Jibei Island Introduction
Jibei Island covers an area of approximately 3.1 square kilometers and has a coastline of about 13 kilometers, making it the largest island in the northern 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, characterized by beautiful beaches and sandbars formed by marine deposition, which are the island's most significant geographical features. The beaches are located in the southwest of the island, extending southward from Xikanshan Mountain. At the end of the beach, a sandbar stretches into the sea, formed by ocean currents, measuring about 800 meters in length and approximately 200 meters at its widest point. Numerous stone traps of varying sizes are artificially scattered around the island, with over 200 existing at their peak, although only 88 remain today. The island is situated about 5 nautical miles from Chihkan, with a travel time of approximately 20 minutes. Jibei Island is not only a fishing ground in northern Penghu but also features significant tidal changes and expansive intertidal zones. Early settlers observed fish ecology for a long time and utilized these tidal differences for fishing, using the surrounding basalt and coral reefs to build stone traps during low tide. Historical records indicate that during the Qing Dynasty, when the "trap tax" was collected, Jibei already had one large and four small traps, demonstrating that the construction of stone traps predates the Qing Dynasty. The waters around Jibei Island are dotted with stone traps, with the current 88 traps representing nearly one-seventh of the total over 580 traps in the county. At low tide, one can wade from a small local area called Ray Bay to Guoyou in the northwest. The shores on either side of Ray Bay are densely populated with stone traps, accounting for about half of the traps on Jibei Island (approximately 40). These fishing traps, constructed from basalt by residents utilizing the intertidal zone, are a distinctive cultural landscape of Jibei Island. Another famous spot on the island is the location from the popular television drama "Dolphin Bay Lovers," where the characters Zeya (played by Hsu Shao-yang) and Yi Tian-bian (played by Chang Shao-han) have their encounter in Dolphin Bay. The legend of dolphins helping star-crossed lovers reunite has made the area a guardian of love, adding to its allure. The show attracted many fans to this site, with locations such as the boathouse where Yi Tian-bian and Zeya first meet, the noodle shop owned by Yi Tian-bian’s family, and the Dolphin Bay bus stop becoming popular photo spots for fans. When visiting Jibei Island, don't forget to explore the community in search of the home of the heroine Yi Tian-bian. If you take pictures, feel free to share them with us! Additionally, the MTV for singer Xin Xiao-qi's song "Forget" was filmed in Jibei, showcasing the vibrant colors and beauty of Penghu in the summer. The 2006 "7-ELEVEN" commercial featuring popular figures Chen Bo-lin and Ke You-lun, with scenes of them riding a motorcycle beneath fluffy clouds and jumping into the clear waters, was also filmed in Jibei.
