Xiyu Ping Introduction
Xiyu Pingyu is located in the southern waters of Penghu, administratively known as Xiping Village, under the jurisdiction of Wang-an Township. It is an offshore island (about five nautical miles away) and is approximately twenty-three nautical miles from the administrative center of Penghu County, Magong City, with a travel time of seventy-five minutes. Among the four southern islands of Penghu, Xiyu Pingyu is situated to the northwest of Dongyu Pingyu, covering an area of 0.3477 square kilometers, with the highest elevation at about 42 meters. It features a somewhat quadrilateral mountainous terrain and lacks a harbor, only having a pier located on the southeastern part of the island. Due to the topography, village buildings cannot cluster around the harbor, so residents chose to settle and develop on the flat areas at the mountain tops, resulting in a unique landscape and cultural characteristics formed on a platform in the center of the island. The southeastern coastline of Xiyu Pingyu is marked by noticeable cliffs and a sea-eroded gully. Many residents of Xiyu Pingyu have moved away, and most residential homes have fallen into disrepair over the years; however, the village's center of worship, the Huaniang Temple, remains the best-preserved building. The temple primarily honors deities such as Wushua, Matsu, San Taizi, and General Chen. Although it may appear slightly less impressive in scale and appearance compared to temples on other islands, the design of the offerings and the architectural style still reflect the glorious past of its establishment. The road leading from the pier to the inland settlement forms a 50-meter-long pathway known as "Good Man Slope." Upon conquering this sloped challenge, visitors can see traditional Penghu houses made from volcanic stones and basalt stacked together. Since there are no windbreak valleys on the island, settlements are mainly constructed in the low-lying areas of the plateaus. The residents of Xiyu Pingyu have mostly relocated to other places, and many traditional houses are in a state of neglect and damage, while a few are still well-preserved, as villagers return every year during temple fairs to briefly stay and maintain their ancestral homes. On the northern side of the island sits the Land God Temple, which faces south and is located north of the Huaniang Temple near the pier, serving to guard against northern evil spirits and protect the village. The coastal view next to the Land God Temple reveals geological formations of volcanic angular gravel and provides a distant view of the Headscarf and Anvil. Most of the Xiyu Pingyu village is concentrated in the southern end, with relatively less establishment in the northern end, resulting in a richer and more exciting geological landscape compared to the southern area, where a large beach of gravel can be observed. On the left side of the gravel beach, a "small anvil" can be seen, and a distant view of the Headscarf is also visible.
