1/10

Beauty Cave

When you first hear its name, Beauty Cave, located on the north coast of Xiaoliuqiu might strike you as somewhere men might like to visit. But just like the stories behind many of the other attractions at Xiaoliuqiu, the name of Beauty Cave comes from a tragic legend. It is rumored that during the Ming dynasty, a shipwreck struck a beautiful woman from Suzhou while she was travelling with her father. Using a piece of ship deck to keep her afloat, she drifted to this island, but eventually died of hunger. Rumors have it that this beautiful woman sometimes appears at night at this cave, so local people call it Beauty Cave. Of course, the authenticity of the story depends on who you are speaking to, but the beauty of this highly developed coral landscape is worth a visit in any case.

A footpath of a total length of four kilometers is split into two by a road around the island. On the road you will pass twenty coral caves. When you pass through the caves, be careful not to be stabbed by the sharp coral. Many common sea plants, such as terminalia (欖仁) and Dye Fig (山豬枷) will be consistently by your side as you walk. Occasionally, when you emerge from the forest, you will see the open sea-scape all of a sudden. While you are sitting in the pavilion with the sea breeze on your face, make sure to look out for traces of the elusive sea turtle, or come here to wait until you see a beauty appear. Put on your backpack and wade into adventure at Beauty Cave!

Phone

+886-8-8612501

Address

No.217, Zhongshan Rd., Liuqiu Township, Pingtung County 929, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

Business hours

Jan. - Dec.
Tue. - Mon.24:00 - 23:59

Nearby

Black Dwarf Cave

Xiaoliuqiu is the only coral island in Taiwan and has a similar limestone terrain to Kenting in southern Taiwan. Even though spectacular stalactite caves have not developed here, there are many well-developed limestone caves, of which Black Dwarf Cave in the southwest corner of Xiaoliuqiu is one of the best examples. For the local residents, this cave has always been shrouded in mystery. It is rumored that when Koxinga conquered Taiwan and expelled the Dutch colonizers, a small number of black slaves were abandoned here, living in hiding between the gaps of the rocks. It is said that many stone tables and chairs were found in the Qing dynasty. Unfortunately, now that the main cave entrance has collapsed, visitors cannot enter so easily, and there is only one narrow passage to allow you inside to explore. When you enter, you need to be prepared with a flashlight so that you can clearly see the road in front of you. Visitors of larger stature may not be able to pass inside. Next to the entrance of the cave, there is the spirit tablet of Black Dwarf Cave next to a mottled monument, a tribute table and an incense holder. These all add to the mystery of this place. Let’s see if you have the guts to go inside!

Of course, if you are not interested in ghost stories, there is also a high reef coral landscape worth seeing, especially its massive Banyan trees, whose roots cover the coral reef as though they were kings. Crabs (cardimosa carnifax) scuttle around between the crevices of the rocks. There is no doubt that you will feel the power of life here. An exhibition of small wooden sculptures is near the cave, and visitors can briefly rest there. If you come in the summer, you can order a mango ice bowl which will relieve you from the heat right away. Something else worth mentioning is the old woman who sells coral grass (珊瑚草海燕窩) nearby. What a treat to come here to taste this dessert full of the flavors of the ocean.

Attractions

Dafu Fish Port

Located in the middle of the east coast of Xiaoliuqiu, Dafu Fish Port is the island’s second largest fishing port after Baishawei Wharf (白沙尾港). The ships docked here are mainly boats for deep ocean fishing and public transport ferries. Dafu Fish Port also acts as a supplementary port for Baishawei Wharf, but unlike Baishawei, it is not very crowded here. You really get the sense of being in a fishing village here, and normally there are even more fishing boats than visitors. The smells of the sea and diesel accompany you as you explore. Though this is not a port for tourists, and visitors cannot directly buy a fresh catch of seafood, those who are tempted can have a meal at the seafood restaurant nearby.

Attractions

Beauty Cave

Attractions

Xiaoliuqiu Bamboo Trail

Bamboo Trail is located below the Biyun Temple (碧雲寺) in Central Xiaoliuqiu. From Biyun Temple, you can walk downhill, passing through a forest of bamboo to reach an ecological pond. The water in this pond is sourced from the Dragon Eye’s Well which provides a constant supply of water. Coral stone is locally produced and boardwalks and slate trails are used to make the paths that wind through the bamboo forest. This space encircled by bamboo forests has the atmosphere of a Chinese garden. While the breeze rustles the bamboo trees against each other by the lonely pavilion in the middle of the pond, as though a battle of martial arts were taking place, you might even find that thoughts of times past unconsciously arise in your mind. If you come at night, the lights along the trail make this space a romantic world. But you have to be careful of the many mosquitoes and bugs in summer time - if you want to come here for a date, you need to do some mosquito repellent preparation first!

Attractions

Chungau Beach

Chungau Beach is located on the northeast coast of Xiaoliuqiu, only a three-minute walk from Baishawei Wharf (白沙尾港). It is one of the most important sandy beaches on Xiaoliuqiu, the texture of the sand being similar to shell sand in Kenting, made up of the remains of coral reefs, forams, shells and other debris. Chungau Beach is suitable for snorkeling, canoeing and other maritime activities and the Intertidal Zone is great for observing nature. When visibility is good, you can see Pingtung’s Dapeng Bay (大鵬灣) and North Dawu Mountain (北大武山) behind it. This is a great place for enjoying the sunrise.

Attractions

Xiaoliuqiu Biyun Temple

There are three kinds of “many” on the only coral island in Taiwan: many fishermen, many school principals and many temples. Because the coral environment is very barren, 90% of the residents on Xiaoliuqiu depend on fishing. Hence why there are so many fishermen! A life of fishing is very difficult, so many residents hope that future generations will have the opportunity to go to school and improve their education instead of working on boats. More and more, children without good academic performance end up working on boats, while those with better grades at school become teachers. Hence why there are so many school principals that come from Xiaoliuqiu! And because so many unexpected events can occur when boats are involved, residents have come to rely on religion for their peace of mind. Therefore, the many temples of Xiaoliuqiu have become the unique characteristic of the island. Guanyin Buddha (觀音佛祖) is most worshipped on the island. Those needing weddings, funerals, or a profitable harvest of fish are all drawn to Biyun Temple to draw lots and ask for signs. You can tell from the appearance of this beautiful solemn temple, with its fruit-laden tables of tributes, that it is a very important place.

It is rumored that the origin of Biyun Temple is related to an immigrant from Fujian called Tian who came to Kaohsiung during the Yongzheng era of the Qing dynasty. He built a range for racing goats at the site of the current temple. One night he dreamt that Guanyin Buddha from Mount Putao asked him to build the temple, and after waking the next morning, excitedly told the islanders of his dream. They all pooled their land to build a temple together, constructing one out of grass in 1736 and calling it Guanyin Ting (觀音亭). After people heard that Guanyin was very responsive to their needs, scores of fishermen believers began to worship there. After the reconstruction of the temple in the Guangxu era of the Qing dynasty, even more worshippers were drawn here. In 1954, community fundraising enabled the reconstruction of the current Biyun Temple.

Attractions