Tiezinh Island Introduction
About 2 kilometers north of Baisha Island, there is a typical flat-topped island known as Iron Anvil Island. The island is mostly made up of large slates that are flat and unmarked, resembling an anvil used for blacksmithing, hence the name. The island has a height of approximately 5 meters, surrounded by sheer sea cliffs. The highest part of the island, aside from the anvil-like basalt, features many uniquely shaped honeycomb rock formations. Due to its history as a military target range during the 1950s, there are remnants of iron scraps and rock fragments. Iron Anvil Island is located in the northwest offshore area of Penghu Island, entirely composed of basalt, and its shape resembles that of an anvil, giving it the name Iron Anvil Island. Because of the northeast monsoon in winter, the sea waves have long eroded the northern coast of Iron Anvil Island, forming a sea cave over 10 meters deep, which is the largest sea cave in all of Penghu. This cave is uniquely positioned and receives no sunlight throughout the year, making the temperature inside, even in summer, 3 to 5 degrees lower than outside, often attracting tourists seeking a cool place to relax, earning it the name Air Conditioning Cave. From the northern sea, one can clearly see that the upper part of the island's cliffs is made of basalt, while below it is volcanic conglomerate, which is more fragile and subject to erosion by winter waves, forming a massive sea cave beneath the northern cliffs that small yachts and fishing boats can enter. The intertidal zone on the island is relatively shallow and short, with almost no wave-cut platforms near the sea cave, except for a platform about 5 meters wide on the eastern cliff and small pebble beaches on the south and west sides. Because of this, fewer fishermen come to the island to collect snails and shellfish, allowing over a thousand black-faced spoonbills to breed on the island each year. Whenever a boat approaches the shore, flocks of black-faced spoonbills will fly out from the island, emitting a low, dog-like warning sound, ultimately gathering above the boat in a swirling display, creating a remarkable spectacle.
