Breathtaking Taiping Island！ With azure seas and the same sunset as Vietnam

Text and photos by Hou Jian’an, leader of the 5th Patrol Squadron, Coast Guard Administration, excerpted from Forgotten Frontier: Taiping Island, published by Dashe Culture

A three-day voyage, thirty-degree sways, and purplish-pink sunset hues accompanying me

I believe most people are like me—knowing only a little about Taiping Island, perhaps comparing it to Xiaoliuqiu or Green Island, assuming it’s one of those offshore islands just a few hours away by boat. Indeed, if I hadn’t been assigned to duty on Taiping Island, the name “Taiping Island” might have remained only in my textbooks throughout my life.

On the afternoon of March 4, 2013, I carried my heavy luggage onto the Wei Xing ship at the shallow-water wharf of Kaohsiung Harbor. As the engines roared and the ropes were untied, I officially bid farewell to Kaohsiung Harbor, embarking on a three-day voyage with no communication. During the crossing of the Bashi Channel, the ship swayed about 30 degrees from side to side, making it quite uncomfortable. By the time I checked my phone again, I was already on the island.

▲ After three days at sea, Taiping Island finally came into view.

On the first day on the island, I was lucky enough to have sunny weather accompanied by a gentle northerly breeze, making me fall in love with this stunning tropical paradise from the very first minute. The beach, the blue sky, the crystal-clear sea—seeing such a naturally blessed beauty instantly erased any pre-island anxiety, and I was completely captivated by the picturesque scenery.

▲ The island’s resort-like scenery is something you might not even get even if you spend a fortune to fly abroad.

The best of Taiping Island’s Eight Scenic Spots—the Japanese-era Old Pier

Taiping Island also has its so-called Eight Great Sights, and the most beautiful of them all is none other than the old pier.

▲ The Japanese-era pier on the southeastern side of Taiping Island is widely recognized as the best of the island’s Eight Scenic Spots.

The concrete base of the pier located at the southeastern corner of Taiping Island was built during the Japanese colonial period, later damaged and then reconstructed by the military. With the blue sea and sky as its backdrop, it looks great from every angle. It’s also a popular spot for sunrise photography.

To not miss the view, for a while I woke up at 5 a.m. every day, packed my photography gear, and hurried on my bike to the pier outside Guanyin Hall to shoot the sunrise. I lived a sleep-deprived life during that time, all just to witness what everyone called the best of Taiping Island’s Eight Scenic Spots. Though exhausting, it was totally worth it.

▲ The sunrise and starbursts over the ruins of the pier are the views I earned through daily 5 a.m. wake-ups and sleepless effort.

The old pier takes on a different charm during the day. Once, during low tide, I walked along the reef platform in the intertidal zone, looking eastward from the west. The Ω-shaped giant rocks paired with the white clouds in the sky made it feel as if I were standing in England’s Stonehenge.

▲ The pier base on the southeastern reef platform, paired with the white clouds in the sky, resembles England’s Stonehenge.

On Taiping Island in Kaohsiung City, watching the same sunrise as Vietnam

The South China Sea is dotted with numerous reefs and shoals, belonging to different countries, making it an internationally disputed maritime region. Thanks to this complex background, I ended up with many unforgettable experiences.

For example, Dunqian Shoal near Taiping Island, which is also part of the Zheng He Reefs, lies about 7 nautical miles east of Taiping Island. It was occupied by Vietnam during a typhoon and is now effectively under Vietnamese control.

On March 19, 2013, I climbed to the highest point on the island—a seven-story tower. Looking from the direction of Taiping Island, I watched the sun rise right above Dunqian Shoal. In that moment, Dunqian was bathed in a golden, dazzling light.

Coming back to my senses from the breathtaking view, I realized that although I was on Taiwanese territory, I was watching the same sunrise as Vietnam. That strange feeling is hard to put into words. I instinctively pressed the shutter, letting the photo speak for my emotions. I wonder if, come evening, someone on Dunqian Shoal also gazes at the sunset descending from Taiping Island?

▲ I never thought I could see the sunrise of Vietnam from Taiwanese soil. I wonder if, when the sun sets, someone on Dunqian Shoal is also watching the same sunset as me?