Anping Island Introduction
About 2 kilometers north of Da Bai Sha Yu, there is a typical flat-topped island formed by a table-shaped terrain. Since most of the island is covered with large flat stones, resembling an anvil used for blacksmithing, it is named Tie Zhen Yu (Anvil Island). The island is approximately 5 meters high and surrounded by vertical sea cliffs. The highest point of the island, besides the flat basalt, contains many uniquely shaped honeycomb rocks. Due to its history as a military shooting range in the 1960s, many iron scraps and rock fragments remain on the island. Tie Zhen Yu is located in the northeastern sea of Penghu Island, completely composed of basalt, and its shape resembles that of an anvil, hence the name. Due to the northeast monsoon in winter, the waves continuously erode the northern coast of Tie Zhen Yu, forming a sea cave over 10 meters in height, which is the largest sea cave in Penghu. This cave is situated such that it never receives sunlight, resulting in significantly lower temperatures inside, even during summer, by about 3 to 5 degrees compared to outdoors, attracting many visitors seeking cool relief, leading to its nickname, "Air Conditioning Cave." From the northern sea, one can clearly see the upper part of the island’s sea cliffs is made of basalt, while the lower part consists of volcanic breccia. Due to the relatively fragile nature of the volcanic breccia, it has been eroded by the winter waves, creating a large sea cave beneath the northern cliffs accessible by small yachts and fishing boats. The intertidal zone on the island is relatively shallow and short, with almost no wave-cut platforms near the sea cave. Only on the east side beneath the cliffs is there a platform about 5 meters wide and a small gravel beach on the south and west, so fewer fishermen come to the island to collect snails and shellfish. As a result, each year thousands of Black-tailed Gulls gather on the island for breeding. When boats approach the shore, flocks of Black-tailed Gulls fly out from the island, emitting low, dog-like warning calls, and eventually gather and circle above the boats, creating a truly fascinating sight.
