Wuqiu, Kinmen
Wuqiu (Chinese: 烏坵; pinyin: Wūqiū) is a group of islands comprising two major islands, namely Greater Qiu Islet and Smaller Qiu Islet, in the Taiwan Strait. Administratively, the Wuqiu Township (Chinese: 烏坵鄉; pinyin: Wūqiū Xiāng) is a rural township which is part of Kinmen County of the Fujian Province of the Republic of China. It is the smallest township in Kinmen County.
Name
Its name means "black mound".
History
It was part of the Putian County before the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan following the Chinese Civil War between Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party. In June 1954, it was provisionally reassigned to Kinmen County. Although part of the Kinmen County, there is no ferry service to the rest of the Kinmen County. Ferry connection is only available to the Port of Taichung on Taiwan.
Administrative divisions
- Daqiu Village
- Xiaoqiu Village
Geography
Wuqiu consists of Greater Qiu Islet (大坵嶼, Dàqiū yǔ) and Smaller Qiu Islet (小坵嶼, Xiǎoqiū yǔ), not to be confused with two islets (大坵島, Dàqiū dǎo and 小坵島, Xiǎoqiū dǎo) lying off the north coast off Beigan in the Matsu Islands.
Greater Qiu Islet lies 9 nautical miles (17 km) from Lusi Island (鷺鷥島), 12 nmi (22 km) from Nanri Island (南日島), and 18 nmi (33 km) from Meizhou Island, both in China's Xiuyu District of Putian, Fujian. It is further from Republic of China territory; 72 nmi (133 km) from Kinmen, 86 nmi (159 km) from Nangan in the Matsu Islands, and 73 nmi (135 km) from Port of Taichung on Taiwan.[1]
Culture
The dialect spoken on Wuqiu is a variety of Puxian Min, unlike the other islands of Kinmen.
Nuclear waste disposal site
Wuqiu, along with Daren Township in Taitung County, was proposed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs as the candidate of the new disposal site of nuclear waste after the Lanyu storage site in Orchid Island, Taitung County. This proposal however received heavy objection from the local Wuqiu residence.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ "Geographic location" at the Wuqiu Township website. Retrieved 20 January 2012. (English)
- ↑ http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=190987&ctNode=413
External links
- Wuqiu Township Office
- Fujian Provincial Government website
- Satellite image of the islands of Wuchiu and Hsiaochiu by Google Maps
- Locator map of Wuqiu (Chinese)
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