Terns and Tunnels of Matsu
Michella Jade Weng, Presenter:
Hi, I��m Michella. This is my friend Cedric! We��re
on the sea in Matsu, and what are we doing here again?
Cedric
Jouarie,French Expat:
Actually, we are tern watching.
Hats,
check. Sunglasses, check. Sunscreen, life vest,
motion sickness medicine, check check check. Gulls
and terns of Matsu, here we come! From April to
September each year, birds like the black-naped
tern, bridled tern, greater crested tern, Chinese
crested tern and black tailed gull flock here to
date and mate. So even though we��re being the third
wheel, bird watching here is great.
But unfortunately,
the black tailed gull isn��t being a welcoming host
today and sent the bridled terns instead. Hm, don��t
these guys remind you of Batman��s sidekick, Robin?
Gulls
freely fly over Matsu these days, but during the
first and second Taiwan Strait Crisis, artillery
from China rained from the sky. An important line
of defense against the PRC, Matsu had 50 thousand
soldiers stationed here at the height of the crisis.
But today there are only some 3500, and totally
safe for traveling.
This
granite tunnel, one of four in Matsu, was dug by
soldiers in the 1960��s for military use. It��s now
open to visitors and the newest attraction here
is touring it by gondola or canoe. This is one place
you won��t want to miss when you come to Matsu.
Cedric
Jouarie, French Expat:
I think this is the most peaceful place I have ever
been to. There is something both magical and dramatic,
and you also feel the history of the place. What
I felt most of all is the human history and all
the lives that were lost in this magical place,
so it kind of forces respect upon you.
Michella
Jade Weng, Presenter:
If you were to tell friends about Matsu, what would
you say?
Cedric
Jouarie, French Expat:
I would say, ��go there.�� Two words, ��go there!��
