Qinbi Village, Matsu

The Matsu islands sit well to the north of Taiwan and their building tradition is eastern Fujian rather than southern: houses of dressed granite, squared and stacked, with low tiled roofs whose tiles are weighted down against the wind by lines of loose stones. Qinbi, on the north coast of Beigan, is the best preserved village of the type. It runs down a steep slope in terraces to a small bay, with narrow stepped lanes between the blocks and windows set high and small against the weather. Many houses were abandoned as people left the islands and have since been restored, a good number as guesthouses, which is what keeps the village occupied at all.

What you actually see

• The granite houses - squared stone blocks stacked in stepped terraces.
• The weighted roofs - tiles held down by lines of stones against the wind.
• The stepped lanes - narrow paved alleys running down towards the bay.
• The bay below - a small harbour and clear water at the foot of the village.

When to go

April to October for the calmest weather and the most reliable boats. Late spring and early summer are when the bioluminescent plankton known locally as blue tears sometimes appear in the water at night, which is the other reason people come. Fog is heavy in spring and closes the airports regularly, so allow spare days at each end.

Honest expectations

Getting there is the problem: the flights are small and cancelled often, the overnight ferry from Keelung is long and rough, and being stuck an extra day is normal rather than bad luck. The village is small and an hour covers the walk. Almost everything is now a guesthouse or a cafe, and prices are higher than in Taipei.

Nearby

Beigan's beaches and the short ferry across to Nangan.