Yanxiu Tidal Echo

Yanxiu means “swallow’s nest” in Matsu’s local dialect, and “tidal echo” refers to the sound of the waves. Yanxiu Tidal Echo is a natural gap in the coastal rock on the south of Dongyin Island (東引). Behind the gap, a closed gully surrounded by high cliffs is connected to the sea via a wave-cut hole. This means that the sound of waves crashes around the gully whenever the tide rises, a little like what happens at A Thread of Sky (一線天) on Dongyin’s east coast. Because Matsu is so windy, swallows cannot build nests under house roofs that act as wind-tunnels, instead choosing to build their nests in Yanxiu Tidal Echo’s gully. When the island was still militarized, you could regularly hear the sound of shooting exercises but, today, you can no longer see flights of swallows fleeing the sound of the gunshots.

If you reach the highest point here, you will find it to be a perfect lookout. The wonderful coastal terrain that includes headlands, bays and the seemingly delicate Rat Sandstone Forest (老鼠沙石林) is a wonderful sight to greet your eyes. But be careful, some nearby places are militarized, so be careful not to photograph anything you suspect to be military facilities. Take photos of the beautiful sunset. Trust us, that’s enough.