TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Beigan Township Office (北竿鄉公所) and Matsu National Scenic Area Administration have organized a series of activities, dubbed “A Trip on the Ocean,” for tourists to experience the beauty of Beigan Island, with the first event being "blue tears” viewing from the sea.
Beigan Island is part of Taiwan's outlying Matsu Islands.
Most people believe the blue tears. or glowing waters, are caused by certain algae called dinoflagellates, which produce glowing light when the water they are living in is disturbed by motion.
Boat tours will be available to take tourists to the sea to view the blue tears, starting May 1. The boats will set sail from Beigan’s Qiaozi Harbor (橋仔港) and Baisha Harbor (白沙港), Central News Agency (CNA) reported on Wednesday (May 1).
Tourists who present flight or boat ticket stubs to the boat operators who participate in the activities will enjoy a reduction of NT$200 from their boat tour fare, Beigan Township Office said. The discount will be extended to a limited number of 5,000 tourists.
The blue tears viewing activities will be followed by the “boat tour around Beigan” activities from June 20 to Sep. 20, CNA reported. The boats will set sail at 3 p.m., 4 p.m., and 5 p.m. daily from the Qinbi seaport (芹壁澳口). Advance and on-site registrations are available.
In addition, the fishing net hauling festival (牽罟嘉年華) activities will take place on June 28, July 12, July 13, and Aug. 3 at Qiaozi Harbor, and on July 24 on the Hou'ao (后澳) beach. The fishing net hauling activities are totally free of charge.
Fishing net hauling is an ancient way of catching fishes. Our ancestors cast fishing net and set it in position by swimming, and then people join forces to haul the net and share the fish harvest.
(陳善澔photo/CNA)
(Beigan Township Office photo)
