is about 400 years ago. The Huai Gu Pavilion was built in 1953 to protect this carving.
Mysterious Little Bay (神祕小海灣) [EJ]
Another potential viewpoint for the Blue Tears; however, the Blue Tears were very faint that night.
Dapu Village(大埔聚落) [EJ]
Matsu hosts six traditional Ming Dong-style villages, with two located in East Juguang. The stones for the houses were brought piece by piece from Mainland China by the fishermen. Each house features a trademark orange roof with stones placed on top of the tiles.
Fuzheng Village (福正聚落) [EJ]
Another Ming Dong-style village is located in East Juguang. The temple’s architecture distinctly differs from the residential houses, which feature swallowtail roofs, elaborate carvings, and vibrant exterior colors.
Kunqiu Beach Square Waves (坤坵沙灘方塊海) [WJ]
Due to conflicts with the ferry schedule and limited time, I was unable to visit West Juguang. Kunqiu Beach is one of only two locations in the world where you can see the Square Waves phenomenon; the other is in Île de Ré, France. At night, combined with the Blue Tears, these waves form a unique bioluminescent display in squares. However, the square waves are not visible 24 hours a day. They only appear for about 30-90 minutes, twice per day, depending on the tides. Unfortunately, I could not find any freely licensed photos of this attraction, so I will post a link instead: https://www.sea.matsu.edu.tw/squaresea.html
Snake Mountain Tern Reserve (蛇山燕鷗保護區) [WJ]
From April to September, the Tern Reserve protects critical breeding grounds for several bird species. Particularly noteworthy is the Chinese crested tern (Sterna bernsteini), one of the rarest terns globally, distinguished by its orange-yellow beak with a black tip and a seasonal black forehead that fades post-breeding. This makes it a significant yet elusive sight within the reserve.
Accommodation
I stayed at “Together Stay (東莒一起在驛站民宿).” The hostess was very knowledgeable and speaks good English; she worked in Singapore for several years and moved back to her hometown a few years ago. She also owns a restaurant, so breakfast and dinner are available for an additional cost.
| Together Stay (Link): https://www.booking.com/Share-JmhIFe |
The second half of the itinerary will be featured in the upcoming post. Stay tuned!
