Adults’ Tipsy Adventure in Matsu: Travel While Immersed in the Aroma of Liquor on Taiwan’s Northernmost Frontier

▲ Matsu’s liquors have gained increasing recognition in recent years.

Reported and photographed by Yu Jiayun, reporter in Matsu

A place that produces fine wine often boasts excellent terroir and rich historical culture. Therefore, savoring a glass of wine is not just about enjoying its aroma and taste—it can also spark your imagination about its place of origin. Matsu, an offshore island at Taiwan’s northernmost tip, is shrouded in an air of mystery due to its unpredictable transportation links compared to other islands. Yet, its wine aromas manage to waft across the sea—carrying the island’s sea breeze and warmth—even reaching the rest of the world.

▲ Matsu’s aged rice wine stored in jars.

When it comes to Matsu’s liquor, one cannot fail to mention the Bajia Tunnel. Once used by the military to park tanks, this tunnel now serves as a wine storage facility. Walking through the granite tunnel, you’re greeted by waves of rich wine aroma—mellow, sweet, and warmly robust. Just breathing it in feels almost intoxicating. The tunnel stores two types of liquor: aged rice wine kept in jars and aged kaoliang stored in steel drums. Among them, the aged rice wine is Matsu’s most iconic spirit, made by fermenting a mixture of rice, red yeast, and water. It has a sweet-and-sour flavor and is an essential part of Matsu women’s postpartum care diet.

▲ The Bajia Tunnel is constructed from granite.

▲ This passage once led to Nangan Airport.

The liquors stored in the Bajia Tunnel are all produced by the Matsu Liquor Factory, which was established in 1956 (the 45th year of the Republic of China). Initially, it only sold to the military, but began public sales in 2009 (the 98th year of the ROC), albeit in limited quantities. However, it has earned high praise internationally, including gold awards. Its 58-proof Matsu Kaoliang is even the designated liquor for state banquets. Unlike Kinmen Kaoliang’s intense sharpness, Matsu Kaoliang offers a smoother, gentler taste. To break away from traditional liquor sales methods, Matsu Kaoliang collaborated this year with Wumu Ramen to launch Matsu-aged rice wine fine noodles and aged rice wine vermicelli, which became instant hits in Taiwan. These offerings gave people a fresh perspective on this 62-year-old distillery and a new way to savor the essence of aged rice wine.

▲ The Matsu Liquor Factory was built in 1956 (the 45th year of the ROC).

▲ Matsu-aged rice wine fine noodles sold out shortly after their Taiwan launch.

The chairman of the Matsu Liquor Factory said, “Aged rice wine is the root of Matsu, while kaoliang is its leaf.” To trace its roots, one must begin with the process of making aged rice wine. At Lin Yihé Workshop in Siwei Village, Nangan, one of the few places in Matsu where you can experience the making of aged rice wine, you can learn about the ingredients, take part in the hands-on production process step-by-step, and eventually bottle your own batch in a jar to take home. After around 25 days of fermentation, you can enjoy the homemade aged rice wine—bringing a piece of Matsu’s roots back with you to ferment, and remembering the beauty of Matsu through the flavors on your tongue.

▲ The ingredients for aged rice wine are very simple.

▲ The mixture being stirred evenly.