Tongpan Island

Tongpan is barely a square kilometre, a flat basalt table standing out of the sea south of Magong, and what makes it worth the boat is that the whole edge is a wall of columnar basalt: hexagonal columns rising twenty metres or so all the way round, so that the island looks like a fortress from the water. The flat top holds a village and a temple. A path runs round the rim and down to a rock arch on one side.

Background

Tongpan belongs to Tongpan Village in Magong City, about 6 nautical miles off the main Penghu island, and a ferry crosses at least twice daily. The island is a basalt mesa of 0.3439 square kilometres, home to 378 people in 2018, and its column cliffs have earned it the nickname The Yellowstone Park of the Penghu. A stepped basin on the southwest side is called Lotus Terrace, and a beehive-shaped formation is known as Cat Rock. Snorkellers can see coral reefs on the nearby seabed. The Taoist Fuhai Temple, devoted to Wen Fu Wang Ye, was renovated in 1934 and 1982. A geology park centred on the basalt columns was set up in January 2008.

Source: Wikipedia, "Tongpan Island"

What's there

• The columnar cliffs - hexagonal basalt columns ringing the whole island.
• The rim path - a walk round the top of the cliffs in about half an hour.
• The rock arch - a sea arch cut into the basalt on one shore.
• The village - the small settlement and temple on the flat top.

When to go

April to September is the season; winter wind stops the boats. Morning light on the eastern cliffs is best. Tours usually combine it with other southern islands.

Things to know

It is a short stop on an island-hopping tour rather than a destination in itself. There are no facilities. Boats do not run in rough weather, which is much of the winter.

Nearby

Huxi and Magong are north, and Wang'an is south.

Key facts