So in love with Little Liuqiu that he relocated his household registration — Xu Zhulong: The natural resources here are truly precious

Reported by You t
ru / Special Feature

As a key summer tourist destination in Taiwan, “Little Liuqiu” has attracted a large number of visitors in recent years due to its beautiful island scenery and the classic experience of seeing green sea turtles while snorkeling. This boom has also led to a surge in homestay businesses. Xu Zhulong, Director of the Dapeng Bay Scenic Area Administration, has lived on Liuqiu Island since 1990 (the 89th year of the Republic of China) and even relocated his household registration to Little Liuqiu. Xu Zhulong said, “Aside


▲Hsu Chu-lung, Director of Dapeng Bay Management Office. (Photo / Reporter Yu Ruru)

Hsu Chu-lung is a native of Pingtung. He started working at the Dapeng Bay Management Office in 2000. “Back then, there were only seven homestays on Xiaoliuqiu.” By 2016, the number of legally registered homestays on Xiaoliuqiu had exceeded 70, while annual tourist numbers soared from 120,000 to 800,000 — an enormous increase.

Hsu pointed out that one of the key current focuses is managing the “recreational carrying capacity” of Xiaoliuqiu. There are a total of eight private ferries operating between Donggang in Pingtung and Xiaoliuqiu. The earliest departs at 7 AM, and the latest at 5:30 PM, with no night sailing. Hsu noted that using private ferry operations as a control mechanism has been effective, with no additional daily sailings on regular days to prevent excessive tourist numbers.

To avoid the growth in tourist numbers leading to overconsumption of natural resources, Hsu said the Dapeng Bay Management Office has consistently educated local residents and tourists. This includes regulating licensed snorkeling operators to prevent excessively low pricing and implementing visitor volume controls. Tourists engaging in snorkeling are also advised not to touch or feed green sea turtles or marine life. “We can only remind them that touching wildlife violates the Wildlife Conservation Act, but we can only advise, not penalize — it’s quite powerless.”

The rise in tourist numbers impacts the natural ecology. Last year (2015), Xiaoliuqiu designated a “Natural, Cultural, and Ecological Landscape Area,” which includes areas such as Hamaban Bay, Yutingwei, Dubaping, and Shanfu, where catching lobsters and sea urchins is prohibited. The intertidal zones at Yutingwei and Shanfu have reached tourist saturation, prompting the implementation of visitor caps, allowing a maximum of 300 people to enter at one time to prevent damage to intertidal organisms. “The operators on Xiaoliuqiu hold certain principles. For example, they’ve maintained an intertidal rest period for over two years now — they don’t take tourists to the intertidal zone in December, even if it means losing income.”

In addition, there are many electric scooter rental locations on Xiaoliuqiu, which is also a key promotion area for the Dapeng Bay Management Office. Hsu noted that the goal is to develop Xiaoliuqiu into a “green, low-carbon island,” implementing part of this vision on the outlying island. Most tourists use scooters. In 2013 and 2014, operators promoting electric scooters on Xiaoliuqiu could receive a policy subsidy of NT$100 per unit. It is expected that after 2017, fuel-powered scooters will no longer be permitted on outlying islands. From 2018 onward, the office encourages the phase-out of gasoline-powered scooters.

Besides ecology and developing low-carbon tourism, he personally enjoys Xiaoliuqiu’s unique temple culture. In terms of tourism offerings, there’s potential to develop night stargazing and geological landscapes. In the future, he plans to collaborate with local ecological associations, integrate eco-tourism alliances, and tourism development associations to promote more diverse types of tourism and cultivate “storytellers.”

Hsu suggests that visitors to Xiaoliuqiu only need two days and one night, regardless of the season. He recommends taking a ferry after 2 PM. After disembarking, tourists can go snorkeling, watch the sunset, enjoy local cuisine, and stargaze. Hsu said he’s personally experienced many of Xiaoliuqiu’s hidden spots and truly loves this simple and pristine place. But as for where those secret spots are? “I can’t say — I can’t let more people know. There are many places on Liuqiu that need protection.”