Penghu (Magong)

About Penghu (Magong)

The Penghu ( PUNG-HOO, Hokkien POJ: Phîⁿ-ô͘ or Phêⁿ-ô͘ ) or Pescadores Islands are an archipelago of 90 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, about 50 kilometres (25 nautical miles) west of the main island of Taiwan across the Penghu Channel, covering an area of 141 km2 (54 sq mi). The archipelago collectively forms Penghu County. The largest city is Magong, on the largest island.

The Penghu islands first appear in the historical record in the Tang dynasty and were inhabited by Chinese people under the Song dynasty, during which they were attached to Jinjiang County of Fujian. The archipelago was formally incorporated as an administrative unit of China in 1281 under Tong'an County. It continued to be controlled by Imperial China with brief European occupations by the Dutch (1622–1624) and Second French colonial empire (1885), until it was ceded to the Japanese in 1895. After American defeat of the Japanese ended its occupation over the Islands, which has since then been governed by the Republic of China (ROC). Under the terms of the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty and the subsequent Taiwan Relations Act between the ROC and the United States, Penghu is defined and geographically acknowledged as part of Taiwan.

Penghu Islands rely solely on sea and air transportation, with air transport having a significant role in outside access. The islands are served by three local domestic airports: Penghu Airport, Qimei Airport, and Wang-an Airport. The Penghu National Scenic Area comprises most of the islands and islets of the archipelago. It is also renowned for its unique natural feature of columnar basalt landscape. Tourism is one of the main sources of income to the county.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.