Region
Matsu
Go for 2–3 nights if you want Cold War tunnels and island villages; skip if you have under 4 days in Taiwan.
Key facts · Taiwan
- Best months
- Apr–May, Oct
- Currency
- New Taiwan dollar (TWD, NT$)
- Language
- Mandarin
- Plugs
- A · B · 110 V
- Time zone
- UTC+8 all year
Rules in force · 5
- East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
- East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
- Taiwan ↗Check visa-exemption length, passport validity and the online arrival card (TWAC) on the official sites before you fly.
- Taiwan ↗An EasyCard (or iPASS) covers MRT, buses, local trains and many convenience-store purchases; buy one at the airport or a station.
- Taiwan ↗When a local government declares a typhoon day, transport and sights can close for the day; follow the official notice, not the forecast alone.
Matsu is an archipelago of small, hilly islands about 160 km off the Fujian coast, closer to Fuzhou than to Taipei. It is best known for the Blue Tears bioluminescence in spring, military tunnels and forts, and stone villages in a Fujian style you will not see on the main island. Flights from Taipei take about an hour; the sea crossing from Keelung takes 8–10 hours. Two to three nights covers Nangan and Beigan; add Dongyin only with a spare day and a weather buffer.
Sleep
Which bed, for how many nights, and what to do from it
Where to sleep
Sleep base
- NanganPlanned
County seat, airport, ferry hub for the other islands, most sights and the distillery.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
- BeiganPlanned
Quieter, Qinbi stone village, second airport; 20 min by ferry from Nangan.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Day trip
- DongyinPlanned
Northernmost island: tunnels, lighthouses, gull colony; reached by ferry every other day.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Night sequences
- 2 nights
- Nangan 1 + Beigan 1, ferry between them
- 3 nights
- Nangan 2 + Beigan 1, with one Blue Tears night in April–June
- 4 nights
- Nangan 2 + Beigan 1 + Dongyin 1, weather buffer built in
- Fog delays flights from March to May; keep a buffer day before an international departure.
- Old unmarked minefields exist off paved roads — do not wander onto rough ground.
- Inter-island ferries can be cancelled in rough weather; schedules are not guaranteed.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beigan | Nangan | 20 min | check | Ferry from Fuao Harbour, hourly from 07:00 to about 17:10; NT$110.Ferry from Fuao Harbour, hourly from 7:00 AM to about 5:10 PM; NT$110. |
| Dongyin | Nangan | 120 min | check | Taima ferry every other day, not Wednesdays; NT$350. Ask locally about the small boat on other days. |
| Dongju and Xiju | Nangan | 50 min | check | Three or four sailings a day; NT$200 to Jyuguang, NT$80 between the two islands. |
Bags between cities
No luggage forwarding between islands; carry bags on the ferries yourself.
When and how
Months, arrival and passes
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan (country-wide) | go | ok | go | go | ok | ok | ok | ok | ok | go | go | go |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Climate strip
| Zone | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matsu islandsNangan, Beigan, Dongyin | cool | cool | ok | best | best | wet | hot | hot | storm | best | ok | cool |
- Matsu islands
- Blue Tears runs from early April to at least July, best on light southerly wind. Fog is common March–May and can ground flights. Typhoons are possible August–September.
Spring and autumn are the comfortable windows; summer is hot and humid with the bioluminescence at its peak.
Get in
| From | To | How | p50 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taipei Songshan (TSA) | Nangan or Beigan | Domestic flight | ~1 h | Nangan has the longer runway and more flights, including from Taichung; Beigan is served by one carrier. Book days ahead — aircraft are small. |
| Keelung | Nangan / Dongyin | New Taima overnight ferry | 8–10 h | Departs nightly about 23:00, no sailings Tuesdays. Dorm bunk from NT$1,000 one-way; seat tickets NT$630 only when beds sell out.Departs nightly about 11:00 PM, no sailings Tuesdays. Dorm bunk from NT$1,000 one-way; seat tickets NT$630 only when beds sell out. |
| Fuzhou (Mawei / Langqi) | Nangan | Daily ferry | ~2 h | CNY170 from China, NT$1,000 from Matsu. Passport and the right visa needed; leaving the mainland for Matsu counts as leaving China. |
| Huangqi peninsula | Beigan Baisha Pier | Ferry | check | NT$170 from Matsu, CNY350 from China; afternoon departure, useful when the morning Nangan ferry is cancelled. |
Regional passes
EasyCard
buyWorks on Lienchiang County buses (NT$15 a ride); cash also accepted.
Tourist bus day routes
checkOne scheduled departure per line per day on Nangan, Beigan, Dongyin, Dongju and Xiju; buses are often empty, so booking ahead is rarely needed.
Eat and move on
Regional food
| Dish | Where | Timing / trap |
|---|---|---|
| Fish noodles | Qinbi village, Beigan | Fish paste bound with potato starch, cut into noodles; the local staple. |
| Buddha Hand clams | Nangan | Northern Fujian cooking; the specialty at seafood restaurants in Matzu village. |
| Jiguang pastry | Island bakeries | Baked in charcoal urns, bagel-shaped, threaded on string by Ming soldiers. |
| Golden dumplings | Nangan, Beigan | Sweet potato skin with peanut and sugar filling, served cold with sweet pea soup. |
| Kaoliang and laojiou | Matsu Distillery, Nangan | Sorghum liquor and aged rice wine; free tastings and a short film at the showroom. |
Go next
Taiwan travel guide
Fly back to Taipei, or ferry to Keelung
Plan the main island around your Matsu buffer day.
Taipei
~1 h flight to Songshan
The usual gateway in and out.
explore Penghu
plannedFlight via Taipei
Taiwan's other island summer: basalt, fish traps, fireworks.
explore Northern Taiwan
Ferry to Keelung, then rail
Keelung is the ferry port and a base for the north coast.
Deep dive
Photos, reading and every source