Traveling and Fishing
in Penghu
Michella Jade Weng, host:
Hi everyone. Welcome to
Time for Taiwan. My name
is Michella Jade Weng.
Penghu, a group of over
60 islands off the coast
of Chiayi, is one of the
hottest summer destination
for holiday-goers in Taiwan.
During the day, some like
to enjoy ocean views and
visit historical sites
and temples, which are
important to local fishermen.
And after the sun sets,
one activity is to go
night fishing for squid.
Once
called "Pescadores,"
the Portuguese word
meaning fishermen,
Penghu is still mainly
a fishing community.
Columnar basalt cliffs
dot the landscape,
and pieces of the
rock make up parts
of the walls of these
hundred year old homes
in Erkan Village.
And at 400 years old,
Tianhou Temple, whose
resident goddess watches
over fisherman, is
the spiritual center
for local residents.
But the streets that
developed around the
temple are now mainly
for tourists.
Because
of its softness, basalt
is easily carved.
And since stone carving
is relatively inexpensive
here, basalt figurines
and chops are one
of the most popular
souvenirs.
Michella
Jade Weng, host:
Attracted by the light,
these ten legged creatures
gather around the
boat's underwater
lamps. Catching them
is real easy.
Even
little kids can do
it. But I have neither
technique nor luck,
and after three hours,
it really looks like
I'm going to bed hungry
tonight. Thankfully,
the captain has Plan
B.
Ho
ho! It doesn't get
fresher than this!
Cleaned, cut and cooked
on board, passengers
get a taste of squid
sashimi and squid
noodle soup, which
in my opinion doesn't
need any seasoning
at all and makes the
best and most appropriate
midnight snack to
finish off a perfect
summer day in Penghu.