Scenic Spots Information
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On the Zhongzheng Bridge to Huxi Township, visitors can see a small island at the east side standing quietly on the sea. Compared to the traffic of the bridge, the island
on the
sea appears mysterious and quiet. This is Yanqing Island.
Yanqing Island was called Yuanlong (Carp Dragon) Island during ancient times. The narrow spine-like rock vein at the west of the island which is visible during low tide is known as the dragon's tail. The east side of the island looks like a carp (salmon),
hence
the name Yuanlong (Carp Dragon) Island. In addition, it was also named Yanjing Island, Yanzheng Island, Yuanlong Island, Yanjing Island, Mujing Island, etc.
Nowadays, there are several legends about the name of Yanqing Island. One of the most popular legends is that there was a pair of wild geese. The female goose was caught on the island while the male goose went searching for food. The male goose stayed on
the
island to search and wait for the female goose, and never left until the end of its life. The villagers name the island Yangqing Island based on this story, which was later renamed to Yanqing Island. There is another legend: During the early days before
the
Yong'an and Zhongzheng Bridge were built, villagers in the Baisha and Zhongmu areas often had to tread through the water route to deliver agricultural and fishery goods to Magong, and the island is located next to the route. So they named the island
"Yangqian
Island". The name passed on through the generations and evolved into the current phonic variation of "Yanqian Island".
Yanqing Island has an area of 0.0069 km² with a coastline of 0.331 km and maximum height of 14 meters. Most of the geology is basalt topography. There are some red volcanic breccia and red soil layers at the north and south of the island. The red rock layer
is mainly caused by the long-term oxidation of rocks. Due to the geographical location close to Zhongxi Village of Huxi Township, the residents of the early Zhongxi Village would bring cattle to plant sweet potatoes here. The island also contains ruins and
deep caves. It is said that Japanese soldiers dug deep tunnels during the Japanese occupation era to prevent the U.S. military from landing. In addition, national troops were also stationed on the island 3-4 decades ago.
During low tide, Yanqing Island is connected to the mainland, and people can wade through the inter-tidal zone under Zhongzheng Bridge to reach this uninhabited island. However, people must pay attention to the tidal time because the inter-tidal zone disappears
during high tide, and only the basalt geology of Yanqing Island can be seen by then. These factors give the island a beautiful, lonesome, and mysterious appearance.
【Recommended length of stay】1 hour