Guishan Island Introduction
No matter if you arrive by land or sea, seeing Guishan Island means you have reached Yilan. Located about ten kilometers east of the coast of Toucheng Township in Yilan County, Guishan Island is the largest and only inhabited island in Yilan County and is currently the only active volcano in Taiwan. Named for its resemblance to a floating turtle, Guishan Island was incorporated into the Northeast Coast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area by the Executive Yuan in 1999, following years of dedicated efforts by the Yilan County Government and local representatives after martial law was lifted in 1988. Guishan Island has been planned as a marine ecological park that combines intellectual and emotional characteristics based on its cultural and ecological resources, reducing conflicts in the tourism environment through visitor capacity management, and integrating nearby whale-watching activities, making it a popular tourist spot on the Northern Blue Highway. Guishan Island has an underwater world where thousands of crabs survive in hot sulfur and strongly acidic conditions, making it a rare phenomenon. The well-known scenic spot on Guishan Island, Guihu Lake, also known as Guwei Pond, was originally a freshwater lake. Later, the island's residents allowed seawater into the lake in hopes of creating a fishing port, but their efforts to build dikes were repeatedly thwarted by typhoons, resulting in a lake that is now half salty and half fresh. Across the lake stands a statue of Guanyin, serenely guarding Guwei Pond and its residents. From the military camp on the island, looking ahead, the steep mountains are lush and green, with distinct mountain ridges resembling a beautiful woman lying back, allowing clear views of her form, showcasing the wonders of nature. The end of Guishan Island features a pebble beach that shifts north and south with the winds and tides, colloquially known as the "Turtle Tail Swing."
