Jishan Islet Introduction
Starting from Sand Port Village or Beiliao Village in Huxi Township, approximately 4 kilometers off the coast to the northeast of Beiliao Village, there are two islands of volcanic plateau, surrounded by distinctive basalt columns on the sea cliffs. During low tide, these two islands can connect. Originally, these islands were a single lava plateau, formed about 12 million years ago, which was split into the large and small islands due to intense coastal erosion. Both islands contain olivine clasts in their basalt, indicating that the lava originated from deeper within the Earth. On the east, south, and west sides of Dajishan Island, one can see coastal caves and coastal grooves. To the southeast, there is a shallow sandy beach. Xiao Jishan Island is a typical basalt plateau islet, characterized by uneven lengths and heights of columns of basalt rising from the sea, resembling an enormous organ standing against the blue sky and sea. Its hexagonal joint faces are distinct and powerful, making it the most famous spot for rock and bird watching in Penghu. In the summer, the number of red-billed tropicbirds nesting on Jishan Island ranks first in the northern seas, with one to two thousand birds selecting the island as their habitat each year. In recent years, the Penghu Birdwatching Association has conducted tagging research on Jishan Island, discovering, through the leg bands on the red-billed tropicbirds, that they come from the northeast of Australia. Similarly, Australia’s winter tagging work has also found red-billed tropicbirds from Penghu, and the red-billed tropicbirds tagged by the Penghu Birdwatching Association more than a decade ago have returned to breed in Penghu. This illustrates that red-billed tropicbirds travel thousands of miles back and forth between Penghu and Australia every spring and autumn. Protecting the island's landscape is also the best way to protect wildlife. In recent years, with the development of tourism, Jishan Island has become a new destination for travel in the East China Sea, with a harmonious natural scene depicted by the dialogue between the basalt and the tropicbirds.
