Beigan North Sea Tunnel Introduction
The North Sea Tunnel, a masterwork of human excavation, began construction in 1968 as part of the "North Sea Project" for strategic needs in the Matsu area, creating underground docks specifically for guerrilla warfare boats. Today, after being released by the military, it has become a unique battlefield landscape in Matsu; visiting the North Sea Tunnel is essential to experiencing Matsu. Located along the Tieban coastline, the North Sea Tunnel features waterways that penetrate deep into the mountains, interlacing in a grid pattern. The waterways are 18 meters high, 10 meters wide, and 640 meters long, with water levels reaching 8 meters at high tide and 4 meters at low tide. The full length of the walking path is 700 meters, taking about 30 minutes to complete; however, visitors must align their visit with the tides and can only enter during low tide. This underground tunnel, capable of accommodating over a hundred landing craft, was once considered a challenging engineering feat. A combined force of two divisions, three infantry battalions, one engineer battalion, and one unloading truck company worked in three groups around the clock for 820 working days to complete it. Due to the rudimentary construction equipment at the time, most of the work was done manually, chiseling the granite walls; many soldiers sacrificed their lives during this arduous project, exemplifying the immense scale and craftsmanship involved. In the past, during turbulent times, the North Sea Tunnel aimed to serve as an underground supply depot. Today, as visitors walk through the deep tunnel, the majestic rock walls and shadowy reflections evoke awe and admiration. Note: Visitors can tour the tunnel, but entrance is dependent on tidal changes during the day, so please pay attention to the tide schedule! Night Roding: A Great Place to See Blue Tears In recent years, the discovery of "blue tears," combined with the limited light pollution at the entrance of the tunnel, has made North Sea Tunnel one of the hotspots for watching this phenomenon in Nan Gan. Visitors can take a boat ride into the tunnel, gently swaying while searching for the faint glowing halos, making it a worthwhile experience. Note: Blue tears are a natural phenomenon, and the conditions for their formation are unpredictable. Please refrain from using flash photography and, for safety reasons, do not stand up or change seats during the voyage.
