Vase Rock 花瓶石, Liuqiu Island 小琉球
Liuqiu Island is a small 6.8 km² coral island located about 13 km off the southwest coast of Pingtung 屏東 County, Taiwan. Its Chinese name, 小琉球, literally means “small Liuqiu Island,” and is given to differentiate it from the Ryukyu Islands 琉球, which refer to the chain of subtropical islands stretching between southern Japan and Taiwan.
The main gateway to Liuqiu Island is Baishawei Harbour 白沙尾漁港. Here, ferries from Donggang 東港 on Taiwan’s main island arrive, making the harbor the primary arrival point for visitors.
Liuqiu Island is Taiwan’s only coral island and has approximately 12,000 permanent residents. The island is so small that you can ride a scooter around the entire island in 30–40 minutes. In fact, scooters are predominantly the mode of transport used by both locals and tourists. There are numerous scooter rental companies located around the harbour area for tourists.
Vase Rock is the most iconic landmark of Liuqiu Island, located offshore and just around 700m northwest of Baishawei Harbour. It is a coral limestone sea stack shaped like a vase or mushroom. The narrower neck of the rock is due to wave erosion, while the wider top supports vegetation. The shallow waters around Vase Rock are great for spotting marine life such as giant green sea turtles.
Other than the Vase Rock, visitors can walk from Baishawei Harbour about 250m southeast to Zhongao Beach 中澳沙灘.
The other tourist attractions are walks through unusual rock formations such as Black Dwarf Cave 烏鬼洞 and Beauty Cave 美人洞, Beauty Beach 美人沙灘, Shanfu Fishing Harbor 杉福漁港, and others. These attractions are scattered all over the island and are best reached by scooters. Liuqiu Island is also one of Taiwan’s top spots for beginner scuba diving, for its calm and warm waters. Many tourists come here to learn scuba diving, snorkel, canoe, or do other marine sports.
The Walk
Visitors who arrive by ferry at Baishawei Harbour and stay around Baishawei Harbour can take an easy and relaxing morning or evening walk around the harbour area to see the amazing Vase Rock and the calm and quiet Zhongao Beach.
The one-way distance between the Vase Rock and Zhongao Beach is approximately 1 km.
Want to discover more great walking locations around Perth? Check out the “By the Waters” blogs.
Liuqiu Island is Taiwan’s only coral island and has approximately 12,000 permanent residents. The island is so small that you can ride a scooter around the entire island in 30–40 minutes.