Date: 16th November 2019, Saturday, 11am
When cycling to the south of Jincheng Town in search for Wind Lion Gods, I came to Oucuo Village, and found Oucuo Wind Lion God (欧厝风狮爷) near the beach. Since I had reached Oucuo Beach, I might as well check it out.
It was a beautiful beach with fine sands and only a small handful of people were around.
It might be a cloudy day, but it seldom rain in the late-autumn season. With strong winds blowing, the waves that hit the beach were like a long piece of lacy cloth that attempted to cover the sandy beach.
The strength of the tidal waves should not be underestimated, this 10 metres trail was created when two large rocks were dragged down the beach by the tide just few hours ago. The little balls of sand lying on the beach were the work of tiny shy crabs.
These "rail spikes" could be seen on almost all the beaches of Kinmen. They were war-time relics used to deter the enemy from landing on the beach using any form of landing crafts. It might not be a good idea to swim on these beaches during high tides without knowing the whereabouts of these spikes.
Perhaps, it was due to the change of tide and increasing sea level that I did not see the dilapidated M18 tank that was supposed to be "sleeping" on the beach, after walking for a long time. I did not check the tidal forecast before setting off for the day and I just happened to pass by the beach.
Back at Backpack Home 497, I chatted with fellow travellers and realised that the tank was lying near the pile of rocks (in the photo above) towards the end of the beach... 😓. Well, it was my fault for not walking further than I had and missed the sight of the "sleeping" tank.
Tidal Information
Go to Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau website, select "Marine" → "Tidal Forecast" and then "Kinmen Inshore" on the map: