Nangan, Lienchiang

"Nankan" redirects here. For the town in Japan, see Nankan, Kumamoto.

Nangan Township 南竿鄉
Rural Township
Nangan Township · 南竿鄉
Nangan Township in Lienchiang County
Country	Taiwan
County	Lienchiang County
Government
• Township Leader	Hsiu-Ping Zhu (朱秀平)
Area
• Total	10.40 km2 (4.02 sq mi)
Population  (Jan. 2014)
• Total	7,317
• Density	700/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Postal code	209
Area code	(0)836
Website	http://www.nankan.gov.tw/

Nangan Township (Chinese: 南竿鄉; pinyin: Nán'gān Xiāng; Foochow Romanized: Nàng-găng-hiŏng) is one of the township in Matsu Islands and the county seat of Lienchiang County, Taiwan.

Nangan was also known Nangantang (南竿塘; Nàng-găng-dòng) and Shanggantang (上竿塘). And because Lin Moniang's (who later became the goddess Matsu) corpse was washed ashore here, Nangan was also known as Matsu Island (馬祖島; Mā-cū-dō̤).

There is an airport in Nangan. The highest point is Yuntai Mountain (雲台山) (248-metre).

Geography

The island of Nangan is not only the largest island of its township, but also the largest island of Matsu. The primary inhabitants consists of around 4,000. The highest point of the island is the Yuntai Hill peak at 250m, only after Beshan in Beigan. Nangan's climate is classified as subtropical zone, with distinct seasons. The average temperature around the year is 20C, with July and August ranging to 34C and January at 1.8C. There is a intense fog period during March and April which often effect the scheduled flights at Nangan Airport.

Administration

Beihai Tunnel, Matsu

Fuxing Village on Nankan, Matsu

Ren'ai Village harbor, Nankan, Matsu

There are 10 major villages located on Nangan, though they are all rather small. At the eastern end of the island is Jieshou(介壽村), the seat of the county government and the largest village. Following the coastal road west from Jieshou, there are Fuxing(復興村), Fuao(福澳村), Qingshui(清水村), Zhuluo(珠螺村), and Mazu(馬祖村). Following the mountain road west, there are Meishi(梅石村), Renai(仁愛村), and Jinsha(津沙聚落), before once again reaching Mazu. Located to the north of Mazu is Siwei(四維村). In addition to these, there are two smaller villages or clusters of homes. These are Furen(夫人村) and Ketiao(科蹄澳): they are located near Siwei.

Many villages on Nangan have two names. In some cases, this was the result of politics, as one is the traditional name and the second has a political connotation. These instances are paired as follows with the traditional name first: Shanlong(山隴): Jieshou(介壽), Niujiao(牛角(聚落)): Fuxing(復興), Tieban(鐵板): Renai(仁愛), and Fuao(福澳): Jingze(經澤). These names are often used interchangeably by residents, except for Jingze. Residents objected to this latter name, and so it never came into popular use. The reference to Shanlong is also important as there is a neighborhood there called Zhonglong(中隴). Mazu is also referred to as Magang(馬港) and Siwei as Xiwei(西尾). As for Mazu and Magang, Magang is the preferred name. This could be in order to distinguish the village and its harbor from Mazu(媽祖), the goddess, and Mazu(馬祖)the island chain. Xiwei was derived from the local Fuzhou dialect's pronunciation of Siwei.

• Jieshou (Chinese: 介壽村; pinyin: Jièshòu) literally, "Longevity for Chiang Kai-shek "
• Jinsha (Chinese: 津沙村; pinyin: Jīnshā) "Sand of Seaport"
• Cingshuei (Chinese: 清水村; pinyin: Qīngshuǐ) "Pure Water"
• Jhuluo (Chinese: 珠螺村; pinyin: Zhūluó) "Pearl and Snail"
• Fusing (Chinese: 復興村; pinyin: Fùxīng) "Revive Prosperity"
• Fuwo (Chinese: 福沃村; pinyin: Fúwò) "Auspicious Fertility": Jingze Village (經澤)
• Ren-ai (Chinese: 仁愛村; pinyin: Rénài) "Humanity and Love": Tieban (鐵板 "Iron Plate") until 1955 .
• Matsu (Chinese: 馬祖村; pinyin: Mǎzǔ) "Matsu"
• Sihwei (Chinese: 四維村; pinyin: Sìwéi) "Four Virtues"

Transportation

• Flight transport is only monopoly operated by Uni Air with eight flights a day to Nangan Airport and three flights a day to Beigan Airport. All of the above flights arrive at Shongshan Airport in Taipei with the exception of one flight at Taichung Airport in Taichung.
• Commercial boat rides are provided hourly everyday from 7am to 5pm. The rides take approximately 10 minutes to Beigan.
• Commercial boat rides to Juguang island takes approximately an hour with three rides a day.
• There are ferryboat scheduled on a weekly basis between Keelung Port and Nangan's Fuao.

Tourism

Mazu's Tomb (Lin Moniang)

There is the Palace of Heavenly Empress (天后宮) in Matsu Village, which contains the coffin of Lin Moniang. The temple also include statues of the guards, Thousand-li Eye (千里眼) and Wind-following Ear (順風耳). There is an annual celebration on March 3 (lunar calendar).

Matsu Distillery (馬祖酒廠) locates on Wujiao Hill (午角嶺) in Fusing Village, producing daqu wine (大麴酒) and sorghum wine (高梁酒).

There is Shengli Water Reservoir (勝利水庫 "Victory") and a museum in Cingshuei Village. The museum contains four cannons (whose sound were to guide boat) from Jyuguang.

There are three parks and two abandoned military tunnels on the island. One known as the Eighty-eight Tunnel (八八坑道) and the other called the Beihai Tunnel (北海坑道).

See also

• List of islands of the Republic of China

External links

• 12 photos
• Nangan, Lienchiang, Taiwan, Republic of China .