Xiyu Ping Introduction
Xiyu Pingyu is located in the South China Sea off the coast of Penghu, administratively known as Xiping Village, under the jurisdiction of Wang'an Township. It is an outlying island of Wang'an Township, approximately five nautical miles away. The island is about twenty-three nautical miles from the administrative center of Penghu County, Magong, with a travel time of seventy-five minutes. Among the four southern islands of Penghu, Xiyu Pingyu is located northwest of Dongyu Pingyu, covering an area of 0.3477 square kilometers, with the highest elevation reaching about 42 meters. It has an approximately quadrilateral mountain shape and, due to the inability to build a port, only has a wharf located in the southeastern part of the island. Because of the terrain, village buildings could not cluster around the port, leading residents to settle and develop on the flat top of the slope, forming a unique landscape and cultural characteristics on a platform in the center of the island. The steep cliffs and sea erosion gully on the southeastern coast of Xiyu Pingyu are prominent, showcasing broad and towering cliff formations. Most residents of Xiyu Pingyu have moved away, and many houses have been damaged over time. The village's religious center, Huaniang Temple, is the best-preserved building. The temple mainly enshrines deities such as Wushui (the main god), Mazu, San Taizi, and General Chen. Although its scale and appearance may seem less impressive compared to temples on other islands, the design of the temple and the incense burner still reflect its past glory when it was first built. The road leading from the wharf to the inland settlement features a segment approximately 50 meters long known as "Haohan Slope." Successfully traversing this slope allows one to see traditional Penghu residences constructed with coral stone and basalt. Due to the lack of sheltered mountain valleys on the island, most settlements are located in low-lying areas of the plateau. The residents of Xiyu Pingyu have mostly relocated to other places, leaving many old houses in a state of abandonment. A few that remain well-preserved are due to villagers returning home for temple festivals to clean and maintain them regularly. On the northern side of the island sits the Land God Temple, which faces south and is situated separately from Huaniang Temple. It serves to guard against northern evil spirits and protect the village. The coastal landscape next to the Land God Temple features volcanic angular gravel geology and a distant view of the headscarf and the anvil. The village on Xiyu Pingyu is mainly concentrated in the southern part, while the northern end is less developed, resulting in more rich and diverse geological and topographical landscapes. Along the coast, there is abundant gravel beach. To the left of the gravel beach, a "small anvil" can be seen, with the distant headscarf visible from there.
