Pingdong County and Green Island, Taiwan

Storm brewing over the ocean, Green Island

The answer to the previous entry's teaser is... Green Island (綠島)!

Located just east of mainland Pingdong county on the east coast of Taiwan, Green Island has a rather sordid history.  Originally, the home of an Aboriginal group called the Ami, Green Island was was Sanasai Island by the native people.  The Ami lived on the island in relative isolation until the Qing Dynasty, when the island's first Han people arrived on the island.  In 1895, the Japanese also arrived, now calling the island "Burned Island" and this marked the end of Ami control of the island.  During the Japanese occupation, Green Island was converted into a prison colony, and continued in this capacity even after the Japanese yielded control to the new KMT (Chinese Nationalist Party).

View of the ocean

Though originally used as a prison for Prisoners of War during Japanese occupation, the Green Island Prison held political prisoners during Taiwan's (Republic of China) period of White Terror.  The period of White Terror from 1949-1987, saw the systematic capture, torture, and murder of political dissidents and academics in Taiwan.  The most intense  persecution happened between 1950-1952, though Martial Law was not lifted until 1987.  Though this era in Taiwanese history is especially dark, Taiwan was not the only place to experience this tumultuous social pattern; events taking place on the mainland during the cultural revolution mirrored Taiwan's White Terror during the same period.

Hanging out on the beach during an incoming typhoon

The prison itself has since been turned into a museum that has free admission and attracts a wide variety of guests.  For an in depth look at the history and legacy of the Green Island Prison, please have a look through this website that tells the story of the prison through photos and first hand accounts.

Air field at Green Island

In case you're now wondering why on earth you would want to go to an island infamous for its prison, you might be surprised to know that Green Island is home to some pretty spectacular scuba diving/snorkeling and there are plenty of dive shops to choose from.  If scuba isn't your thing, development on this island has been restricted, so aside from a single road that circumnavigates the island, most of what you'll see is lush forest on all sides- it's really inspiring.

Walking along one of the islands many scenic paths

Driving around the island takes about 30 minutes by scooter or about an hour by electric scooter; I highly recommend the electric because the island is so small (you don't need all the oumph of gas).  In addition, because there are so many tourists, destinations in town are cramped and smoggy from exhaust; the locals shouldn't be adversely affected by the steadily increasing tourism and our vacation!  Key word:  Responsible Tourism

Cycling on our electric bikes, feeling good about our low environmental impact!

If neither of these suits your fancy, there are beautiful hiking paths that zig-zag the island, along with a hot spring resort to submerge your achy muscles in one of the only salt water hot springs in the world when you're done.

Hanging out with cuteness during a typhoon

Jenny and I mostly hiked and biked around during our time on the island, and even spent some time on the beach.  Unfortunately for us, a typhoon was blowing through the region and arrived the day after we did, so we weren't really able to see as much as we would have liked.  Even so, we had a fabulous time at our hotel, Jack's Inn, hanging out with the hotel dog, Kulo, and watching the storm blow in.  We took a seat just outside the hotel under the overhang, enjoying the crisp air and the sound of rain drops hitting the trees, and chatted for hours with staff.  It was satisfying on so many levels, and even though we were limited in activities it was still one of our best vacations!

Jenny's awesome guest book entry; I drew the hearts!

Getting there:  To get to Green Island, you will need to fly via local domestic airline or take the boat from Fugang harbor.  We took the TRA (standard train) from Kaohsiung up to Taidong, and from there called a taxi to take us to Taidong Airport.  We were told it was possible to walk to the Airport (maybe 20 minute walk) but we weren't sure how to get there, so we opted for the cab.  Once at the airport, we picked up our tickets (you reserve them over the phone) and had a snack while we waited for the plane.  The ticket was about $1500nt (50USD) each way and the plane was veeeeery small.  The flight itself is only 12 minutes long, so prepare for a very windy ride because the plane doesn't fly that high!

Those feeling more adventurous may want to consider taking the boat, but from what I have heard, the seas are rough and the ride is several hours long.  Even one of the Lonely Planet authors admits it was a mistake to take the boat- he spent the entire time vomiting!  From what the other guests at our hotel told us, this is pretty normal- almost everyone throws up on the boat ride over.  Since both of us get sea sick, we naturally opted to spend a little more to take a smoother-and faster plane ride.