Guishan Dao
| Guishan Dao | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Waters | Pacific Ocean | |
| Geographical location | 24 ° 50 ′ 31 " N , 121 ° 57 ′ 6" E | |
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| length | 3.1 km | |
| width | 1.6 km | |
| surface | 2.841 km² | |
| Highest elevation | Gui Shan 401 m |
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| main place | Guishanli | |
Guishan Dao , also Kueishan Dao or Kueishan Tao ( Chinese 龜山 島 , Pinyin Guīshāndǎo - "Turtle Mountain Island") is an island in the Pacific Ocean that belongs to the municipality of Toucheng in Yilan County in the Republic of China (Taiwan) . The island is the tip of the only active volcano in Taiwan, which last erupted around 1785.
The island got its name from the shape that is said to resemble a swimming turtle. It is 3.3 kilometers wide, 1.7 kilometers long and covers a total area of almost 2.85 km². Its highest point is 401 meters above sea level. More recently the island was settled by fishermen from the Chinese province of Fujian in 1853 . In 1977 the few remaining residents were relocated to the mainland and the island was converted into a military restricted area. In 2000 this was lifted and the island was declared a nature reserve and opened to tourism. The island has hot salt water springs, steaming fumaroles and tunnels that were created by the army in the 1950s. Whale and dolphin watching are popular with tourists .
The number of visits is strictly regulated for environmental reasons and visitors must register in advance. The island is open to tourists during the day from March 1st to November 30th each year (as of March 2017).
Web links
- Guishan Dao in the Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian Institution (English)
- Guishan Island (Turtle Island) at eng.taiwan.net.tw
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Turtle Island reopens to tourists today. Taiwan News, March 1, 2017, accessed October 8, 2017 .