In 1994, Matsu officially opened its doors to tourism, making it the last county in Taiwan to do so. Early visitors were drawn by the archipelago’s military relics and sense of mystery. In recent years, the spotlight has shifted to its natural beauty, particularly the famed “Blue Tears” phenomenon promoted by the government, giving rise to a new wave of eco-tourism.

story and photos by Christine Huang

A flight from Taipei’s Songshan Airport to either Nangan or Beigan airports takes about an hour – no longer than a high-speed rail ride to Taichung. Yet while Taichung is a well-trodden weekend escape, the Matsu Islands remain largely unexplored.

Officially Lienchiang County, Matsu is an archipelago of 36 islands and islets scattered off Taiwan’s northwestern coast in the East China Sea. Often shrouded in fog, these distant outposts guard their mysteries well, revealing them only to travelers willing to look beneath the surface.

Before the military arrived, Matsu was a quiet fishing village – remote, self-reliant, and shaped by the sea. Just a 30-minute boat ride from China’s Fuzhou, it first served as a resting point for Mindong fishermen before a small settlement took hold. Residents spoke the Fuzhou dialect and built sturdy stone houses using materials ferried across the Strait. Life was harsh: the land was rocky, and trees were scarce. But people led a simple life, harvesting seafood and foraging for shellfish.

After the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War, Matsu was transformed into a military frontline. In 1956, Taiwan’s government imposed a special martial law regime known as the Military Affairs Commission Regulations, effectively folding civilian life into the military apparatus. Under this regime, residents needed permits and guarantors to leave the island. Transportation was limited, supplies were hard to come by, and daily life was upended virtually overnight.

Curfews and communication bans were enforced to prevent enemy infiltration. The only way to contact the outside world was through telegrams or letters. Even money was controlled, with a special local currency in circulation. Anyone who broke the rules could be tried under military law. The once-simple rhythms of fishing life gave way to an atmosphere of tension and control.

But the military presence also brought new systems and infrastructure, with clinics, schools, and basic services that improved quality of life. To address shortages of daily merchandise, the government encouraged the development of local industry, which led to the rise of traditional brewing practices of Kaoliang liquor (高粱酒, gāoliang jiǔ) or the “old wine” (老酒, lǎojiǔ). Many locals started businesses to supply the stationed troops.

As cross-Strait tensions eased and Taiwan began its economic rise, fueled in part by U.S. aid, many Matsu residents sought a better life on Taiwan’s main island – some through marriage to soldiers, others by simply taking off and never returning. This wave of migration reduced the island’s population to a third of its peak levels.

From outpost to destination

The end of martial law in 1992 marked the beginning of Matsu’s rebirth, with the marks left by its military history becoming assets for tourism.

Once barren land, the island’s topography was dramatically altered as the army planted dense vegetation to camouflage bunkers and tunnel systems. Today, more than a hundred tunnels still cut through the island – a network believed to be the densest in the world. Some remain open to visitors, offering glimpses of their former function: rusted equipment, dug-out sleeping niches, and the lingering imprint of a life lived underground.

Anti-communist slogans still dot the stone walls across these islands, stirring bitter memories for older residents. Yet for tourists, these remnants offer a visceral glimpse into the frontlines of history. Faded propaganda, abandoned loudspeakers, and weatherworn directional signs conjure a world that lingers just beneath the surface.

In 2012, a photograph of the bioluminescent sea, coined Matsu’s “Blue Tears,” set social media ablaze, casting a spotlight on a natural phenomenon long familiar to locals. For those who grew up on the islands, the glowing waters were simply part of the scenery. But with government support, they became a signature attraction, spurring seasonal tourism and inspiring some to reconsider making their way back.

Returning home

During Taiwan’s economic boom, communities such as Matsu New Village took shape in places like Taoyuan, built by former Matsu residents who had resettled after the military era. More recently, as Matsu blossoms into a sought-after travel destination, a younger generation has begun to return – drawn by a desire to reconnect with their roots and build a new rhythm of life on familiar ground.

To outsiders, this migration may seem like a romantic homecoming. But to older generations, it can be puzzling. Job opportunities are limited, living costs are high, and Blue Tears tourism only peaks for a few months each year.

“For many elders, life under martial law is a painful memory,” says Wang Yuan-song, who runs his family’s hotel and travel business in Beigan Township. Still, he holds hope for Matsu’s future and continues to explore possibilities through the island’s persistent fog.

In addition to managing the family business and planning tourism activities, Wang is developing new products to help visitors forge deeper memories of Matsu. “There aren’t many iconic souvenirs from Matsu,” he says. “I wanted to create something that would make people want to come here just to take it home.”

Inspired by a signature dish at his restaurant – the Gout Hotpot, brimming with fresh local seafood – Wang partnered with a Spanish winery to create a white wine that evokes the luminous beauty of the Blue Tears. The bottle’s label depicts Beigan’s granite coastline, the traditional Mindong village of Qinbi, and the ethereal glow of the sea. It’s available only at select shops on the islands.

“I hope this liquor won’t just be something you can casually pick up at a souvenir shop,” he says. “I want it to be introduced by the shopkeeper so that what people take home isn’t just a bottle but a piece of Matsu’s memory.”

In Nangan Township, coffee stall owner Chiu Ssu-chi finds inspiration from traditional products. “Coffee was first brought to Matsu during the Cold War era,” he says. “We combined it with old wine and Kaoliang liquor to create local specialties like Kaoliang coffee and Old Wine coffee.”

From his compact stand in Jieshou Lion Market, Chiu serves a steady stream of loyal patrons. “My customers usually arrive before I do,” he says with a laugh.

Meanwhile, Fu Cheng-wei, who married into a Matsu family, draws on the island’s wartime culture in his creations – chocolates shaped like bullets or wrapped with old military slogans. What started as a gift for friends has become a fledgling brand. By turning somber history into something warm and playful, Fu gives travelers a taste of Matsu that weaves memory into the fabric of daily life.

Living the story of Matsu

If products distill culture into something you can take home, art invites you to step into the island’s texture – and enter into a deeper conversation with Matsu. One striking example is the Matsu Biennial.

With Blue Tears visible only a few months a year and the islands frequently cloaked in fog, the Lienchiang County Government began rethinking its tourism strategy. Rather than focusing on large-scale infrastructure like other regions, Matsu chose a subtler path – turning to art to unearth hidden stories, reinterpret local traditions, and invite outside artists to offer fresh perspectives.

Launched in 2022, the decade-long Matsu Biennial is gradually channeling creativity into the daily ebbs and flows of island life, with a festival staged every two years. The event has breathed new purpose into abandoned tunnels, restored old homes, and revived the island’s collective memory through art. Visiting artists have brought fresh energy to sparsely populated villages, helping to reanimate forgotten spaces. More than a cultural event, the Biennial is a long-term experiment in identity and renewal.

“Once you make sense of your culture, you build cultural confidence,” says Wu Hsiao-yun, director of Lienchiang County’s Cultural Affairs Department. “And only then can you truly tell your own Matsu story to the world.”

This cultural revival isn’t driven by government alone. Grassroots youth organizations have also taken root, including Salty Island Studio in Dongyin Township and the Matsu Youth Development Association in Nangan.

“The way Dongyin looks now wasn’t always like this,” says Cai Hsin-ju, who moved to the island from Kaohsiung nine years ago after marrying a local. “In an effort to imitate the colorful styles seen abroad, many of the buildings were painted in bright, mismatched colors that erased Dongyin’s original character.”

It wasn’t until Cai Pei-yuan, co-founder of Salty Island Studio, returned home and began documenting the island’s native color palette that Dongyin started to reclaim its visual identity. The project, “Dongyin Color Swatches,” drew inspiration from everyday scenes and architectural details, reconnecting residents with their sense of place.

For the project, Cai visited homes, collected stories, and even incorporated design aesthetics into local school programs. Eventually, the government joined the effort, expanding the initiative across the Matsu archipelago.

In Nangan, the Matsu Youth Development Association has turned an abandoned elementary school into a hub for returning youth. It now hosts workshops, language classes, and immersive tours to promote the Matsu dialect and deepen cultural understanding. Once silent, these spaces now hum with renewed life.

Sharing Matsu with the world

As Matsu gradually refines its cultural vocabulary, its tourism identity is entering a new phase of expression. In 2023, “The Island Scene” – an exhibition under the Matsu Biennial – received international recognition, winning both the iF Design Award in Germany and the A’ Design Award in Italy.

By 2025, works such as the exhibit “Your Country Needs You: Glory of Jun Hun” and the Matsu Folklore Museum were honored with MUSE Design Awards in the United States. These achievements not only reflect Matsu’s growing cultural presence on the global stage but also signal that the islands are beginning to speak their distinct language to the world.

The upcoming third edition of the Matsu Biennial will for the first time invite international artists to create works on the islands. As Lienchiang County Magistrate Wang Chung-ming emphasizes, Matsu needs sustained investment in soft power in addition to physical infrastructure. Through the Biennial, the government aims to raise Matsu’s international profile and open the door to more diverse forms of tourism. While most overseas visitors currently come from Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Macau, efforts are underway to broaden outreach to Northeast Asian markets.

Still, the islands face no shortage of challenges. Chen Ju-lan, director of the Traffic and Tourism Bureau, says Matsu remains best suited to visitors who are willing to stay longer and engage more deeply with local culture. Hong Zhi-guang, director of the Matsu National Scenic Area Administration, adds that while some multilingual resources are already available, there is a growing need for richer, more compelling ways to share Matsu’s stories and landscapes with a global audience.

Tourism came to Matsu much later than to Taiwan’s main island, and the archipelago is still in the process of defining its identity and rhythm. Artistic interventions, immersive cultural experiences, and innovative efforts led by local youth are aiding Matsu’s steady evolution into a fully realized cornerstone of Taiwanese culture and history.

As retired principal Lin Chin-Yen writes in Traces of Time in Matsu, “Matsu’s history is like a beautiful song. Each of us is a note – sometimes surging like waves, sometimes flowing like a gentle stream.”

Today, that song still echoes across the islands, carried forward by a new generation. Their memories are shaping visions of the future, allowing this island chain to find its voice on the global stage.

TOURIST INFORMATION
Matsu National Scenic Area Information (multilingual)
Matsu e-travel (multilingual)
Matsu Biennial (bilingual) – September 5 to November 6, 2025