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About Guishan Island
Guishan Island (龜山島) is a volcanic island 10 km off the coast of Yilan. The figure of the island resembles a turtle with its highest point at 398 m above the sea, making it highly noticeable even from a distance away. The population of the island once reached 700 but later it dropped to zero after 1977 when all the residents moved away. Since then the whole island became a military area until it is reopened to the public since 2000. To know more about their story, click to read this article.
I attended a guided trip to visit this island in 2008. Our ferry set off from Wushi Harbor (烏石港) and docked at a small pier of the island. We walked along the track of Turtle Tail Lake (龜尾湖) while the guide was telling us the history about each spot around. The layout of the island was pretty simple as almost all of the former residents’ houses were demolished. In additional to the former elementary school, there were just a visitor center, a temple and a few small houses. It was a shorter tour which did not include the walk to the military tunnels and 401 Highland.
The next part of the tour was sightseeing along the coast of island on the ferry, an amazing experience to watch this gigantic turtle’s contour closely. Although the guide carried on showing us some interesting natural feature around the island and the sea with enthusiasm, many tourists started feeling seasick and only several of us still stayed on the deck. The sailing back to Wushi Harbor was pretty bumpy, although it might be a breeze for locals. I can understand why this tour is only available between March and November, when the sea is relatively calm.
You will need to apply for landing the island and book your ferry with one of the service providers. Please visit the official website for more information.
