Lienchiang County 連江縣 Matsu Islands, Ma-tsu | |
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 Top: Magan Tianhou Temple in Nangan, Bottom right: Matsu display monument in Nangan, Bottom upper left: Lin Moniang Tomb in Mazu Temple, Bottom lower left:Dongyong Lighthouse | |
 Flag  Emblem  Logo | |
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| Coordinates:26°09′04″N119°55′38″E / 26.15111°N 119.92722°E /26.15111; 119.92722 | |
| Country |  Republic of China (Taiwan) |
| Province | Fukien (nominal subdivision) |
| County | Lienchiang County |
| Seat | Nangan Township (Nankan) |
| Divisions | 4rural townships 22rural villages |
| Government | |
| • Body | |
| • County Magistrate | Wang Chung-ming (KMT) |
| Area | |
• Total | 29.60 km2 (11.43 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 22 of 22 |
| Population (June 2016)[3] | |
• Total | 12,716 |
| • Rank | 22 of 22 |
| • Density | 430/km2 (1,100/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Matsunese |
| Time zone | UTC+08:00 (NST) |
| ISO 3166 code | TW-LIE |
| Website | Matsu.gov.tw |
| Symbols | |
| Bird | Chinese crested tern (Sterna bernsteini) |
| Flower | Hairy bougainvillea (Bougainvillea glabra) |
| Tree | Australian laurel (Pittosporum tobira) |
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| Coastline | 133 km (82.6 mi)[2] |
| Matsu Islands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 馬祖列島 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 马祖列岛 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Matsu Islands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Lienchiang County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 連江縣 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 连江县 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Postal | Lienkong Hsien | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TheMatsu Islands[a] (UK:/ˌmætˈsuː/ orUS:/ˌmɑːtˈsuː/[4]), officiallyLienchiang County[b] (/ljɛnˈdʒjɑːŋ/), are anarchipelago of 36 islands andislets in theEast China Sea governed by theRepublic of China (Taiwan), situated alongside the southeastern coast ofmainland China. The archipelago forms the smallestcounty in theROC-controlled territories by area and population, as well as one of two counties that is a part of the nominalFuchien Province.
The current Lienchiang County of the ROC was once part of an intact Lienchiang County ofFujian before its effective partition in 1949 following theChinese Civil War, which resulted in themainland portion of the county being controlled by thePeople's Republic of China (PRC), while the offshore islands of Matsu remained under ROC control. The circumstance has made the county the only former geographical unit with the same name that is now divided between the administrations ofthe ROC and the PRC.
Lienchiang County, Taiwan (R.O.C.)[5][6][7][8][9] uses thetraditional Chinese characters name (連江縣) and theromanized name Lienchiang which is derived from theWade-Giles romanization (Lien²-chiang¹) of theMandarin pronunciation for those Chinese characters that also refer toLianjiang County,Fuzhou,Fujian inmainland China.[10][11][12][13] Lienchiang has also been written asLien-chiang andLienkiang[14][15][16] and by apostal romanization of the local language pronunciationLienkong.[11] The term Lienchiang can also refer to the homophonousLianjiang inZhanjiang,Guangdong,China.[11]
The Matsu Islands[17][18][19][20] are named after the main island,Nangan (Nankan). Nangan is also named Matsu Island[8] because of a temple on the island which is supposed to be the burial site of the similarly named goddessMazu (媽祖).[21] Matsu is theWade-Giles-derived romanization of theMandarin pronunciation (Ma³-tsu³) for the Chinese character name (馬祖) of the islands. The Matsu Islands are also known by other Chinese-language names includingChinese:馬祖群島;pinyin:Mǎzǔ Qúndǎo and馬祖島;Foochow Romanized: Mā-cū dō̤).
In April 2003, the Lienchiang County government considered changing the name of the county to Matsu County in order to avoid confusion with the nearby Lianjiang County on the mainland. Then-MagistrateChen Hsueh-sheng said some local people opposed the name change because they felt it reflected thepro-independence viewpoint of theDemocratic Progressive Party.[22]
Chinese fromFujian andZhejiang started migrating to the islands during theYuan dynasty. Most of the people on Matsu came from Houguan (侯官) (todayChangle,Fujian). The popular net fishing industry established the base for development of Fuao settlement and industrial development of the region over several hundred years.
Some crewmen ofZheng He temporarily stayed on the islands.
During the earlyQing dynasty,pirates gathered here and the residents left temporarily. In contrast withTaiwan andPenghu, the Matsu Islands were not ceded to theEmpire of Japan via theTreaty of Shimonoseki in 1895. Due to its strategic location along the only route for the spice traffic, theBritish established theDongyong Lighthouse inDongyin Island in 1912 to facilitate ships navigation.[23]
In 1911, the Qing dynasty was toppled after theXinhai Revolution on 10 October 1911 and theRepublic of China (ROC) was established on 1 January 1912. Matsu Islands were subsequently governed under the administration ofFukien Province of the ROC. On 1 August 1927, theNanchang Uprising broke out between the rulingNationalist Party of China (KMT) andChinese Communist Party (CCP) which marked the beginning ofChinese Civil War.
Sheng-Chang Lin, a graduate student writing for theUniversity of Nottingham Taiwan Studies Programme, noted that in the pre-1949 period, the Matsu Islands did not have a significant relationship with Taiwan, which at the time was a colony of theEmpire of Japan. Additionally, he stated that the islands at the time had separate identities and did not have a collective identity as the Matsu Islands. Previous groups of islanders perceived themselves as Fujianese.[24]
On 10 September 1937, Japan occupied Beigan and Nangan via theCollaborationist Chinese Army, making the islands the first in Fujian to fall to Japan.[25][26] The islands were not occupied by Japanese troops duringWorld War II because they were not important militarily. The Lienchiang County seat was moved to Danyang Township on 19 April 1941 until theJapanese surrender on August 15, 1945.
As a result of theChinese Civil War, in 1949 theChinese Communist Party (CCP) took overmainland China from theChinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, KMT). The CCP established thePeople's Republic of China (PRC) on 1 October 1949, which included administration of today'sLianjiang County ofFujian. The KMT retreated from mainland China to Taiwan at the end of 1949, but retained some of the offshore parts of Lienchiang County (namely, the Matsu Islands), and also most ofKinmen County (Quemoy). On 15 December 1950, the Matsu Administrative Office (馬祖行政公署 [zh]) ofFujian Province, Republic of China, was established, including modern-day Lienchiang County (the Matsu Islands), as well as several islands in present-dayHaidao Township (Xiapu County) and Taishan (台山) (Fuding County)[27][28] which were lost to the PRC in 1950 and 1951.[29]
In early July 1953,Chinese Nationalist guerillas retreated from islands in the Xiyang Island (Chihchutao) area of present-day Haidao Township (PRC), and the area came under the control of the PRC.[30] In June 1955, the PRC undertook considerable road and military construction aroundHaitan Island, Pingtan County, Fuzhou, Fujian, China, including roads leading to possible artillery positions on the mainland. Those positions might have been used to protect the Haitan Strait, which was considered a favorable staging area for amphibious operations against the Matsu Islands.[31] In July 1958, the PRC began massing forces opposite Kinmen (Quemoy) and Matsu (Lienchiang) and began bombarding them on 23 August, triggering theSecond Taiwan Strait Crisis. On 4 September 1958, the PRC announced the extension of its territorial waters by 20 kilometres (12 mi) to include the two islands. However, later that month, after talks between the United States and the PRC inWarsaw,Poland, a ceasefire was agreed and the status quo reaffirmed.[32]
The phrase "Quemoy and Matsu" became part of American political language in the1960 U.S. presidential election. During the debates, both candidates, Vice PresidentRichard Nixon and SenatorJohn F. Kennedy, pledged to use American forces if necessary to protect Taiwan from invasion by the PRC, which the United States did not recognize as the legitimate government of China. However, in the second debate on 7 October 1960, the two candidates stated different opinions about whether American forces should also be used to protectTaiwan's forward positions, Quemoy and Matsu.[33] Senator Kennedy stated that these islands — as little as 9 kilometres (5.5 mi) off the coast of China and as much as 170 kilometres (106 mi) from Taiwan — were strategically indefensible and were not essential to the defense of Taiwan. Vice President Nixon maintained that, since Quemoy and Matsu were in the "area of freedom", they should not, as a matter of principle, be surrendered to the Communists.[34]
Earlier in the debate, Nixon said:
In the Truman Administration 600 million people went behind theIron Curtain including the satellite countries of Eastern Europe andCommunist China. In this Administration we have stopped them at Quemoy and Matsu, we have stopped them inIndo China, we have stopped them inLebanon, we have stopped them in other parts of the world.
Later in the debate,Edward P. Morgan asked Senator Kennedy:[35][36][37][38][39]
Senator, Saturday on television, you said that you had always thought that Quemoy and Matsu were unwise places to draw our defense line in the Far East. Would you comment further on that, and also address to this question: couldn't a pull-back from those islands be interpreted asappeasement?
Kennedy's response was:
Well, the United States has on occasion attempted, mostly in the middle '50s to persuadeChiang Kai-shek to pull his troops back to Formosa. I believe strongly in the defense of Formosa. These islands are a few miles, five or six miles[c] off the coast of Red China within a general harbor area, and more than a hundred miles[d] from Formosa. We have never said flatly that we will defend Quemoy and Matsu if it is attacked. We say we will defend it if it's part of a general attack on Formosa, but it is extremely difficult to make that judgment.
Now, Mr.Herter, in 1958, when he wasUnder Secretary of State, said they were strategically indefensible. AdmiralSpruance andCollins in 1955 said that we should not attempt to defend these islands in their conference on the Far East. GeneralRidgway has said the same thing. I believe that when you get into a war, if you're going to get into a war for the defense of Formosa, it ought to be on a clearly defined line. One of the problems, I think, at the time of South Korea was the question of whether the United States would defend it if it were attacked. I believe that we should defend Formosa, we should come to its defense. It leaves this rather in the air that we will defend it under some conditions but not under others, I think it is a mistake.
Secondly, I would not suggest a withdrawal at the point of the Communist guns. It is a decision finally that the Nationalists should make and I believe that we should consult with them and attempt to work out a plan by which the line is drawn at the Island of Formosa. It leaves 100 miles[e] between the sea. But with General Ridgway, Mr. Herter, General Collins, Admiral Spruance and many others, I think it is unwise to take the chance of being dragged into a war which may lead to a world war over two islands which are not strategically defensible, which are not according to their testimony, essential to the defense of Formosa.
I think that we should protect our commitments. I believe strongly we should do so inBerlin. I believe strongly we should do so in Formosa and I believe we should meet our commitments to every country whose security we've guaranteed. But I do not believe that that line, in case of a war, should be drawn on those islands, but instead on the island of Formosa. And as long as they are not essential to the defense of Formosa, it has been my judgement ever since 1954, at the time of theEisenhower Doctrine for the Far East, that our line should be drawn in the sea around the island itself.
Vice President Nixon retorted:
I disagree completely with Senator Kennedy on this point.
I remember in the period immediately before the Korean War, South Korea was supposed to be indefensible as well. Generals testified to that, and SecretaryAcheson made a very famous speech at thePress Club early in the year that the Korean War started, indicating in effect that South Korea was beyond the defense zone of the United States. I suppose it was hoped when he made that speech that we wouldn't get into a war, but it didn't mean that. We had to go in when they came in.
Now I think as far as Quemoy and Matsu are concerned, that the question is not these two little pieces of real estate- they are unimportant. It isn't the few people who live on them- they are not too important. It's the principle involved. These two islands are in the area of freedom. The Nationalists have these two islands. We should not force our Nationalist allies to get off of them and give them to the Communists. If we do that, we start a chain reaction, because the Communists aren't after Quemoy and Matsu, they're after Formosa. In my opinion, this is the same kind of woolly thinking that led to disaster for America in Korea, I'm against it, I would never tolerate it as President of the United States, and I will hope that Senator Kennedy will change his mind if he should be elected.
After the third debate on 13 October 1960, Kennedy's advisers spoke with then Secretary of State Herter and said that Kennedy was willing to revise his position on the Quemoy and Matsu issue so as not to give the Communists the impression that the United States would not stand united against aggression. Nixon pointed out the change in Kennedy's position but decided not to press the point due to the importance of the United States' role in what was an extremely tense situation.[40] Polls of Republicans and Democrats showed overwhelming support for Nixon's position.[41]
Sheng-Chang Lin stated that the Matsu Islands gained a collective identity during the Cold War period. Additionally, the islands gained significant relationships to Taiwan, now sharing a government with them. By 2021, younger people identified as being from the Matsu Islands specifically.[24]
Self-governance of the county resumed in 1992, after the cessation of political warfare with the mainland and the abolition of Battle Field Administration on 7 November 1992.[42] Afterwards, local construction picked up pace. In 1999, the islands were designated as the Matsu National Scenic Area Administration.[23][43] In January 2001, direct cargo and passenger shipping started between Matsu and Fujian Province of the PRC.[44] After 1 January 2015, tourists from mainland China could directly apply theExit and Entry Permit upon arrival in Matsu Islands. That privilege also applied toPenghu and Kinmen, as a means to boost tourism in the outlying islands of Taiwan.[45] In December 2015, theHuangqi-Matsu ship route was introduced as part of the MiniThree Links.[46][47]
In 2020, rampantillegal sand mining by Chinese ships in the waters around the Matsu Islands[48] caused concern in the islands and in theExecutive Yuan about damage to the marine environment, possible damage to underwater telecommunications cables, and the potential for coastal erosion. Auctioning impounded ships was seen as an easy way for the dredging companies to get their ships back via intermediaries, hence sinking the impounded ships was under consideration.[49]
In 2021, it was reported that hundreds of Chinese squid fishing boats surrounded Matsu, and the lights from the boats to attract the squid lit up the local sky in green at night.[50]
In February 2023, two submarine cables between Matsu and Taiwan island were completely cut, causing Matsu residents' communication services to be affected.[51][52]
The Matsu Islands comprise 19 islands and islets,[53] which include five major islands, which areNangan, Dongju and Xiju (both inJuguang Township), Beigan and Dongyin.[19] Minor islands includeLiang Island,Gaodeng Island,Daqiu Island and Xiaoqiu, which are part ofBeigan Township.[54] The shortest distance betweenHuangqi, Lianjiang County and the Matsu Islands is also the shortest distance between China (PRC) administered territory and territory in the ROC (Taiwan)-administered Matsu Islands.[55][56]
Dongyin is the northernmost and Dongju is the southernmost.
Areas:
The islands are predominantly composed ofJurassic andCretaceousintrusive (emplaced ≈160 Ma, ≈130 Ma and ≈94 Ma)granite anddiabase.[57]
Average annualtemperature is 18.6 °C (65 °F), with the average low being at 13 °C (55 °F) and average high at 29 °C (85 °F). The daily temperature varies greatly during day and night. The region experiences subtropical maritime climate (Cfa according to theKöppen climate classification), which is influenced by monsoon and ocean currents and its geographic location. Matsu has four seasons: during winter it is cold, cloudy, and wet, during summer and spring it is foggy, and during autumn the weather is generally stable.[58][59]
| Climate data for Matsu Islands (Nangan) (2005–2020 normals, extremes 2004–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 24.2 (75.6) | 25.7 (78.3) | 28.1 (82.6) | 29.4 (84.9) | 32.7 (90.9) | 34.1 (93.4) | 35.1 (95.2) | 36.3 (97.3) | 36.6 (97.9) | 32.4 (90.3) | 28.9 (84.0) | 24.1 (75.4) | 36.6 (97.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 12.8 (55.0) | 13.3 (55.9) | 16.1 (61.0) | 20.6 (69.1) | 24.6 (76.3) | 27.8 (82.0) | 30.8 (87.4) | 31.4 (88.5) | 29.2 (84.6) | 25.0 (77.0) | 20.6 (69.1) | 15.5 (59.9) | 22.3 (72.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.6 (51.1) | 10.6 (51.1) | 12.8 (55.0) | 17.1 (62.8) | 21.5 (70.7) | 25.2 (77.4) | 27.8 (82.0) | 28.0 (82.4) | 26.4 (79.5) | 22.7 (72.9) | 18.4 (65.1) | 13.3 (55.9) | 19.5 (67.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 8.8 (47.8) | 8.5 (47.3) | 10.3 (50.5) | 14.4 (57.9) | 19.1 (66.4) | 23.1 (73.6) | 25.6 (78.1) | 25.8 (78.4) | 24.4 (75.9) | 20.8 (69.4) | 16.6 (61.9) | 11.4 (52.5) | 17.4 (63.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 0.3 (32.5) | 2.1 (35.8) | 1.5 (34.7) | 7.3 (45.1) | 12.0 (53.6) | 16.4 (61.5) | 21.0 (69.8) | 22.0 (71.6) | 18.3 (64.9) | 13.7 (56.7) | 8.9 (48.0) | 3.2 (37.8) | 0.3 (32.5) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 50.2 (1.98) | 74.5 (2.93) | 107.6 (4.24) | 117.4 (4.62) | 144.8 (5.70) | 181.9 (7.16) | 104.2 (4.10) | 117.1 (4.61) | 94.1 (3.70) | 38.2 (1.50) | 64.4 (2.54) | 46.0 (1.81) | 1,140.4 (44.89) |
| Average precipitation days | 8.3 | 11.4 | 14.6 | 13.6 | 15.5 | 13.5 | 6.1 | 9.9 | 9.6 | 6.0 | 8.5 | 7.3 | 124.3 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 80.8 | 84.2 | 83.1 | 83.9 | 86.9 | 88.0 | 85.8 | 86.4 | 82.4 | 76.6 | 80.4 | 77.7 | 83.0 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 90.3 | 73.4 | 107.6 | 120.7 | 120.1 | 146.0 | 258.8 | 235.0 | 171.4 | 160.3 | 101.2 | 108.7 | 1,693.5 |
| Source: Central Weather Bureau[60][61][62][63][64] | |||||||||||||
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The Matsu Islands are administered as Lienchiang County under theFujian Provincial Government.Nangan Township is the county seat which houses theLienchiang County Government andLienchiang County Council. The county is headed by a magistrate,elected every four years in the ROC local elections. The incumbent magistrate isWang Chung-ming ofKuomintang. TheLienchiang County Council seat is dominated byKuomintang legislators.
Lienchiang County is divided into fourrural townships.[65] It is further divided into 22 villages and 137 neighborhoods (鄰). Lienchiang County is the only county in Taiwan which does not have acity or anurban township. Thecounty seat isNangan Township (Nankan).
| Name | Chinese | Wade–Giles | Pinyin | Foochow Romanized |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural townships | ||||
| Beigan Township | 北竿鄉 | Pei³-kan¹ Hsiang¹ | Běigān Xiāng | Báe̤k-găng Hiŏng |
| Dongyin Township | 東引鄉 | Tung¹-yin³ Hsiang¹ | Dōngyǐn Xiāng | Dĕ̤ng-īng Hiŏng |
| Juguang Township | 莒光鄉 | Chü³-kuang¹ Hsiang¹ | Jǔguāng Xiāng | Gṳ̄-guŏng Hiŏng |
| Nangan Township | 南竿鄉 | Nan²-kan¹ Hsiang¹ | Nángān Xiāng | Nàng-găng Hiŏng |
All the townships administer more than one island.
Before 1993, county magistrates were appointed.
The Matsu Islands are protected by theROC Army Matsu Defense Command [zh].
Lienchang County voted oneKuomintang legislator out of one seat to be in theLegislative Yuan during the2016 Republic of China legislative election.[66]While theDemocratic Progressive Party have had difficulty winning a county-level election in this area, most of the competitions are among local strategies. In 2018, aGreen Party member,Su Bo Hao [zh] attempted to run for magistrate but failed.
The historical Lienchiang County roughly included the northern three townships of today's Matsu Islands (Lienchiang County) and the area of today'sLianjiang County of the People's Republic of China (PRC).[citation needed] The PRC claims the three northern townships of the Matsu Islands asMatsu Township (馬祖鄉;Mǎzǔ Xiāng; Mā-cū hiŏng)[67][68][69][70] and theJuguang Islands (the southernmost islands, formerly named the Baiquan Islands) as part ofChangle District.[67][71]
Vessels from the Taiwan'sCoast Guard Administration (CGA) have confronted sand dredging by Chinese vessels near the Matsu Islands.[72] This dredging activity began in 2018.[72] Since March 2019, theLienchiang Cross-Strait Matters Forum started as an official forum between Lienchiang County of the Republic of China (Taiwan) andLianjiang County of thePeople's Republic of China to discuss matters regarding the two sides.[73]
The majority of native Matsu Islands residents originated from Northern Fujian. Several of the islands of Matsu are not inhabited permanently. Some of these are garrisoned by soldiers from theRepublic of China Armed Forces stationed in the county since the end of theChinese Civil War in 1949 and during theFirst andSecond Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1954 and 1958 respectively. Due to that high military demand large numbers of military personnel stationed on the islands produced unprecedented population growth in the county. The population reached its peak in 1971 with a total of 17,088 people. After those periods of high growth the population decreased year after year due to the poor economic growth which resulted in mass youth emigration due to lack of employment opportunities. In recent years the population in the county has gradually increased because of immigration. The population has stabilized due to the improved transportation between Taiwan Island and Matsu Islands as well as mass construction projects.[23]
The native language spoken by Matsu residents is theMatsu dialect, a subdialect of theFuzhou dialect, which is one of the statutory languages for public transport announcements in the Matsu Islands.[74][53]Mandarin Chinese is one of the official languages of Lienchiang County.
Previously theEastern Min varieties in the Matsu Islands were seen as a part of general Fujian varieties. The establishment of thePeople's Republic of China in 1949 severed the Matsu Islands from the rest of Fujian province, and as communications were cut off between the Republic of China (now including Taiwan and without mainland China) and the PRC, the identity of the Matsu Islands specifically became established. Additionally, the varieties of Eastern Min on the Matsu Islands became seen as a Matsu dialect.[24]
Chen (陳) is the most commonsurname, thenLin (林),Wang (王),Tsao (曹) andLiu (劉).
Matsu, though named after the goddessMatsu, 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).[75]
The Matsu Nangan Tianhou Temple (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 ROC-controlled territory to Meizhou, which is controlled by the PRC.
Due to its geographically remote location, the manufacturing business of Matsu has never been fully developed. Among them, the wine making industry ofMatsu Distillery is the most distinguished feature. Tourism has become a highly important feature of the economy.[76]
However, most of its commercial trading focuses on retail businesses and restaurants for stationed military consumption. Farm products of Matsu includerice,sugar cane,tea plant,oranges. Sea animals, such asfish,clams, andjellyfish, are also popular exports due to its nature as the major traditional industry in Matsu. However, the flourishing fishing ground is almost exhausted by arbitrary fish bombing by mainland China fishing boats, while the fish population is decreasing as well.[23]
In July 2012, Matsu residents voted in favor of the establishment ofcasinos, which led to the prospect of gaming industries in the county and the passing of the Gaming Act (Chinese:觀光賭場管理條例).[77]
On 1 July 1975, the Matsu Power Company was founded to operate all of the power plants in the county. On 1 July 1986, the company was incorporated intoTaiwan Power Company.[78] The county is powered up by its fuel-fired (diesel)Zhushan Power Plant located in Cingshuei Village ofNangan Township with a capacity of 15.4 MW commissioned on 22 March 2010. The other power plants areBeigan Power Plant inBeigan Township,Dongyin Power Plant inDongyin Township and Dongju Power Plant in Dongju Island andXiju Power Plant in Xiju Island ofJuguang Township. The county is also powered up by itsphotovoltaic system with a capacity of 0.074 MW.[79]
For telecommucation, Matsu Islands is connected via threesubmarine communications cables named Taima Cables (Chinese:台馬;pinyin:Táimǎ). To Taiwan Island, the Taima Cable No. 2 connectsDongyin Township in the county toTamsui District inNew Taipei and Taima Cable No. 3 connectsNangan Township toTaoyuan City. As of 2023, the fourth cable is under construction with expected completion date in 2025. The first cable is no longer in use.[80][81]
Generally, the environment of Matsu Islands is still well-preserved. The major source of pollution is from family and military household waste. There are, however, concerns that the continued lack of modern sewage facilities results in household waste seeping into groundwater.[23]
Tourism has become a critical sector in the local economy.[76] Lienchiang County Government is making an effort to attract more visitors to the Matsu Islands, especially among foreigners.[82][83]Dongyin Visitor Center is the main visitor center of the township.
Nangan is the capital of Matsu and it is noted for its granite tunnel and theIron Fort. It has two interconnected main roads.
The Beihai Tunnels are manmade granite tunnels. Both tunnels were remarkable for their time, and they took great effort to construct. Thetunnel in Nangan was built in 1968. The completion of Beihai Tunnel took the effort of thousands of men. The 700 metre (800 yard) tunnel has a width of 10 metres (33') and a height of 16 metres (52'). 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 to the public until 1990.
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 built for defence. It is equipped with multiple machinegun 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.
Museums in Matsu including theMatsu Blue Tears Ecological Museum,Matsu Folk Culture Museum,Ching-kuo Memorial Hall andWar and Peace Memorial Park Exhibition Center.
Since 1990, the county manages theMatsu Islands Bird Sanctuary [zh], which spreads across eight islands and islets in Nangan, Beigan and Tongyin Townships. It contains 30species in 15orders, mostlygulls andterns. In 2000, four pairs of thecritically endangeredChinese crested tern, previously thought to beextinct, were discovered nesting on the Matsu Islands, giving them global conservation importance.
There are alsomosses andferns rare or absent elsewhere in theROC.[84]
Cetacean species that have become rare along Chinese coasts are still present here such asfalse killer whales andfinless porpoises,[85] providing opportunisticobservations at times.[86] Finless porpoises in this areas are generally smaller than other subspecies,[87] and it is unique that two subspecies inhabit in this region where Matsu region is the northern limit for one of them.
BothNangan andBeigan have airports which are theMatsu Nangan Airport andMatsu Beigan Airport respectively.Dongyin andJuguang (in Xiju Island) house heliports which only operate during winter time and priority is given to local residents to travel toNangan.[88]
Due to the main airport being located in Nangan, boats are the main form of transportation between the islands in the county.
There are two ferry rides to mainland China. One arrives atMawei District ofFuzhou and departs from Fuao Harbor atNangan Township in which the journey normally takes 90 minutes while in Nangan.[89] Another arrives atHuangqi (黄岐镇) ofLianjiang and departs fromBeigan Township in which the journey takes only 20 minutes.[90]Dongyin Township houses theZhongzhu Harbor.
Due to their size, travelling by motorized scooter is an ideal way to get around the main islands such as Nangan and Beigan, despite the steep hills. Both Islands have regular buses, and taxis are also economical. In October 2019, mainland China announced 'initial plans' to build a bridge linkingFuzhou to the Matsu Islands. Taiwan'sMainland Affairs Council (MAC) said that the plans were made unilaterally by Mainland's Fujian as part of its schemes to absorb Taiwan and divide Taiwanese society and that they see no need for bridges linking either Matsu orKinmen to mainland China.[91] Legislators representing Matsu have said that their thinking is different from the Mainland Affairs Council, and that they were optimistic about the idea of a bridge.[92]
終於讓專家學者在經過2年研究後，發現了全新品種的雌光螢，命名為北竿雌光螢和分布於東莒島的黃緣雌光螢，這對於總面積僅29.6平方公里的馬祖來說，是極為珍貴的物產。
列島的陸域面積為29.60平方公里，全縣各島海岸線總長為 133 公里
總計：2768戶，12716人，男性7244人，女性5472人。
Address：No.76, Jieshou Village, Nangan Township, Lienchiang County 209, Taiwan (R.O.C.) {...} Lienchiang County Copyright ©2016 Lienchiang County Government.
縣市鄉鎮區別 國際慣用名 漢語拼音譯寫 備註{...}連江縣 Lienchiang County Lianjiang County直轄市、縣(市)級以上行政區域名稱係依國際慣用方式譯寫
Lienchiang{...}Lienchiang County
Matsu is the main island of a group of 19, the Matsu Islands, which constitute Lien-kiang (Lienchiang)hsien (county).
Lienchiang-hs. 連江縣
Lienkong-hsien 連江縣 福建省東部福州の東北 (Lienchiang){...}Limkong-hsien 廉江縣(石城) 廣東省西南部廣東灣の北方 (Lienchiang)
4. On 1 June the construction of a highway fromFoochow toLoyuan (N 26-30, E 119-32) viaMawei (N 26-00, E 119-26) andLienchiang (N 26-12, E 119-31) was scheduled to begin.
Lienchiang
6 連江 Lienkiáng
Outlying the island of Kinmen, the Matsu Islands are well known to the world because of its valiant defense. These consist of Kaoteng, Peikan, Nankan, Tungchuan and Sichuan and spread out at the mouth of the Min River. They form a part of Lienkiang county, Fukien.
The other is Lienkiang (islands of Matsu, Changhsu Chan, Tungyin Tao, Tungchuan Tao).
Matsu islands
The oldest traces of settlements in the Matsu Islands were on the island of Dongju, and have been determined to be relics from the Neolithic era.
158. National Intelligence Estimate{...}3.In the context of this estimate the term "Matsu Group" or "Matsus" denotes those Chinese Nationalist-held islands lying essentially between 25 and 27 degrees north latitude and consisting of Tung-yin Shan, Lang Tao, Kao-teng Hsu, Pei-kan Tang, Matsu Shan, Pai-chuan and Lieh Tao [sic] (White Dogs), Wu-chiu, and Hsia Wu-chiu. "Matsu" used singly applies only to Matsu-Shan proper.
A passenger ferry route between Huangqi in Fujian province and Matsu has allowed tourists and commuters a cheaper and faster choice for cross-Straits travel. Huangqi, a port under the administration of the capital Fuzhou, is the closest mainland port to Matsu, which has also been connected with Mawei port in Fuzhou since 2001. A direct passenger ferry trip along the latter route takes around 90 minutes. Each trip along the Huangqi-Matsu route, which crosses an 8-kilometer strip of sea, takes 25 minutes and costs 135 yuan ($21). "The Huangqi-Matsu route has made daily commuting between Lianjiang and Matsu much easier," said Yang Wenjian, head of Lianjiang-Matsu Cultural Research Society, an NGO dedicated to promoting civil exchanges between the two places.
二十六年
九月十日
北竿、南竿被日軍侵占，成為福建最早淪陷的島嶼。
0910 日軍透過偽軍侵佔馬祖列島的南、北竿島，成為福建最早淪陷的島嶼。《連江縣志，大事紀P.34，連江縣地方志編纂委員會，2000.6，方志出版社。》
12月15日、福建省政府成立「馬祖行政公署」，行政區以島為單位，改設馬祖為八區，即「南竿」、「北竿」、「白肯」、「東湧」、「四礵」、「岱山(台山)」、「西洋」、「浮鷹」區，
鄉政沿革
39年12月15日，「馬祖行政公署」成立於南竿，將原設之區署及鄉公所撤銷，行政區域改以島為單位，改設南竿、北竿、白肯、東湧、四霜、西洋、浮鷹、岱山等8區，各區設區公所，區下設村、伍，為地方基層行政組織。
[Sanitized] Comment. The Chinese Nationalist guerrillas withdrew from islands in the Chihchutao area in early July[sanitized] and are now concentrated on Yinshan (N 26-22, E 120-30). Chihchutao, Shuangfengtao, Machick, and Chuishan are now Chinese Communist controlled although not occupied by troops. The Nationalist have lost control over these islands and it is extremely difficult for them to return to the area.
Once again I hit hard on the Quemoy-Matsu issue, stating that Kennedy's willingness to surrender the islands to the Communists under threat of war was no different from submitting to blackmail. Shortly after the third debate I learned that one of Kennedy's top foreign policy advisers had telephoned Secretary of State Herter to say that Kennedy did not want to give the Communists the impression that America would not stand united against aggression and was therefore prepared to revise his position in order not to appear to oppose the administration on this issue. I saw this as Kennedy's way of trying to slide away from an unpopular position, and my immediate inclination was not to let him get away with it. But the Quemoy-Matsu situation was so tense, and the importance of America's role in discouraging Communist aggression was so great, that I decided not to press the point if Kennedy modified his stand. I pointed out how his changed attitude reflected his lack of experience, and then let the issue drop.
the Huangqi-Matsu ship route{...}was first introduced in December 2015,{...}The Huangqi-Matsu ship route, the fastest route between the mainland and Matsu, is one of Fujian province's four "Mini Three Links",
地政事務所名稱(代碼) 連江(ZA) 鄉鎮市區名稱(代碼) 北竿鄉(02) 段 小段 代碼 備註{...}大坵 0020 無名島 0021 高登 0022 峭頭 0023 進嶼 0024 亮島 0035 調整 浪岩 0036 調整 三連嶼 0039 中島 0040 調整 白廟 0041 調整 老鼠 0042 調整
对台优势。黄岐镇与马祖列岛一衣带水，两岸最近处仅距离8000米，素有"里山"、"外山"之称，是祖国大陆离马祖最近的地方，也是环马祖澳旅游区的核心区域。
南与马祖列岛隔海相望（两岸最近处仅距离8000米，是祖国大陆离马祖岛最近的地区），
统计用区划代码 名称{...}350122400000 马祖乡
全县总面积428平方公里（包括待统一的马祖列岛）。
1949年划为敖江、丹阳、东澳、琯头、筱定、黄苔6镇和荷山、浦洋、镜山、荻壶、潘溪、小沧、朱蓼、所南、象厦、官塘、竿塘、西洋12乡，后又并为8个区，31个乡（镇），其中马祖乡尚待统一。{...}2000年第五次人口普查，连江县常住总人口599962人，{...}（不含马祖乡）2003年末，连江县户籍人口61.31万人，其中非农业人口10.63万人。2004年，全县辖22个乡镇（不含马祖乡），268个村（居），总人口62万人。2007年末，连江县总面积1190.7平方千米（含马祖列岛23.5平方千米）。总人口为613354人（不含马祖列岛），其中城镇人口128298人。
全境陆地面积723平方公里，海岸线长103公里。有大小岛屿30余个，其中以白犬列岛最大。Translation: "Changle covers an area of 723 sq km, and has 103 km of coastline. Changle includes more than thirty islands of various sizes. Among these, the largest are the Baiquan Islands."
A Chinese state-run news channel reported on Sunday (Oct. 13) that Beijing has completed "initial plans" for bridges linking the country to Taiwan's outlying islands Matsu and Kinmen. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said on Monday that the plans were made unilaterally by China as part of its schemes to absorb Taiwan and divide Taiwanese society, reported Liberty Times. Beijing has long disregarded the existence of Taiwan and shown a lack of respect for its democratic values and system, the MAC said.{...}According to Communist China's mouthpiece CCTV, a total of 40 experts from both sides of the Taiwan Strait gathered in Fujian's provincial capital, Fuzhou, on Sunday to discuss plans for the bridges connecting Fuzhou to Matsu and Xiamen to Kinmen.
Matsu travel guide from Wikivoyage| Kaohsiung |  | |
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| Kinmen | ||
| Lienchiang1 | ||
| Penghu | ||
| Pingtung | ||
| Taitung | ||
| Yilan | ||
1 Lienchiang County commonly known as Matsu.2Diaoyutai Islands are controlled byJapan, (calledSenkaku Islands).3Seat of the outlying islands' counties | ||
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