Jishan Island Introduction
Starting from the port of Shagang Village or Beiliao Village in Huxi Township, there are two island plateaus located about 4 kilometers northeast of Beiliao Village over the sea. Surrounded by steep sea cliffs featuring distinct basalt columnar joints, these two islands can be connected at low tide. Originally, these two islands were a lava plateau that formed about 12 million years ago and were separated into large and small islands due to intense coastal erosion. The basalt on both islands contains peridotite fragments, indicating that the lava originated from deeper within the earth. On the east, south, and west sides of Big Jishan Island, one can observe coastal caves and erosion channels, while the southeast offers a shallow sandy beach. Little Jishan Island is a typical small basalt plateau island, with irregularly shaped, tall basalt columns standing in the sea, resembling an enormous pipe organ rising against the blue sea and sky. The hexagonal joint surfaces are distinct and powerful, making it the most famous spot for rock and bird watching in Penghu. During summer, the population of red tern breeding on Jishan Island is the largest in the northern seas, with one or two thousand choosing to inhabit the island each year. In recent years, the Penghu Wild Bird Society has conducted research on bird ringing in Jishan Island and discovered, through the leg bands on the red terns, that these birds come from northeastern Australia. Similarly, winter ringing work in Australia has also identified red terns from Penghu, and red terns tagged over a decade ago by the Penghu Bird Society have returned to breed in Penghu. This indicates that red terns make a long-distance round trip between Penghu and Australia every spring and autumn. Protecting the island landscape is also the best way to safeguard wildlife. In recent years, as tourism has developed, Jishan Island has become a new destination for travel in the East China Sea, where the dialogue between basalt and terns creates a harmonious natural scene.
