In November 2019, I did an island-hopping journey in the Taiwan Strait from Xiamen, China (厦门), to the Kinmen Islands (金门), Penghu Islands (澎湖), a brief stopover in Taichung (台中), then the Matsu Islands (马祖) and ending in Taipei for the flight back to Singapore. On that trip, I was fascinated by photographs of the "Blue Tears" (蓝眼泪) in Matsu and planned to return to the islands to witness it 6 months later (supposedly in April or May 2020).
Tag: #Taiwan2019, #马祖
Unfortunately, COVID-19 came onto stage 3 months after the 2019 trip and refused to get off the stage until 3 years later — they are still lurking off-stage though. With the easing of travel restrictions to Taiwan (reinstatement of free visa for Singapore passport holder, no PCR test requirement, no quarantine) in September 2022, I finally have the opportunity to make my dream comes true this April / May — hopefully. The Blue Tears is a natural phenomenon and there is no guarantee it will always appear around the same period every year.
Information Gathering
I compiled some information on island-hopping in the Taiwan Strait 3 years ago and posted them (as listed below). I will be using these information, especially those about the Matsu Islands, to prepare my upcoming trip. With some experiences from the last trip, I hope that this trip will be more thorough.
1. The "need to know" for island hopping in the Taiwan Strait:
2. The planning process for the 2019 trip:
Part 1: The Objectives
Part 2: The Transports (See No. 3 for Matsu)
Part 3: The Route
3. Transportations to & around Matsu Islands:
My Objectives for 2023
The main objective for my upcoming trip to the Matsu Islands (马祖列岛) is definitely for the Blue Tears. All I have to do to see the phenomenon is to be there physically and hope it appears in the nights that I am there. Thus, I am allocating 9 days (8 nights) on the Matsu Islands.
My second objective is to visit Dongyin Township (东引乡), which includes both Dongyin Island (东引岛) and Xiyin Island (西引岛), which I missed in 2019 as ferry services to Dongyin were halted due to strong winds during the Northeast monsoon.
The third objective is to revisit Dongquan Lighthouse (东犬灯塔) on Dongju Island (东莒岛) of Juguang Township (莒光乡). It was under maintenance in 2019 and did not give me some good photographs. There are some spots on the two main islands of Juguang Township that I was unable to cover in the last trip too.
Read: 台湾马祖.慢游：莒光乡.东莒.东犬灯塔
The 3 objectives above are enough reasons for me to go island-hopping on the 4 main clusters of islands (Beigan, Nangan, Juguang and Dongyin) in the Matsu Islands again.
If all the 3 objectives cannot be achieved, my last objective will be to eat all of Matsu's local food again, including those that I missed in 2019. Since Matsu is going into its peak travel season, there is no reason to miss any nice food this time — unless sold out due to more travellers.
I am looking forward to eating the Old Wine Vermicelli (老酒面线) again! It is one dish that is hard to find outside of the Matsu Islands.
Read: 台湾马祖.慢食：镜沃小吃.老酒面线
Below is a list of Matsu food to try. (😋 = I had tried before)
😋 Old wine vermicelli (北竿乡.镜沃小吃.老酒面线)
🔎 Old wine yellow croaker (老酒蒸黄鱼)
😋 Fried rice with red wine lees (红遭炒饭)
🔎 Meat with red wine lees (紅糟肉/排骨)
😋 Sweet potato dumpling (黃金地瓜餃）
😋 Oyster puff (𧋘饼)
😋 Noodle made with fish (鱼面)
😋 Mussel (淡菜)
😋 Meat dumpling noodle (南竿乡.万家香二店.扁肉狗面)
😋 Wok-side noodle (南竿乡.阿妹的店.鼎边糊)
🔎 Swallow dumplings (南竿乡.阿妹的店.燕饺)
😋 Old wine soya pudding (南竿乡.津沙聚落.老酒豆花)
😋 Crispy pancake (东莒.美华.九万葱油饼)
🔎 Soya pudding & beancurd (东莒.国利豆花、豆腐)
😋 Kompia (继光餅)
🔎 Matsu burger (南竿乡.超群继光餅.马祖汉堡)
😋 Thousand Buddha hands shellfish (千佛手)
🔎 Cellana grata shellfish (海鋼盔)
🔎 Sorghum wine ice-cream (东引乡.福哥面馆.东湧陈高霜淇淋)
My Upcoming Itinerary
For the 17-day trip in 2019, which was during an off-peak season, I created an open-itinerary and embarked on the journey with minimum reservations. There were no shortage of accommodations and flights and I had greater flexibility for changes.
For the upcoming trip, which is during a peak travel season in the Matsu Islands, I have to book all my flights and accommodations as they are running out fast — I almost cancelled the trip due to no available flights but managed to work out some acceptable alternatives. As a result of all the advance reservations, my itinerary for Matsu is fixed with no room for changes. Any changes will likely to result in forgoing of deposits and whatever that are already paid.
Travelling via Fuzhou (福州), China, and the Three Mini-Links (小三通) is the shortest path from airport to the Matsu Islands. However, due to mandatory visa requirements for China (S$86 for single-entry; S$96 for double; no free-visa yet) during the post-COVID period, it costs more to transit via China. As such, I will take a flight to Taipei, stay a night and fly to Matsu the next day — an option that is time-consuming due to non-connecting flight schedules.
Day 1: Singapore → Taipei
✈️ 11:30 Singapore Changi Airport → Taoyuan Airport (桃园机场)
🚌 Guoguang Bus 1840 → Songshan Airport (松山机场); OR 🚄 Taoyuan Metro to Taipei Main Station (Purple = Express Train)
Check-in accommodation in Songshan area
Raohe Night Market (饶河夜市)：胡椒饼、药炖排骨
Day 2: Taipei → Beigan
Half-day in Taipei
✈️ 15:40 Songshan Airport → Beigan Airport (北竿机场)
Check-in homestay in Tangqi Village (塘岐村)
Revisit Tanghou Beach (塘後道沙灘)
🌊 Find blue tears @ Beigan
Day 3: Full-day on Beigan
Bus to Baisha Harbour (白沙港)
Hike to Clam Islet (蛤蜊岛)
Visit Banli Village (坂里古厝)
Hike to Bishan Lookout (璧山观景台)
Revisit Luoshan Nature Trail (螺蚌山自然步道)
🌊 Find blue tears @ Beigan
Day 4: Full-day on Beigan
Check-out homestay
Visit Qinbi Village (芹壁村)
Check-in to homestay in Qinbi
14:00 ⛵️ → Sika deers on Daqiu Island (大坵岛梅花鹿)
Visit Qiaozai Village (桥仔聚落)
🌊 Find blue tears @ Beigan Qinbi
Day 5: Beigan → Nangan
Day 6: Day Trip to Juguang (莒光一日游)
⛴️ 7:00 Nangan Fu'ao Harbour → Xiju Qingfan Harbour (青帆港)
See Kunqiu Beach (坤坵沙灘)
Revisit Caipu Bay (菜埔澳)
⛴️ 11:00 Xiju Qingfan Harbour → Dongju Meng'ao Harbour (猛澳港)
Revisit Fuzheng Village (福正聚落)
Revisit Dongquan Lighthouse (东犬灯塔)
⛴️ 15:20 Dongju Meng'ao Harbour → Nangan Fu'ao Harbour
🌊 Find blue tears @Nangan
Day 7: Full-day on Nangan
Revisit Statue of Mazu (妈祖巨神像)
Revisit Jinsha Village (津沙聚落)
Visit Yuntaishan (云台山)
Visit Iron Fort (铁堡)
🌊 Find blue tears @ Nangan
Day 8: Nangan → Dongyin
Check-out Fuaowo Homestay
⛴️ 9:30 Nangan Fuao Harbour → Dongyin Zhongzhu Harbour (东引中柱港)
Check-in homestay on Dongyin
See Northern-most point of Taiwan (国之北疆)
2-5pm Buy ferry ticket back to Nangan
🛍 Buy wine @ Dongyin Liquor Factory (东引酒厂)
See Dongyin Lighthouse (东引岛灯塔)
🌊 Find blue tears @ Dongyin
Day 9: Dongyin → Nangan → Beigan
Option 1: Sail from Dongyin to Keelung (基隆) — 10 hours on sea, but no ferry
Option 2: Fly from Nangan to Taichung / Songshan — all tickets sold out
Option 3: Back to Beigan, stay a night and fly the next morning — my last option
⛴️ 6:30 Dongyin Zhongzhu Harbour → Nangan Fu'ao Harbour
🛍 Buy wine @ Matsu Liquor Factory (马祖酒厂)
Jieshou Village (介寿村)
⛴️ 13:00 Nangan Fu‘ao Harbour → Beigan Baisha Harbour
Check-in same homestay in Tangqi Village
🌊 Find blue tears @ Beigan
Day 10: Beigan → Taipei → Chiayi
✈️ 8:20 Beigan Airport → Songshan Airport
🚆 Train from Songshan to Chiayi
Check-in accommodation
Alishan Forest Train Garage Park (阿里山森林铁路车库园区)
Wenhua Night Market (文化夜市)
Day 11: Chiayi → Fenchihu
🚂 8:30 Forest Train to Fenchihu (奋起湖)
Fenchihu Old Street, eat train bento
Check-in homestay
Fenchihu Old Old Street
Starry Starry Night (星空小木屋), Bamboo Forest, Train Garage, etc
Day 12: Fenchihu → Chiayi → Miaoli
Fenchihu Old Street, shop, eat train bento again
🚂 14:30 Forest Train back to Chiayi Train Station
🚆 Train from Chiayi to Miaoli
Check-in homestay
Day 13: Miaoli
Cafes, shopping, etc
🛍 Buy bottarga (乌鱼子), beef jerky (牛肉干), etc.
Day 14: Miaoli → Taoyuan → Singapore
Miaoli → Taoyuan Airport (桃园机场)
Submit SG Arrival Card!!
✈️ 15:55 Taoyuan Airport → Singapore Changi Airport
* Sunrise is around 5:35am and sunset is around 6:15pm in April ~ May.
* See Taiwan Central Weather Bureau for tide information.
How I Plan Trips
I have never joined a tour group in my life — except short tours when on the trips — and have been planning all itineraries myself. I prefer to travel with an open itinerary, usually around 2 weeks. If I can help it, I will avoid peak travel seasons since I have to make advance bookings that fix an itinerary and I have to keep to it — just like this upcoming trip.
To me, a plan is not meant to be followed strictly. It is a means to "anticipate" what may happen on the trip and to be mentally prepared — sometimes, physically too. Information that are gathered from the Internet may not always be correct or up-to-date and will need clarifications when on the ground. There should be some allowance to alter a plan based on new information, especially from locals who know better. However, this is usually not achievable during peak seasons.
Lastly, I travel to experience local cultures, try local food and see scenic landscapes —landmarks, natural, agricultural, etc. I am not really keen in visiting museums, unless they have something that can greatly interest me when on the trip, but not during the planning stage.
I hope to see the blue tears on this trip so I don't have to go back to the Matsu Islands again during a peak season. In fact, I like the Matsu Islands and will want to go back again and again — hopefully without itineraries.
My actual itinerary