The Matsu Islands (traditional Chinese Traditional Chinese characters refers to Chinese characters in any of the standard sets of Chinese characters which are not the Xiàndài Hànyǔ Chángyòng Zìbiǎo or Tōyō kanji. It most commonly refers to characters in the standardized character sets of Taiwan, of Hong Kong, or in the Kangxi Dictionary. The modern shapes of traditional: 馬祖列島 Mā-cū liĕk-dō̤ or less frequently, 馬祖群島 p=Mǎzǔ Lièdǎo or Mǎzǔ Qúndǎo, Fuzhou dialect Fuzhou dialect (福州話, Foochow Romanized: Hók-ciŭ-uâ ), also known as Foochow dialect, Foochow, Foochowese, Fuzhounese, or Fuzhouhua, is considered the standard dialect of Min Dong, which is a branch of Min Chinese mainly spoken in the eastern part of Fujian Province. Native speakers also call it Bàng-uâ (平話), meaning the language: 馬祖島 Mā-cū-dō̤) are a minor archipelago Archipelagos can be found isolated in bodies of water; or with a large land mass may neighbour them. For example, Scotland has more than 700 islands surrounding its mainland. Archipelagos are often volcanic, forming along island arcs generated by subduction zones or hotspots, but there are many other processes involved in their construction, of 19 islands An island or isle (/ˈaɪl/) is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, /ˈaɪ.ət/. A grouping of geographically or geologically related islands is called an archipelago and islets in the Taiwan Strait The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait is a 180-km-wide strait between China and Taiwan. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to East China Sea to the northeast. The narrowest part is 131 km (81.4 mi.) wide administered as Lienchiang County(連江縣; Lièng-gŏng-gâing), Fujian Province Fujian Province is a province on the coast of southeastern China. Since 1949, Fujian has been split between two separate governments: the vast majority of Fujian province has been governed by the People's Republic of China (PRC); while a number of offshore islands have been governed by the Republic of China (ROC) government in Taiwan. The PRC and of the Republic of China The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is a state in East Asia comprising the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor islands located off the east coast of mainland China. Neighbouring states include the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the west, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south (Taiwan Taiwan, also known as Formosa , is an island situated in East Asia in the Western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. It has comprised most (99%) of the territory of the Republic of China (ROC) since the 1950s. The term "Taiwan" has also become a commonly used alternative name both domestically and). Not all of what is historically part of Lienchiang county is under the control of the ROC. The People's Republic of China b. ^ Simple characterizations of the political structure since the 1980s are no longer possible controls the part of the county adjoining the mainland Mainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China on the Asian mainland. This term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau and has a separate administration for that jurisdiction, Lianjiang County Lianjiang is a suburban county of Fuzhou on the coast of Fujian Province, China. Most of the county is controlled by the People's Republic of China (PRC), while a number of outlying islands, collectively referred to as the Matsu Islands, are administered as a separate Lienchiang County (same Chinese name but in Wade-Giles Romanization) by the, which claims the entire archipelago to be its Mazu Township (媽祖鄉; Mā-cū-hiŏng).

They are named after the goddess Mazu Mazu , also spelt Matsu, is the indigenous goddess of the sea who is said to protect fishermen and sailors, and is invoked as the patron saint of all Southern Chinese and East Asian persons. Born as Lin Moniang (simplified Chinese: 林默娘; traditional Chinese: 林默娘; pinyin: Lín Mòniáng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lîm Be̍k-niû; Foochow Romanized:. Kinmen Kinmen , also known as Quemoy, is a small archipelago of several islands administered by the Republic of China (ROC): Greater Kinmen (大金門), Lesser Kinmen, and some islets. Administratively, it is Kinmen County of Fukien Province, Republic of China. The county is claimed as part of Fujian's Quanzhou Prefecture by the People's Republic of is the other archipelago on the Fujian coast controlled by the ROC.

Contents

History

Fujianese Fujian is a province on the southeast coast of China. Fujian borders Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait. The name Fujian came from the combination of Fuzhou and Jian'ou, two cities in Fujian, during the Tang Dynasty. It is one of the most culturally and Mainlanders Mainlanders are people who live in a region considered a "mainland". It is frequently used in the context of areas ruled by the People's Republic of China, referring to people from mainland China as opposed to other areas controlled by the state such as Hong Kong or Macau started migrating to the islands during the Yuan Dynasty The Yuan Dynasty , Mongolian: Dai Ön Ulus/Дай Юан Улс), or Great Yuan Empire (simplified Chinese: 大元帝国; traditional Chinese: 大元帝國; pinyin: Dà Yuán Dìguó) was both the continuation of the Mongol Empire and the Mongol founded historical state in Mongolia and China, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. Although the. Most people on Matsu came from Houguan (侯官) (today Changle County (長樂縣 Diòng-lŏ̤h-gâing), Fujian Fujian is a province on the southeast coast of China. Fujian borders Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait. The name Fujian came from the combination of Fuzhou and Jian'ou, two cities in Fujian, during the Tang Dynasty. It is one of the most culturally and).

Some crewmen of Zheng He Zheng He (1371–1435), was a Hui Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, who commanded voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, and East Africa, collectively referred to as the travels of "Eunuch Sanbao to the Western Ocean" (Chinese: 三保太監下西洋) or "Zheng He to the Western Ocean", from 1405 to 1433 temporarily stayed on the islands. In early Qing Dynasty The Qing Dynasty , also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the last ruling dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 (with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917). It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China, pirates Piracy is a war-like act committed by private parties that engage in acts of robbery and/or criminal violence at sea gathered here and residents temporarily left.

As part of Fujian, Matsu Islands were not colonised by Japan, as the island of Taiwan Taiwan, also known as Formosa , is an island situated in East Asia in the Western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. It has comprised most (99%) of the territory of the Republic of China (ROC) since the 1950s. The term "Taiwan" has also become a commonly used alternative name both domestically and and Penghu 'Peng-hu' was first recorded in unofficial historical records and regional logs in 1171 during the Southern Song Dynasty. From the middle of the 17th century to 1895, Taiwan and the archipelago were ruled by pirates, the colonial Dutch Empire , the Koxinga kingdom, and the Qing Dynasty, successively (from 1895 onwards) were; or occupied by Japan as in the case of Kinmen Kinmen , also known as Quemoy, is a small archipelago of several islands administered by the Republic of China (ROC): Greater Kinmen (大金門), Lesser Kinmen, and some islets. Administratively, it is Kinmen County of Fukien Province, Republic of China. The county is claimed as part of Fujian's Quanzhou Prefecture by the People's Republic of during World War II.

After the Kuomintang The Kuomintang of China (KMT); (Hanyu Pinyin: Guómíndǎng, GMD), translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party or Chinese National People's Party, is a political party of the Republic of China (Taiwan, ROC). It can be seen romanized as Guomindang (according to the Pinyin transcription system) in some contexts. It is the founding and the ruling (KMT) retreated to Taiwan in 1949, the ROC retained the part of Lienchiang County offshore (and the entire Kinmen County Kinmen (Chinese: 金門; also romanised Quemoy from coastal Min nan ; literally "Golden Door" or "Golden Gate"), located at 24°26′N 118°20′E / 24.44°N 118.33°E, is a small archipelago of several islands administered by the Republic of China (ROC): Greater Kinmen (大金門), Lesser Kinmen (小金門), and some as well).

The phrase "Quemoy Kinmen , also known as Quemoy, is a small archipelago of several islands administered by the Republic of China (ROC): Greater Kinmen (大金門), Lesser Kinmen, and some islets. Administratively, it is Kinmen County of Fukien Province, Republic of China. The county is claimed as part of Fujian's Quanzhou Prefecture by the People's Republic of and Matsu" became part of U.S. political language in the 1960 U.S. presidential election The United States presidential election of 1960 marked the end of Dwight D. Eisenhower's two terms as President. Eisenhower's Vice President, Richard Nixon, who had transformed his office into a national political base, was the Republican candidate, whereas the Democrats nominated Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy. During the debates, both candidates, Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States from 1969–1974 and was also the 36th Vice President of the United States (1953–1961). Nixon was the only President to resign the office and also the only person to be elected twice to both the Presidency and the Vice Presidency and John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963, pledged to use U.S. forces if necessary to protect the Republic of China The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is a state in East Asia comprising the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor islands located off the east coast of mainland China. Neighbouring states include the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the west, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south from invasion by the People's Republic of China b. ^ Simple characterizations of the political structure since the 1980s are no longer possible, the mainland, which the U.S. did not at that time recognize as a legitimate government. Vice President Nixon charged that Senator Kennedy would not use U.S. forces to protect the ROC's forward positions, Quemoy and Matsu.

In April 2003, the county government started considering changing the name to Matsu County to avoid confusion with the county of the same name on the mainland. This is the first example of a local government officially wishing to change its name.[clarification needed][citation needed] Some locals opposed the name change because they felt it reflected a Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party is a major political party in the Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan. It is the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity, including promotion of de jure Taiwan independence. Its present chair is Taiwan Independence Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goal is primarily to create an independent and sovereign Republic of Taiwan out of the lands currently governed by the Republic of China (commonly known as "Taiwan") and claimed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) viewpoint.[1]

Townships

Subdivision of Lienchiang county into townships

Lienchiang County (of the Republic of China) is currently divided into four townships:

Altogether, there are 22 Lienchiang villages, which are further divided into 137 neighborhoods (鄰 lín).

All townships, except Juguang Juguang , also spelled Chukuang, is a township of Lienchiang County, Republic of China. Juguang Township includes two major Matsu islands -- Dongju Island (東莒 "East Ju") and Xiju Island (西莒 "West Ju") -- and some islets. Neither Dongju nor Xiju has an island-wide administrative level, are named after the largest island in its jurisdictional area, but most townships also include other islets.

Geography

The Matsu Islands include five major islands: Nangan Nangan is one of the Matsu Islands and the capital township of the Lienchiang County (which coincides geographically with the Matsus) of the Republic of China, Dongju and Xiju (both in Juguang Juguang , also spelled Chukuang, is a township of Lienchiang County, Republic of China. Juguang Township includes two major Matsu islands -- Dongju Island (東莒 "East Ju") and Xiju Island (西莒 "West Ju") -- and some islets. Neither Dongju nor Xiju has an island-wide administrative level Township), Beigan, and Dongyin. Minor islands include Liang (亮島), Gaodeng (高登), Daqiu (大坵), and Xiaoqiu (小坵) -- all belong to the Beigan Township.

Another set of coordinates: 119°51'-120°31' E, 25°55'-26°44' N.

Dongyin is the northernmost and Dongjyu is the southernmost.

Areas:

Average annual temperature is 8.9°C, with the lowest point being 1.3°.

The total number of islands and islets is 19. [1]

Demographics

The language spoken by Matsu residents is Fuzhou dialect (福州話), a dialect of Min Dong Language.

Chen (陳) is the most common surname, then Lin (林), Wang (王), Tsao (曹), and Liu (劉).

Several islands are not inhabited permanently, some of which are stationed by Republic of China soldiers.

Economy

Farm products include rice, sugar cane, tea plant, orange. Sea animals, such as fish, clams, and jellyfish, are also popular exports.

Tourism

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be and removed. (December 2008)

Matsu islands are famous for their historical sites and beautiful scenery. Due to their size, traveling by motorized scooter is an ideal way to get around the main islands such as Nangan and Beigan. Both Islands have regular buses and taxis are also economical.

Both Nangan and Beigan have airports, but because the main airport is located in Nangan, travel between the islands is frequently done by boat. In fact, boats are the main form of transportation between the Matsu islands.

Nangan is the capital of Matsu and is famous for its mesmerizing granite tunnel as well as the Iron Fort. It has two interconnected main roads. Each road leads to different sites but because they are connected, it doesn’t take long to visit all of the sites on the island.

The Bei-Hei tunnels are manmade granite tunnels that marvel visitors. One is located in Beigan while the other is located in Nangan. Both tunnels were amazing for their time, and took great effort to construct. The tunnel in Nangan was built in 1968. The completion of Bei-Hei tunnel took the effort of thousands of men. The 700 meter tunnel has a width of 10 meters and a height of 16 meters. It was completed in 820 days with shovels, spades and explosives; the tunnel also took the life of a platoon of soldiers. The tunnel was considered a military location and was not opened until 1990. The tunnel’s structure and precision still amazes visitors today and is a must see in Matsu.

The Iron Fort is located on the Southwest side of Nangan island. Located by a small cliff, it is a vulnerable spot for outside attacks or illegal smuggling of materials. With that in mind, the fort was build for defense. It is equipped with multiple machine-gun rooms and rudimentary living facilities. It is now open to the public, and although most of the equipment has been removed from the site, the site itself brings back a vivid image of what it was like for soldiers at that time.

Chin Be is located in Beigan, it was renowned for its style of architecture and history. Many of the buildings were built from the late 1800s to early 1900s. However the village, once occupied by over one hundred households, was abandoned by the fisherman due to living conditions; the village was reduced to less than 20 households. Luckily by the 1960s, the village was restored by the local government. Chin Be is situated beside a beach, overlooking China. It is ideal for an early morning or late evening stroll.

Other famous sites include the 88 Tunnel distillery, Matsu temple, Fu-Au seaport, and many different kinds of monuments.

Natural reserves

Since 1990, the county controls the Matsu Islands Bird Sanctuary (馬祖列島燕鷗保護區), which spreads across eight islands and islets in Nangan, Beigan and Tongyin Townships. It contains 30 species in 15 orders, mostly gulls and terns. In 2000, four pairs of the critically endangered Chinese Crested Tern, previously thought to be extinct, were discovered nesting on the Matsu Islands, giving them global conservation importance.

There are also mosses and ferns rare or absent elsewhere in the ROC .

Connection to the goddess

Matsu, though named after the goddess Matsu, is written with a different character that has a different tone. But the Matsu Islands are not the birthplace of the goddess as the human Lin Muoniang -- Meizhou Island is—but her death place (on a seaport named after her on Nangan Island).

The Matsu Nangan Heavenly Empress Palace (馬祖南竿天后宮), a temple dedicated to the goddess, contains the sarcophagus of Lin Muoniang. It is, however, not as popular as the Meizhou temple.

Most Taiwanese pilgrims to Meizhou start off their journey in the Matsu Islands because they are the closest Taiwan-controlled base to Meizhou, which is controlled by the PRC.

See also

This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

References

  1. ^ Huang, Sandy. "Cases of mistaken identity perplexing Lienchiang County." Taipei Times. Sunday April 6, 2003. Page 1. Retrieved on January 14, 2009.

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