Keep stirring the seawater in fear of it disappearing—Matsu’s stunning “Blue Tears” are absolutely dreamlike

▲The “Blue Tears” that appeared in Matsu last year left people in awe. (Photo provided by Gu Zhejia, Matsu National Scenic Area Administration)

By Chen Ziping

I agonized over whether to write about my experience seeing the “Blue Tears” for two whole days. I didn’t manage to capture any beautiful photos—even though I kept snapping shots with my DSLR and recording videos on my phone, I couldn’t film the ostracods (the Blue Tears) glowing blue at my feet. But I still decided to write,becauseI want so badly to share with fellow travelers how amazed I was by the Blue Tears, and the feeling still hasn’t settled, even now—as I’m writing this, I still have goosebumps, because it was truly too magical, too surreal.

On the evening of April 19, we checked into “Banli Mansion,” located in Beigan, Matsu. Sincewe had heard the day before that the “Blue Tears” had appeared in Matsu, the homestay owner Wang Yuansong (Ah Shui), unable to resist my persistent begging, made an exception and took our group to the beach to “try our luck.” The appearance of the Blue Tears depends not only on late spring to early summer timing and stable weather on the day, but also requires southerly winds blowing across the sea surface—only then might you catch a glimpse of this mysterious guest everyone wants to see—the “Blue Tears.”

Ah Shui said he really wasn’t sure if we’d see the Blue Tears, and advised us to prepare ourselves for the possibility of not seeing them, because there was a northerly wind that day, and it had just rained heavily the day before—so the odds seemed pretty low. But we, who were already smitten by the “beautiful photos” of the Blue Tears, wanted to try anyway. Ah Shui drove his dad’s van and took us to a beach 15 minutes away from the homestay. With beaches on both the left and right, which one would be more likely? Ah Shui said, based on his experience, the windward side has a better chance—so we started with the northern beach first. But the waves on the northern beach were about 200 meters away from where we parked. No matter—we dashed forward anyway.


▲The Blue Tears spotted a few days earlier on Dongyin. (Photo taken from the Matsu Love to Go fan page)

I had my camera slung around my neck and a phone in one hand, afraid that if I wasn’t careful, I’d miss the moment. Two big guys ran ahead, while the rest of us girls kept asking behind them: “Is there any? Any?” Then we heard Ah Shui shout: “Yes, yes, there’s tons of it—come quick and see!” Without caring whether my shoes would get soaked or if my pants legs would get rolled up, I charged forward. On the beach being lashed by the waves, every step I took emitted a faint blue glow. I could hardly believe my eyes—it was the Blue Tears, I actually saw the Blue Tears. All eight of us cheered together on that dark beach.

There weren’t many of them, visible to the naked eye, but impossible to capture in photos or videos. I kept pressing my camera, setting the aperture to its widest and adjusting the shutter speed fast and slow—but still couldn’t capture it. I tried recording video with my phone, constantly stepping on the wave-washed sand. I could see it with my eyes but couldn’t capture it—and yet the amazement in my heart was beyond words. The Blue Tears were like fleeting little sprites, flickering next to my feet and hands. Since the ostracods, commonly known as the Blue Tears, emit blue light only when disturbed, I kept stomping and splashing the water, hoping the Blue Tears would never fade away in front of me.

I don’t know how long we played on that beach lit only by distant streetlights. Ah Shui, concerned for our safety, urged us to head back to the homestay. My phone was still being pressed nonstop, not giving up on any chance—but in the end, I still didn’t capture anything. But we who saw the “Blue Tears” with our own eyes were incredibly lucky. And I silently told myself: I must come back to see this world-class wonder of Matsu—the “Blue Tears”—and capture their beautiful forms.


▲The “Tanghou Dao” Beach in Houwo Village, Beigan Township, Matsu, is where we saw the Blue Tears. (Photo by reporter Chen Ziping)