Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area Tourist Information Website

In Liuqiu, hermit crabs are called "Jishengzi" (parasitic young) and were once excellent fishing bait. "Zhaoji Sheng Zi," the activity of hunting for hermit crabs at night with a flashlight, used to be a popular pastime for local children. After dinner, children would venture into the woods together, their flashlight beams flickering. The "thud" sound of a caught hermit crab dropped into a bucket was heard everywhere. This was not just a game, but a competition: whoever had the loudest bucket was the winner of the night's harvest.

For the early residents of Liuqiu, "Going Abroad" (Chuguo) did not mean tourism, but rather boarding a long-haul fishing vessel to work in Southeast Asia for two to three years. Crew members who could only return home occasionally would always bring back foreign goods as souvenirs. Among them, Indonesian "bee oil" (Minyak Tawon) became the most popular requested gift among relatives and friends due to its effectiveness for bruises and sprains. This unique interaction mode can be seen as an "overseas purchasing agent" culture that thrived on the island decades ago.

"Looking at the Sea is Not the Sea" is inspired by the complex emotions of Liuqiu islanders when gazing at the ocean. For early men, the sea was a battleground for survival; for women, it meant longing and worry. For those who left their hometown, it was homesickness, and for new residents, it was a yearning for their original home.

Drawing inspiration from abandoned military barracks and long-haul fishing boats, the work transforms symbols like the captain's room, radar, and antennae to create a "Sea-Gazing Cabin" on the rocky shore. This contemplative space visually embodies the profound emotions of "guarding," "longing," "conveying," and "waiting" that the islanders feel, born from their relationship with the sea.

In the past, girls had limited choices: either leave the island to work as factory girls in Taiwan proper or stay and marry a fisherman. The women who remained on the island had to manage the household, raise children alone, and worry day and night about their husbands' safety at sea, leading to immense physical and mental strain.

Today, many foreign spouses have become new residents of the island. They, too, resiliently support their families and are active in the tourism industry, injecting new vitality into Liuqiu.

In early Liuqiu, there was a custom of "Fish Distribution." When long-haul fishing vessels returned, the boat owner would distribute the fragmented large fish that couldn't be sold to the crew members' families by lottery. In an era of scarce resources, this was a way to care for the crew's families. Women would carry home baskets full of fish, and relatives and neighbors would mobilize to help process them. Children excitedly served as little helpers for delivery, bustling through the alleys, creating a lively, festive scene. This custom has largely faded but carries a rich sense of human warmth and mutual aid.

In Liuqiu, during auspicious occasions like the launch of a new boat or the completion of a new temple, "Candy Rain" is tossed from a high place to share the good fortune.

In this custom, the candy symbolizes fishing bait, and the excited crowd is likened to fish taking the bait, signifying the auspicious blessing of a "full catch." The most evident display of the fishermen's generosity is that the candy is often thrown down in whole bags, and the standard equipment for islanders is a "cardboard box." Thus, distinguishing between a local and a tourist is simple: just see who is carrying a cardboard box!

Liuqiu once housed a prison managed by the Garrison Command for high-profile criminals, which locals called "Fan Ren Bing Zi" (Convict Soldiers). They left various memories on the island, not only helping to build the round-the-island highway and scenic trails but also being hired as workers for private homes. Notably, the lion and dragon dance troupe they formed was a highlight of the King's Grand Inspection Festival (Ying Wang Festival), becoming a performance islanders still remember, marking a special history interwoven with construction and culture.

Liuqiu's early wooden-hull ferry, the "Yun Ban" (Transporter), was extremely slow, taking nearly an hour for a one-way trip to "Bi Bian" (Taiwan proper). The cabin was filled with the pungent smell of diesel fuel, and the choppy waves often caused severe seasickness, a shared memory among islanders. The "stainless steel basin" provided by the boat crew was standard equipment for passengers.

Many recall that the excitement of boarding the boat as a child instantly turned to regret after it set sail. Therefore, "crossing the harbor" to Taiwan was a formal and serious matter, undertaken only for important business.

"Warming Up Exercise for Turning into an Adult" aims to express the survival wisdom of early Liuqiu teenagers. Compared to today's children, who play innocently between the ages of thirteen and fifteen, island boys were forced to prematurely "turn into adults" to earn a living. Coupled with the optimistic character of the Liuqiu people, they look upon these heart-wrenching memories with a positive and humorous outlook. Thus, a young boy on the cusp of adulthood, with a look of "life's question mark" on his face, unaware of what he is about to face, hides in the forest doing warm-up exercises. His innocent and naive expression, coupled with the internal pressure to grow up quickly, prepares him to face major life changes and choices, as he rolls the "dice of fate."

Before the underwater pipeline was activated in 1981, Liuqiu residents relied entirely on well water, and fetching water often required long journeys. When digging new wells, people would even go to Biyun Temple to seek divine guidance. Carrying water was an everyday task for adults, and to prevent spillage, a bamboo-woven "Pi Zai" (cover) was placed on the water's surface. Because water was precious, the whole family often shared a basin of water for wiping down. When children accompanied adults to fetch water, they would bring their toiletries and wash up right by the well before heading home, reflecting the hardships and ingenuity of early island life.

The inspiration for Liuqiu's "Eight Lucky Beasts" comes from the local fishing village tradition of naming for fortune and prosperity. This project adopted a "participatory creation" approach, where local teachers and students conducted fieldwork and interviewed elders, gathering elements from village names, history, environment, and daily life, and guiding children to incorporate their imagination of their hometown into the design. The artist ultimately crafted eight ceramic lucky beasts, which stand on a temporal gateway symbolizing old place names, transforming into auspicious protectors of the island from ancient times to the present.

Liuqiu's banquet wedding feasts are considered among the most generous in Taiwan, traditionally featuring as many as twenty-four courses. Besides a table full of seafood, the most representative dishes are "Pumpkin Rice Vermicelli" (Jingua Mifeng) and various kinds of meatball soup.

In the past, to showcase the hospitality and spirit of the fishermen, and to ensure guests were full, the host would fill a large water vat with stir-fried rice vermicelli and serve it before the banquet officially started. Even with changing times, this banquet culture, rich in human warmth, is still preserved today.

In the era before 3C devices, the sea was Liuqiu children's playground. The unique sea game of the time was called "Gong Hai Yong" (Battling the Waves). Children would hold onto a buoy during high tide, deliberately letting the large waves crash against their bodies, enjoying the thrill of tumbling with the waves, or lying on the buoy to drift and chat. This childhood entertainment, improvised and lived with the sea, is a simple yet deeply joyful memory for many older Liuqiu residents.