Wang'an Island

Wang'an, once renowned for its green sea turtles, is Penghu's fourth-largest island and a famous source of aragonite. The island features undulating terrain and vast grasslands where cattle leisurely graze. Its western side boasts rugged basalt cliffs and natural bays, earning it the nickname "Honeymoon Island." Wang'an was formerly known as "Bazhao," located south of Magong City, between Penghu Main Island and Qimei. The name "Wang'an" (望安) may have phonetically evolved from the local term "Wang'an" (網垵). Because Wang'an Island has harbors with seabeds composed of a mix of sand and mud, early local residents, in addition to coastal fishing and intertidal zone harvesting, commonly practiced "qian gu" (地曳網), a form of seine fishing using land-pulled nets, to catch fish. Hence, it was called "Wang'an" (網垵), which later gradually changed phonetically to "Wang'an" (望安). Another theory suggests that in 1661, during the late Ming Yongli era, when Zheng Chenggong's army sailed from Kinmen to Taiwan, upon seeing Bazhao Island from a distance at sea, they felt a sense of relief and security, and thus changed its name to Wang'an Island. Regardless of the legend, these two historical accounts fully illustrate the everyday culture and strategic importance of the residents of the Wang'an archipelago. The grassy hills of Tiantai Mountain form the highest peak on Wang'an Island and are one of Penghu's renowned sources of aragonite. The surrounding grasslands are flat, forming a natural pasture where cattle graze contentedly, and the western coastline features a natural bay. The Zhongshe settlement preserves some of Penghu's most complete traditional courtyard houses. Formerly known as Huazhai (Flower Village), it is said to be named as such because the entire settlement is situated at the "flower heart" of the local Lotus Mountain. After World War II, it was renamed Zhongshe Village. The ancient houses in Zhongshe Village are traditional courtyard-style buildings, preserving distinct cultural characteristics of traditional settlement architecture.