A Slow Travel Experience in Matsu’s Tieban Village: Seaside Sunset, Tower-Burning Festival & Exploring South Kinmen

▲ From Tieban Village, you can enjoy sea views and the beautiful sight of the sunset over the ocean. (Photo / Reporter Yang Xiaorou, same below)

Reported and photographed by Reporter Yang Xiaorou / Matsu South Kinmen

What comes to mind when you think of Matsu? The mysterious military outpost atmosphere, the “Golden Horse Award” that soldiers dread being stationed for, or the now-famous Blue Tears phenomenon? In fact, Matsu has many places rich in cultural charm, offering a unique flavor distinct from that of Taiwan proper, and Tieban Village is one such place.

▲ %Succession? Dangqian Village also retains the ambiance of earlier decades.

▲ The mailboxes in the village, painted with discarded buoys, are quite distinctive.

Tieban Village is the local name for Ren’ai Village. “Tieban” was the area’s former name, derived from the black, iron-hard sedimentary rocks visible along the shoreline during low tide, which resemble flat, solid iron slabs—hence the name Tieban Village. Later, after the entry of the National Army, it was renamed Ren’ai Village, but locals still commonly refer to the area as Tieban.

▲ The scenery and alleys of Tieban Village carry a strong old-world charm.

▲ This money wall was once the exterior of a wealthy family’s home, preserved in Tieban Village due to its unique appearance.

Originally the political and economic center and marketplace of Matsu, Tieban Village fell into obscurity after the relocation of these hubs. But in recent years, through community revitalization efforts, the village’s beautiful landscape, bays, and traditional Min Dong cultural festivals—the Tower-Burning Festival—have been brought back to life.

▲ A tower left from the 2015 Tieban Tower-Burning Festival.

The Tower-Burning Festival is a Mid-Autumn custom in the Min Dong region, originally brought over from Fuzhou. In the past, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, items considered inauspicious yet unfit for burning as firewood—such as discarded coffin boards and latrine planks—were burned as a way to show gratitude, respect, and to ward off the old to welcome the new. Most villages in Matsu once observed this festival, but it disappeared for nearly half a century under martial law. It was only after the lifting of martial law that villagers rediscovered and revived this cultural tradition.

▲ Archival photo of the Tieban Tower-Burning Festival. (Photo / From the official Facebook page of the Matsu International Marathon)

Nowadays, Tieban is the only place in Taiwan where the Tower-Burning Festival tradition continues. According to the Matsu National Scenic Area Administration, visitors are welcome to join the festivities. During the festival, attendees can write down their fears and misfortunes on “Purification Cards,” which are then burned to symbolically dispel bad luck—embracing renewal and celebrating Mid-Autumn in a spirit of cleansing and new beginnings.