If you are visiting Yilan, you should definitely check out Turtle Island (also named Guishan Island) for a fun day trip. The site of the only active volcano in Taiwan, this island looks like a turtle when you look at it from afar.
At only 10 kilometers from the city of Yilan, part of the Toucheng township, the island is accessible by boat cruise from Wushih Harbor. 3.3 km long and 1.7 km wide, this island was once used to support a population of 750 people. Now it serves as a national protected environment and its access is limited because it is still a controlled military area (the daily limit entry is 1800 people and you can’t stay overnight).
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Origin
Inhabited since the Qing Dynasty, the local population mainly consisted of fishermen. However, due to the hardships of living on the island, the population was relocated in 1977. Sometimes, the dock would be destroyed during typhoons, leaving the island without food for weeks. It was also hard to convince woman from Taiwan to live in such a remote island with harsh conditions. The island had only one elementary school and no hospital so people relied on religion to cure their sicknesses. (source)
After relocating the population to Toucheng township, the ROC used the island as a restricted military base. It was officially opened to tourists as a maritime ecological park in 2000. Nowadays, people can visit the island during the day with a tour but can’t stay the night.
How to get there
From Taipei
Take the train to Wai’ao Station 外澳, then walk or take a taxi to Wushi Harbor.
Take the Kuokuang Intercity Bus #1877 from Nangang Exhibition Centre 南港展覽館 to Wushi Harbour
Drive on National Highway 5 to Toucheng; there is free parking at the harbor (drive to the very end of the harbor).
From Yilan
Once you are at Wushi Harbor, there are different price options, depending on which activities you intend to do. Expect to pay from 800 to 1500$ NT.
Here is a link to the different packages available: 宜蘭賞鯨龜山島服務網-套裝行程 (lanwhale.com)
I decided to go with the whale and dolphin watching and tour of the island in the afternoon, which cost me 1500$ NT and took about 4h.
Keep in mind that they may not have any English speaking guides.
Meet at the harbor at 8:10 to board at 8:30 for a 6-hour tour.
There is a limit of 1800 tourists on the weekend.
Only 100 people can climb to the top of the steps each day.
The earlier you sign up, the better.
Attractions
Click here to book your tour today!
Here are a list of activities I recommend:
Whale and dolphin watching
Every year, people can observe whales and dolphins from March to November. Around 17 species of dolphins and whales can be spotted, including spinner dolphins, common bottlenose dolphins, pygmy sperm whales, and false killer whales, etc. making it a great place to observe aquatic wildlife.
Although I didn’t see any whales, I was lucky to see at least a dozen dolphins jumping around the cruise ship.
As you approach the island, you can see the military installations carved from the rocks perfectly camouflaged.
Tour of the island
It takes from 1 to 2 hours to tour the island, depending on the waiting time of other tour groups and your tour guide.
Guishan elementary school
This elementary school, only one on the island, was later used as military barracks.
"This was the only school on Turtle Island, founded in 1949 and initially named the Turtle Island Branch of the Toucheng Elementary School. The following year it came under the Daxi Elementary School, and in 1954 it became independent as the Turtle Island Elementary School. After the civilian inhabitants moved to Taiwan, the school was rebuilt as part of the army camp."
"If the early inhabitants of Turtle Island wanted to learn how to read and write, they would have to hire a teacher to come over from Taiwan. During the period of Japanese occupation (1895-1945) it was forbidden to teach Chinese, and a classroom was set up in the police station to teach Japanese."
Old Village
Many interesting destroyed houses once used
"In 1950 almost all of the houses on Turtle Island had walls made of local pebbles and roofs of thatch or tile. After the islanders moved away, just about all of the roofs collapsed."
Temple
"Putoyan Temple, which was originally named Gonglan Temple, is the only center of religious faith on Turtle Island. According to legend, it was built around the 17th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1890), and a reconstruction was completed in 1952. In the temple's early days its only object of worship was an incense sachet, but later on the local people depended on fishing for their living, they switched to Mazu, Goddess of the Sea, as the temple's host deity."
"Life on Turtle Island was hard, and in 1977 the inhabitants moved collectively to the Renze community of Toucheng in Yilan County, taking their Mazu image with them. That same year the military proclaimed the island a restricted zone for military use. The soldiers installed Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, in the temple and changed its name to Putuoyan Temple."
Guiwei Lake
This greenish lake is filled with small fishes and is a good place to relax.
Statue of the Goddess of Mercy
This statue of Guanyin Pusa, goddess of mercy, on the other side of the lake is meant to offer blessings to the inhabitants and visitors of the island.
Cold Springs
This natural cold spring is said to have beautifying properties so, try not to empty it by putting some on your face! ;)
"Turtle Island experiences less rainfall in summer and more in winter, with strambeds short and steeply slope, a continuos flow of water is impossible. The spring beside Putoyan Temple, which flows constantly in winter, named "Cold Spring." The settlers used the spring's water for their daily needs, truly making it a "fountain of life" for the island's people."
Beware of the snakes
Apparently, a popular tale among the Taiwanese is that during the war, the Japanese were experimenting with snakes to create venomous vipers to be used in battlefield situations. When the Japanese lost the war, the released the snakes, which is why there are so many on the island. Watch out for the snakes!
Missed opportunities
401 Trail to the Summit
For the chance to experience the hike to the summit, you need to reserve at least 2 weeks in advance because the number of places are limited.
If you reserve, you will have the chance to climb to the peak (398m above sea level). Visitors will need to climb a total of 1706 steps in order to reach the top. This hike can be quite exhausting if you are not prepared but is worth the view up top. It takes around 1.5h to make it to the summit.
Tunnel and military bunker
A 800 meters tunnel lead to a gun emplacement where visitors can see a great view of the ocean.
Overall Experience
Turtle Island was an interesting place to explore. After all, you don’t get a chance every day to step on an active volcano!
As a foreigner, it was a bit intimidating to book a tour when everything was in Chinese. An English option would have been appreciated.
The tour on the island felt a bit rushed and we didn’t get the chance to visit the military bunker, which would have been interesting. I also had a bad experience with our tour guide. He would make jokes about me to the group and was laughing about the fact that I couldn’t understand Chinese well. I felt he was talking in my back constantly and making me the butt of the joke to the rest of the group which was annoying as hell.
However, just the ferry ride to the island made it worth it for me. I had the chance to see many dolphins up close, about 12 of them! That was an unforgettable experience to me.
(+) Positives
-Fun ferry ride
-Saw many dolphins from very close
-Good spot for photography
(-) Negatives
-No English tours
-Tour guide was a jerk
-Should have taken the 1600$ package to go on top
Gallery
Farewell Guishandao!