Wuqiu (Wuchiu, Wuciou, Ockseu[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]) (Puxian Min: Ou-chhiu, Hakka: Vû-hiu-hiông) is a group of islands comprising two major islands, namely Greater Qiu Islet and Smaller Qiu Islet, in the Taiwan Strait. Administratively, Wuqiu Township[14] is a rural township which is part of Kinmen County (Quemoy) of the Republic of China (Taiwan).[15][16][17] It is the smallest township in Kinmen County and is located 72 nmi (133 km) northeast of the rest of the county.[18][19] The township is 73 nmi (135 km) from the Port of Taichung on Taiwan.[20] The closest territory under PRC control is the neighboring Luci Island (Lusi Island), Xiuyu District, Putian, Fujian, which is 9 nmi (17 km) to the north-northwest.[21][22] Greater Qiu Island is the site of the Wuqiu Lighthouse.
Wuqiu Township
烏坵鄕 Ockseu, Wuchiu, Wuciou, Wochiu, Wu-ch'iu | |
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Rural township | |
![]() Wuqiu Lighthouse on Daqiu Island | |
![]() 金門縣烏坵鄕公所 Wuqiu Township Office, Kinmen County | |
![]() Wuqiu Township (blue) in Kinmen County (grey) | |
Location | Kinmen County, Fujian Province, ![]() |
Rural villages | 2 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Tsai Yung-fu (蔡永富)[1] |
Area | |
• Total | 1.2000 km2 (0.4633 sq mi) |
Population (July 2018) | |
• Total | 685 |
• Density | 570/km2 (1,500/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+8 (National Standard Time) |
Postal code | 896 |
Website | Wuqiu.Kinmen.gov.tw (in Chinese) |
Wuqiu Township | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 烏坵鄕[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Postal | Ockseu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In the early 1400s, Wuqiu was known as a marker on the sailing route between China and the Ryukyu Islands.[23]: 5
As of 1843, a "considerable fishing village" existed in Ockseu (Wuqiu).[4]
The Wuqiu Lighthouse was built in 1874, directed by David Marr Henderson.[24][25]
In September 1910, the center of a typhoon swept over Niushan Island (Turnabout Island) and Wuqiu (Ockseu) or a few miles to the southeast.[26]
Wuqiu Township was originally part of Putian County[27][28] with many of its residents emigrating from the county. After the end of Chinese Civil War in 1949, Wuqiu became disconnected from Putian. Control of Ockseu and other insular areas was shared between the KMT and anti-Communist guerrillas.[8]
In June 1954, the township was provisionally reassigned to Kinmen (Quemoy) County.[27][28]
In 1954, Wuchiu was shelled and attacked by the Chinese Communists on several occasions.[29][30][31][32]
On February 25, 1955, Chinese Communist ships shelled Wuchiu.[33]
On June 21, 1955, Nationalist planes heavily damaged a 40-ton tugboat at Wuchiu.[34]
In February 1956, there were reports that the 480-man guerrilla force on Wuchiu would be evacuated. The Wuchiu Islands were seen as "highly vulnerable to Communist strikes" and "of little military value to the Nationalists."[35]
Once the War Affairs Committee was founded in July 1956, strong and complete foundation for war affairs was built in the township.
In February 1957, the British cargo ship Hydralock ran aground off Ockseu Island. All 31 crew abandoned ship, but then disappeared.[36] They were later discovered safe on Haitan Island.[37]
In the summer of 1965, then-Minister of National Defense Chiang Ching-kuo visited the island as part of an inspection.[38]: 52
Late on the night of November 13, 1965, the Nationalist patrol boat Yungtai and the minesweeper Yungchang were on patrol southwest of the islands covering amphibious boats that were unloading supplies to Wuchiu. At just after midnight, eight Chinese Communist boats (three escort destroyers and five gunboats) coming from Quanzhou (Chuanchou) attacked the two Nationalist boats (烏坵海戰). The Yungchang was sunk almost immediately with fifteen survivors who were rescued by the USS O'Brien. Yungtai sunk four of the Communist gunboats but was scrapped due to excessive damage from the engagement.[39][40]
In the early morning of March 20, 1974, Lt. Wu Miao-huo defected to the PRC. He took a rubber speedboat from Wuchiu to Nanjih Island. Wu wasn't able to get along with his superior officers.[39]
Martial law was lifted from the township on 7 November 1992.[41]
On 29 January 1994, Wuqiu residents had their first election to elect the fourth head of Wuqiu Township. And on 16 July 1994, the residents had their first election to elect the fourth village heads of Daqiu Village and Xiaoqiu Village.
In November 1994, General Li Kai, commander of the troops at Wuqiu, committed suicide.[42]
During the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1996, military sources in Taipei expected China to attack a small Taiwan-held island. The most likely target was Wuchiu, then garrisoned by 500 soldiers. The outlying islands were placed on high alert.[43]
In 1998, Zero Chou produced a documentary about the islands called Yi Shi Zai Hai Xia Zhong ("Lost in the Strait") (Chinese: 遺失在海峽中:烏坵, 48 mins).
On December 26, 2001, President Chen Shui-bian visited Wuqiu and delivered remarks.[44] Chen was the first president to visit Wuqiu during their presidency.[38]: 93
In 2012, Wuqiu, along with Daren Township in Taitung County, was proposed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs as the candidate of the new disposal site of nuclear waste after the Lanyu Storage Site in Orchid Island, Taitung County. This proposal however received heavy objection from the local Wuqiu residents.[45]
On July 23, 2017, after a period of sixty years in which the lighthouse remained disused, the Wuqiu Lighthouse resumed service.[24]
On August 24, 2017, Chen Fu-Hai, then-magistrate of Kinmen County, visited the Wuqiu Township Office.[46]
On the night of August 2, 2019, a cargo ship in port at Wuqiu struck a tetrapod in choppy waves. The ship sank but the thirteen crew members were rescued by the Wuqiu Islands Garrison Command.[47]
In March 2020, the Kinmen County Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Office (金門縣動植物防疫所) sent five persons to Wuqiu to sterilize five dogs on the island in order to prevent the dogs from breeding and causing problems for the residents.[48]
On March 29, 2020, at about 3:55 PM, a capsized ship from mainland China, Haifa 88 (海發88), which had entered Wuqiu's restricted waters on March 9, broke free from the anchorage holding it in place and floated away. On March 9 at 7:32 AM, the ship had been in a collision with another larger ship from mainland China, Minshiyu 07725 (閩獅漁07725), in Wuqiu's restricted waters, and the four man crew of the ship were rescued at that time.[18][19]
In late April 2020, Magistrate Yang Cheng-wu visited Wuqiu for the first time as magistrate and stayed overnight.[49]
Wuqiu consists of Greater Qiu Islet (大坵嶼, Dàqiū yǔ) and Smaller Qiu Islet (小坵嶼, Xiǎoqiū yǔ, Hsia Hsü 下嶼[9]) with a total area of 1.2 km2, not to be confused with two islets Daqiu Island (Chinese: 大坵島; pinyin: Dàqiū dǎo) and Xiaoqiu Island (Chinese: 小坵島; pinyin: Xiǎoqiū dǎo) lying off the north coast off Beigan in the Matsu Islands (Lienchiang County).[50] The islands are considered a basepoint of the Chinese territorial sea by the PRC.
Greater Qiu Islet lies 9 nautical miles (17 km) from Luci Island (Lusi Island), 12 nmi (22 km) from Nanri Island,[4] and 18 nmi (33 km) from Meizhou Island, all in Xiuyu District of Putian, Fujian, China (PRC). It is distant from other territory in Taiwan (ROC) being 72 nmi (133 km) from Kinmen, 86 nmi (159 km) from Nangan in the Matsu Islands, and 73 nmi (135 km) from Port of Taichung on Taiwan.[51]
Wuqiu township is made up of two rural villages:[14][17][52][53][54]
113 residents of Wuqiu participated in the 2020 Taiwanese presidential election.
No. | Party | Presidential Candidate | Vice Presidential Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | People First Party | James Soong | Sandra Yu | 2 | 1.77% |
2 | Kuomintang | Han Kuo-yu | Chang San-cheng | 96 | 84.96% |
3 | Democratic Progressive Party | Tsai Ing-wen | William Lai | 15 | 13.27% |
The Wuqiu Islands Garrison Command (烏坵守備大隊 - Wūqiū Shǒubèi Dàduì) defends the islands.[58] The Republic of China Navy has deployed twenty XTR-102 systems in Wuqiu.[59]
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1977 | 229 | — |
1978 | 227 | −0.9% |
1979 | 203 | −10.6% |
1980 | 194 | −4.4% |
1981 | 188 | −3.1% |
1982 | 194 | +3.2% |
1983 | 191 | −1.5% |
1984 | 171 | −10.5% |
1985 | 169 | −1.2% |
1986 | 152 | −10.1% |
1987 | 147 | −3.3% |
1988 | 133 | −9.5% |
1989 | 116 | −12.8% |
1990 | 105 | −9.5% |
1991 | 98 | −6.7% |
1992 | 85 | −13.3% |
1993 | 105 | +23.5% |
1994 | 98 | −6.7% |
1995 | 90 | −8.2% |
1996 | 93 | +3.3% |
1997 | 126 | +35.5% |
1998 | 383 | +204.0% |
1999 | 383 | +0.0% |
2000 | 374 | −2.3% |
2001 | 362 | −3.2% |
2002 | 378 | +4.4% |
Source:[23]: 11 |
There are 400 people with household registration in Wuqiu Township.[60] The total population living on the islands fluctuates with the seasons.[14][23][25]
Due to its location surrounded by ocean, fishing is the primary source of income for its residents.[50]
Drinking water is provided to the residents by using reverse osmosis equipment. Generators are used to improve power shortages.
Ferry services and resupply between Greater Kinmen and Daqiu is run by the military every fifteen days. Transportation between Daqiu and Xiaoqiu (900 meters apart) was historically carried out by sampan. In 2008, the county government received a subsidy to build a boat for the township.[14]
Ferry connection is available to the Port of Taichung on Taiwan.
The languages spoken in Wuqiu are the native Pu-Xian Min (Hinghwa dialect) and Mandarin Chinese.[14][27] The residents of other islands in Kinmen (Quemoy) County speak Quanzhou dialect of Min-Nan (Hokkien).
行政區 面積(單位:平方公里){...}烏坵鄉 1.2000
Ockseu 烏坵 (or Wúkiú, probably a contraction of Wúkiú sü 烏坵嶼) consists of three islands, the center one a barren rock, nearly joining the eastern island. The steamer Nemesis anchored under this island. There is a considerable fishing village on it, which is difficult to be seen unless very close. The western island is the largest, and is in lat. 24°59'.3 N., and long. 119° 25'.5 E. W.N.W., twelve miles, is a group of islands, consisting of one large and four small, with a reef to the northward of them, called Sootzee. These islands were seen from Ockseu but not examined. N.N.E. 12 1/2 miles from Ockseu is the largest of the Lamyit 南日 islands,
Ockseu I (Wochiu){...}Ockseu Island, Fukien 25.0 N 119.26 E
Name of Place. 地方名 Open Port. 通商口岸 Prefecture. 府 District. 縣{...}烏邱嶼,烏龜嶼 Ockseu ...... Foochow .... 興化府 蒲田縣
(From) Nantai Pagoda one steers 45° during 7 watches (which will bring) the ship off Ockseu island. From Ockseu island shaping a 55° course{...}Nantai Pagoda - Ockseu 7 80 11.4 Ockseu -Turnabout 4 36 9
Chinese Nationalist and Anti-Communist Guerilla-held Islands off the Mainland of China.
The Chinese Nationalist Government in Formosa has direct control of four islands between 20 degs 40 mins N and 24 degs 30 mins N, namely, Quemoy, Little Kinmen, Matsu and Pratas. It also shares with anti-Communist guerillas the control of four islands between 25 degs {?} mins N and 28 degs 30 mins N, namely, Ockseu Islands, White Dog Islands, Pe Shan and Tai Chau Islands.
Anti-Communist guerillas control an additional 15 islands and or island groups between 23 degs 48 mins N and 29 degs 05 mins N. The local Generals commanding these islands appear to be completely autonomous but they do visit Formosa from time to time; a fact which indicates that they have some connection with the Chinese Nationalist High Command.
烏坵嶼 Wu-ch'iu Hsü (Ockseu) Light 下嶼 Hsia Hsü
Henderson even went so far as to circumvent protocol in 1874 and ask the French firm Barbier and Fenestre directly for two lenses needed for the Fisher Island and Ockseu lights.
More were also established on Turnabout (牛山, Niushan), Lamocks (東澎島, Dongpengdao) near Shantou in northern Guandong [sic], and Ockseu (烏邱嶼, Wuchiuyu) near Xiamen, as well as on the dangerous Shandong Promontory and on West Volcano Island (魚腥腦, Yuxingnao) near Hangzhou Bay to aid ships traveling on the busy Shanghai-Ningbo route.
抗戰勝利七十週年的夏天,再次來到曾被日軍佔領的烏坵(Ockseu),再次來到曾遭美軍轟炸的燈塔,再一次來到了被遺忘的島嶼,見到了三十年前的同學,完成了傳說中不可能的任務,心中有著說不出的感動!
Wuqiu 烏坵 Island (aka. Ockseu, Wuchiu, Wuchiou) is on Taiwan’s most remote border. Wuqiu is small, only 1.2 square kilometers, and it is the smallest island in Taiwan.
Wuchiou Township consists of two villages, namely, Dachiou and Xiaochiou,{...}Most of the residents had immigrated from Putien and speak Xinghua dialect and Chinese.{...}At present, only 553 people are registered at this island, with only 40 persons living there. Most of them are middle-aged and silver-haired. People prefer to come back during winter or summer vacations, as well as laver season, for a temporary visit{...}Transportation 1. Personnel and materials: The people of the township and civilians who desire to visit the county government for business would ride the Kinmen Ferrier, which is owned by the military and departs every 15 days. The delivery of drinking water or household substances is transported to Dachiou by Dahua Ferrier every 15 days, which is further delivered to Xiaochiou by a skiff. Transportation between Dachiou and Xiaochiou: With a distance of 900m, people at Dachiou and Xiaochiou relied on shanpan in the past. Otherwise, they had to depend on the military skiff. The county government had won a subsidy in 2008 and built “Wuchiou No. 1” boat for Wuchiou Township in an attempt to solve the transportation issue and improve the safety of the residents.
In addition, Kinmen County Government helps administer all level agencies in two villages of Wuquiu Township in Futian County of Fujian Province to exercise regular government affairs.
烏坵(金門){...}(金門縣代管)烏坵)
地政事務所名稱(代碼) 金門(WA) 鄉鎮市區名稱(代碼) 烏坵鄉(06)段 小段 代碼 備註 大坵 0261 增編 小坵 0262 增編
烏坵離島與代管的金門相距72浬,當地海域常有大陸船隻經過。{...}大陸籍「海發88」貨船今(29)日在烏坵海域遭遇強風翻覆,不到1小時就漂離烏坵禁限制水域。
烏坵離島與代管的金門相距72浬,當地海域常有大陸船隻經過。{...}大陸籍「海發88」貨船在本月9日於烏坵海域發生「撞船」事故,當天船上4名船員即由肇事漁船救走,船隻則直至昨(29)日下午斷纜漂離烏坵禁限制水域。
To the east is Taichung (with a distance of 73 nautical miles)
一、島嶼位置 烏坵嶼東離台灣新竹約 81 浬 (約 150 公里)、西距中國大陸湄 洲島約 20 浬(約 37 公里)、離大 陸(鷺鷥島)最近距離約 9 浬(約 17 公里)、南下金門約 70 浬(約 130 公里)、北至馬祖約 72 浬(約 133 公里)、位處金門與馬祖中心 點,與中國大陸南日島相隔 10.6 浬 (約 20 公里)。
東距台灣省台中七十三海浬、東北距基隆一八○海浬、東南距澎湖九十三海浬、左營一四五海浬、高雄一八二海浬、西距湄洲島十八海浬、西北距鷺鷥島九海浬、西南距金門七十二海浬、北距南日島十二海浬、馬祖八十六海浬、位處金門縣與連江縣中心點。
福建往琉球,太武放羊,用甲寅針七更船取烏坵{...}根據田野調查顯示,實際常住於島上之居民僅30-40人,當中以老年人口居多,冬季並有自台灣返鄉、專門為了採收紫菜的回流人口。表一:烏坵人口歷年統計表
The historic lighthouse in Wuqiu Township returned to service July 23 in outlying Kinmen County after standing idle for more than 60 years, according to the Maritime Port Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.{...}Constructed in 1874 during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), the 17.3-meter-tall lighthouse was designed by British engineer David Marr Henderson.
From Lam-yit, we crossed in three hours to 烏嶼 Wu-hsü, (Ockseu) where we spent six hours with the keepers of the lighthouse. This island is probably not excelled by any on the whole coast of China in interest for the geologist and mineralogist. Iron ore, copperas, mica, quartz, and probably cinnabar abound. Evidences of powerful volcanic action are manifest. It is well worth a visit from gentlemen who make mineralogy a special study. There are very few Chinese on the island now; but in the deep-fishing season, there are large numbers of them. They will begin to collect within a month from this time.{...}FOOCHOW, November 12th 1874.
The center swept over Turnabout and Ockseu, or a few miles to the SE;
烏坵鄉原隸屬於福建省莆田縣,居民主要從閩中莆田地區遷居而來,母語為興化語。由於大陸淪陷,於民國四十三年奉國防部命令設鄉,劃歸金門縣政府指揮監督,
自1954(民國43)年政府指示劃歸金門代管迄今已逾一甲子,{...}原隸屬於福建省莆田縣,現階段由我方海軍陸戰隊烏坵守備大隊駐守,
IV. Commie action against Wuchiu--isolated and unimportant island between Quemoys and Matsus--was greatly exaggerated by press.{redacted}C. Was third such shelling Wuchiu this year.
Just last week the Reds made a foray against the tiny islet of Wuchiu, 63 miles northeast of Quemoy. The Nationalist defense ministry said the raiders were repulsed by troops and planes from Formosa.
NOVEMBER{...}26 Chinese Nationalist defense ministry announced the repulsion of a small-scale communist raid on Wuchiu Island in Formosa strait.
B. ChiNats fear early invasion Wuchius, midway between Matsus and Quemoy. Wuchiu shelled by ChiCom ships 25 Feb.
And a related report said a 40-ton tugboat was heavily damaged by nationalist planes yesterday at Wuchiu, midway between Quemoy and Matsu islands.
蔣經國當時為國防部長,我和部長合影在一九六五年夏天。國防部長蔣經國先生到烏坵視察,視察的時候還有兩個上將陪同{...}烏坵鄉長李毅強致贈紫菜給前總統陳水扁,陳前總統是任內第一位到烏坵的元首。
In November 1965, while patrolling the Taiwan Strait, USS O'Brien arrived near Wuchiu Island just after an attack on two Nationalist patrol boats by PLAN torpedo boats and gunboats. One Nationalist vessel, PCE 61, had been sunk. O'Brien rescued survivors and transported them back to land. The PRC's 14 November "serious warning" about the incident was number 395.
The November 1994 suicide of General Li Kai, Commander of the Wuqiu offshore island troops facing the mainland, called into question the reliability and the resolve of Taiwan's armed forces.55{...}55 "Taiwan suicide shows effect of 'independence' movement," Beijing Xinhua, 24 November 1994, in FBIS, 30 November 1994, p.62; "Junfang lianlian chushi Sun Zhen daoqian" ("Defence Minister Sun Zhen aplogizes for recurrent accidents"), Shijie ribao, 16 November 1994, p. A 10.
The most likely target would be Wuchiu, above five miles off the eastern coast of China, the report said. The island has a garrison of 500 soldiers. To prepare for an attack, outlying islands have been placed on high alert, it said.
中華民國90年12月26日 陳總統水扁先生今天上午在國防部長伍世文及參謀總長湯曜明等人的陪同下,前往烏坵地區,除聽取任務簡報外,也視察軍事據點、建設和官兵休閒設施。總統並於致詞中提出「精實戰備整備、確保國家安全」、「凝聚軍民情感,照顧戰地居民」、「發揮愛心耐心,防制危安事件」與全體官兵共勉勵。
Wuqiu is the northernmost township of Kinmen, outside of Greater Kinmen and Lesser Kinmen. Kinmen Magistrate Chen Fu-Hai yesterday (Oct. 24th) went to the island to visit the Township Office, the Elected Representatives Office, the Garrison Brigade, and other units, chatting with island residents and listening to local needs and suggestions.{...}The county government’s Civil Affairs Department said that Wuqiu, about 70 nautical miles from the Kinmen islands, is the smallest township in Kinmen County. The total area of Daqiu and Xiaoqiu is 1.2 km2, in which only dozens of people live.
大坵村 小坵村
大坵村 小坵村
Daqiu Vil. Xiaoqiu Vil.
軍將在烏坵部署這套以雙管20機砲為主的遙控火砲
Townships of Kinmen County | ||
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County seat: Jincheng | ||
Urban townships |
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Rural townships |
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