Guanqian Isle Introduction
On the way to Luk-si Township, on the eastern side of the Zhongzheng Bridge, there is a small island quietly standing in the sea, contrasting with the hustle and bustle of traffic on the bridge, the solitary island in the sea appears mysterious and tranquil. This island is known as Yanqing Islet. Yanqing Islet, formerly known as Yuandong Islet, features a narrow rock formation resembling a spine on its western side during low tide, referred to as the Dragon's Tail, while the eastern side resembles a tortoise (Aoxiang), hence the name Yuandong Islet. Additionally, it is known by other names such as Yanjing Islet, Yanzheng Islet, and Mugong Islet. There are several legends surrounding the current name of Yanqing Islet. It is said that there were once a pair of wild ducks on the island. When the male duck went out to forage, the female duck was captured, and the male duck remained on this island to search for her, never leaving until the end of its life. Villagers named the island based on this tale, originally calling it "Yanqing Islet," which was later changed to "Yanqing Islet." Another explanation states that before the Zhongzheng Bridge was constructed, residents from Baisha and Zhongtun often had to wade through water to transport agricultural and fishery products to Magong, with this island located right along their route, leading to the name "Yanjian Islet." Over time, the name transformed phonetically to Yanqing Islet. Yanqing Islet covers an area of 0.0069 square kilometers with a coastline of 0.331 kilometers and reaches a maximum height of 14 meters. Its geology predominantly consists of basalt formations, with some red volcanic breccia and red soil layers found on the northern and southern sides of the island. The red rock layers are mainly due to the prolonged oxidation of the rocks by seawater. Due to its geographical position near Zhongxi Village in Luk-si Township, residents would lead their cattle there to plant sweet potatoes in the past. The island also has remnants of fortifications and deep caves, which are said to be tunnels dug by Japanese soldiers during the Japanese occupation to prevent American landing; moreover, the Nationalist Army also stationed on the island three to four decades ago. During low tide, Yanqing Islet becomes a land-connected island, allowing visitors to wade to it from beneath the Zhongzheng Bridge, revealing a large area of intertidal zone surrounding the islet to land on this uninhabited island. However, it is essential to monitor tidal times; after high tide, the intertidal zone is submerged by seawater, leaving only the basalt geology of Yanqing Islet exposed, beautiful, solitary, and mysterious, presenting a unique landscape. [Recommended stay time] 1 hour.
Geese Island After Low Tide
