[Island-Hopping Travel]Witness the blue tears of Matsu and explore both North and South Penghu in one trip!

Tripbaa Funbaa!, Asia’s Free Independent Travel Experts

The blue tears of Matsu are stunning, but did you know? Besides luck, blue tears are actually hard to see in areas with light pollution. Since we’ve come all this way to Matsu, we simply have to witness this dreamlike, spectacular sight!

Let us present you with an easy guide on transportation and attractions in Matsu, taking you away from street lighting sources to search for those moments at night when the mysterious blue glow suddenly emerges, just like a movie special effect!

Go to the right place at the right time. Every year from spring to summer—from April to September—you can catch the seasonal Matsu Blue Tears. There are several ways to get to Matsu.

1. Take a domestic flight from Taipei Songshan or Taichung in Taiwan (50–65 minutes).
2. Take a ferry from Keelung Port in Taiwan (80–100 minutes).
3. Take a ferry from Fuzhou Mawei or Huangqi Port in Lianjiang, China (300–600 minutes).

At Keelung Port terminal, press the “Reserved Number Plate” button below, wait about 20 minutes, then proceed to the counter to exchange your passport for a ferry ticket from Keelung to Matsu South Penghu.

Since Lingzi is a fan of “It Started With a Kiss,” seeing this dock instantly reminded her of the scene where Naoki went to Matsu for military service. That evening, there were indeed many soldiers reporting in!

Never thought that traveling from Taiwan to Matsu South Penghu would take 10 hours by boat. Fortunately, I booked a bunk bed ticket. If bunks are sold out, you’ll have to endure the long ride in regular seating—ugh!

This time, I chose to stay in Matsu Jingsha, Matsu South Penghu, because you can see the blue tears of Matsu here!

Just walk a few steps to the beach outside the homestay to see the blue tears, but unfortunately, the weather wasn’t great, so no luck yet.

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This “Ima’s Shop” isn’t easy to find. It’s recommended to set the address as “Fuxing Village, Niufengjing Wuling Temple.” It’s only about a 3-minute walk away—up you go. As for the meal, although the overall price is a bit high, the set meal is fresh, lovely, and offers many types of Matsu cuisine—definitely worth recommending!

"Phone: 0836-26125, 0912-261414
"Address: No. 72-1, Fuxing Village (Niujiao), Matsu South Penghu

Matsu South Penghu’s aged Matsu liquor, stored in the Bayi Tunnel for over 20 years, has a mellow, smooth taste and exceptional mouthfeel.

Not far diagonally ahead of the distillery is the Bayi Tunnel, mainly constructed from granite and said to be a cave where locals once hid from pirates.

The entire Bayi Tunnel is filled with the aroma of alcohol, so you can’t stay too long here—it’s so strong, you might get drunk just from the smell!

Matsu has excavated numerous “underground docks” for strategic purposes, dedicated to anchoring guerrilla boats, and the Beihai Tunnel is now open to visitors. Here, you can take a canoe tour, and at night, even enjoy a boat ride to view the blue tears of Matsu.

Taiwan’s Matsu consists of several islands, among which the most captivating is Qiping Village in North Penghu, known as the “Mediterranean of Asia.” From Matsu South Penghu to North Penghu, there are about 10 daily ferries, one per hour, with a journey of just 20 minutes. Buy your ticket at the terminal and board directly.

The homestay owner picked up Lingzi at the disembarkation point and brought her to the beautiful Qiping Village, known as the Mediterranean of Asia. This is the most representative settlement of Minnan-style architecture in Matsu, exceptionally well-preserved. Originally suffering from depopulation and empty houses, under government renovation, it has been transformed into homestays and cultural art spaces, giving Qiping Village a diverse charm.

I absolutely love staying in these revitalized heritage accommodations—this is Lingzi’s room, up you go. Small but complete, it’s a multi-functional room that can accommodate up to 4 people—a cozy and adorable space!

The view of Qiping Village and the nearby beach is absolutely breathtaking!

For breakfast, I had a traditional Matsu burger and also tried their caramel pancake. The caramel is sweet and delicious—unforgettable, definitely recommended!

This trip to North and South Penghu in Matsu was mainly to try our luck seeing the blue tears, so we didn’t specifically look for other Matsu attractions. We headed to Observation Point 08 first to prepare for the evening blue tears viewing.

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So we wandered around the streets of Matsu North Penghu. There are many different snack shops, and this one, “Holiday Bistro,” is popular with many soldiers—the prices and food are really great too.

When night fell, we immediately set out to find the Matsu Blue Tears. Along the way to Tanghou Beach, we passed a tour guide leading a group who kept saying that the Blue Tears could be seen over there. Sure enough, we had come to the right place, and my heart was filled with excitement because Lingzi loves watching naturally glowing phenomena the most!

[Authorized Repost by Tripbaa] Original article from [Matsu Blue Tears & Nearby Attractions Cheat Sheet – Experience North & South Matsu in One Go!] Provided by guest blogger [Lingzili Shuyou].

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