Jibei Island Introduction
Jibei Island has a total area of about 3.1 square kilometers and a coastline of approximately 13 kilometers, making it the largest island in the North Sea and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Taiwan. The island's terrain is higher in the east and lower in the west, featuring beautiful sandy beaches and sandbars formed by marine sediment, which are the island's most significant geographical characteristics. The beach is located in the southwestern part of the island, extending south from Xikanshan; at the end of the beach, a sandbar stretches into the sea due to ocean currents, measuring about 800 meters in length and around 200 meters at its widest point. Surrounding the island, there are many man-made stone traps, with up to 200 during their peak, but only 88 remain today. The island is about 5 nautical miles from Chikan and takes approximately 20 minutes by boat. Jibei Island is not only one of the fishing grounds north of Penghu, but due to the significant tidal differences and vast intertidal zones, early settlers observed fish ecology and utilized the tide to fish, constructing stone traps from local basalt and coral reefs during low tide. According to records, during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Jibei had one large trap and four small traps subject to a "trap tax," indicating that the construction of stone traps predates the Qing Dynasty. The waters around Jibei are densely populated with stone traps, and the remaining 88 account for nearly one-seventh of the more than 580 traps in the county. During low tide, one can wade from the local small area known as Ray Bay to the northwestern island. The coastline on both sides of Ray Bay is densely packed with stone traps, accounting for about half of the traps on Jibei (approximately 40). This method of using the intertidal zones, with basalt constructed traps for fishing, is a unique cultural landscape of Jibei Island. A popular filming location for the idol drama "Dolphin Bay Lovers," the place where Ze Ya (played by Hsu Shao Yang) meets Yi Tian Bian (played by Zhang Shao Han) after growing up is Jibeishawei. "Have you heard the legend of the dolphins? According to legend, dolphins once carried a steel ring to help a pair of lost lovers reunite, becoming the guardians of love! In Dolphin Bay, there is a story of love and legend!" When the drama aired, it attracted many fans to the area, capturing the first meeting of Yi Tian Bian and Xu Ze Ya in a boat house, Yi Tian Bian's family noodle shop, and the bus stop of Dolphin Bay, all popular spots for photo opportunities. If you are among those fans, when you visit Jibei Island, don’t forget to experience the beach at Jibeishawei and imagine the scenes from the boat house, and be sure to search for the home of the female lead, Yi Tian Bian, in the community. If you take photos, we welcome you to share them with us! Additionally, the music video for "Forget," by the heartfelt singer Shin Hsiao-Chi, was also filmed in Jibei, showcasing the unique vibrancy and colors of Penghu in summer. The beloved "Da Ren Ge" - Chen Bo Lin and Ke You Lun also filmed a "7-ELEVEN" commercial in 2006 in Jibei, featuring scenes of them riding motorcycles with clouds drifting across the sky and jumping into the clear waters, all captured on the island.
