Juguang, Lienchiang
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Juguang Township / Jyuguang Township (;
Foochow Romanized Fuzhou is the capital of Fujian, China. The city lies between the Min River estuary to the south and the city of Ningde to the north. Together, Fuzhou and Ningde make up the Mindong linguistic and cultural region. Fuzhou's population was 8 ...
: Gṳ̄-guŏng-hiŏng), also spelled Chukuang, is a rural township of
Lienchiang County The Matsu Islands; Foochow Romanized: Mā-cū liĕk-dō̤ ( or ), officially Lienchiang County; Foochow Romanized: Lièng-gŏng-gâing (), are an archipelago of 36 islands and islets in the East China Sea governed by the Republic of China (T ...
(the Matsu Islands),
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
(Taiwan). Juguang Township includes two major islands, Dongju Island ( "East Ju"; Dĕ̤ng-gṳ̄) and Xiju Island ( "West Ju"; Să̤-gṳ̄), as well as some islets.


Name

On October 15, 1971, the
Executive Yuan The Executive Yuan () is the executive (government), executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Under the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China, amended constitution, the head of the Execut ...
approved changing the name of the township from Baiquan Township (Paichuan, White Dogs; ) to Juguang Township (Chukuang; ). They also approved changing the name of Xiquan Island (Hsichuan; ) to Xiju Island (Hsiju; ) and Dongquan Island (Tungchuan; ) to Dongju Island (Tungchu; ). The islands were renamed based on a quote of a speech by Chiang Kai-shek, "forget not that you're in Ju" (; Wú wàng zài Jǔ; Ù uông câi Gṳ̄). It refers to the
City of Ju Ju () was an ancient Chinese city that existed during the Warring States period, and was located in what is today Ju County, Rizhao City, Shandong Province. The State of Ju was originally a vassal state of the Zhou dynasty during the Spring an ...
, where the king of Qi prepared a counterattack that retook his country from the
State of Yan Yan (; Old Chinese pronunciation: ''*'') was an ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty. Its capital was Ji (later known as Yanjing and now Beijing). During the Warring States period, the court was also moved to another capital at Xia ...
. This is an
analogy Analogy is a comparison or correspondence between two things (or two groups of things) because of a third element that they are considered to share. In logic, it is an inference or an argument from one particular to another particular, as oppose ...
of Matsu and Taiwan generally as bases of the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
(ROC) to regenerate itself and one day recover
mainland China "Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...
from the
Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
. Dongju and Xiju Islands were previously named Dongquan (Tung-ch'üan Tao/Tung-ch'uan Tao ; Dĕ̤ng-kēng) and Xiquan (Hsi-ch'üan Tao/Hsi-ch'uan Tao ; Să̤-kēng) Islands, meaning "Eastern Dog" and "Western Dog" respectively. They have also been called the White Dogs (Paichuan, Baiquan) or White Dog Islands (; Băh-kēng-dō̤) or Baiken Islands (白肯島). The name Baiquan (白犬) has been connected with the homophonous name Baiquan (白畎).


History

On May 15, 1617, sixty-nine ''
wokou ''Wokou'' ( zh, c=, p=Wōkòu; ; Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: ; ; literal Chinese translation: "dwarf bandits"), which translates to "Japanese pirates", were pirates who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century to the 17 ...
'' were captured alive in the area. In 1872, construction of Dongsha (Tungsha) Lighthouse (
Dongquan Lighthouse The Dongquan Lighthouse () or Dongju Island Lighthouse () or Tungchu Tao Lighthouse is a lighthouse on Dongju Island, Juguang, Lienchiang, Juguang Township, Lienchiang County, Fujian Province, Republic of China, Fujian Province, Republic of China ...
) began. In December 1939, Japanese naval forces from Taiwan occupied the islands. The islands were originally part of the
Changle County Changle County () is under the administration of Weifang, in Shandong Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along th ...
before the ROC government evacuated to Taiwan. It is considered by the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
government as part of Changle City of the
Fuzhou City Fuzhou is the capital of Fujian, China. The city lies between the Min River estuary to the south and the city of Ningde to the north. Together, Fuzhou and Ningde make up the Mindong linguistic and cultural region. Fuzhou's population was 8, ...
. In September 1953, the Changlo County () government was established on the islands. Western Enterprises ( 西方公司), a
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
front organization, had a communications base on Xiquan (Hsichuan). After a series of combat readiness tests carried out by
MAAG A Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) is a designation for a group of United States military advisors sent to other countries to assist in the training of conventional armed forces and facilitate military aid. Although numerous MAAGs ope ...
were completed on April 15, 1955, the overall Chinese Nationalist defense preparations for the Matsu Islands were rated as satisfactory. One of the weaknesses noted was "the seriously understrength regiment garrisoning the Paichuan (White Dog) Islands group". In July 1956, the islands were transferred to Lienchiang County. The islands were divided into two townships: Xiquan and Dongquan. On August 19, 1958, President Chiang Kai-shek visited Xiju Island (then Xiquan) and spoke to the soldiers there. In September 1960, the two townships were united into one, Paichuan (Baiquan) township. On July 23, 1964,
Chiang Ching-kuo Chiang Ching-kuo (, 27 April 1910 – 13 January 1988) was a politician of the Republic of China. The eldest and only biological son of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, he held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China and ended ...
visited the islands. On October 15, 1971, the
Executive Yuan The Executive Yuan () is the executive (government), executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Under the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China, amended constitution, the head of the Execut ...
approved changing the name of the township from Baiquan Township (Paichuan, White Dogs; ) to Juguang Township (Chukuang; ). They also approved changing the name of Xiquan Island (Hsichuan; ) to Xiju Island (Hsiju; ) and Dongquan Island (Tungchuan; ) to Dongju Island (Tungchu; ). On December 30, 1977, the 6-ton fishing boat Kuanghua 16638 was slammed by a communist vessel near the Liuchuan reefs () off the coast of Chukuang. On September 21, 1979, and on May 3, 1980, President
Chiang Ching-kuo Chiang Ching-kuo (, 27 April 1910 – 13 January 1988) was a politician of the Republic of China. The eldest and only biological son of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, he held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China and ended ...
visited the township. On June 18, 1993, President
Lee Teng-hui Lee Teng-hui (; pinyin: ''Lǐ Dēnghuī''; 15 January 192330 July 2020) was a Taiwanese politician and agricultural scientist who served as the fourth president of the Republic of China, president of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan) unde ...
visited the Dongju Elementary School. On June 24, 2001, Typhoon Chebi caused 3,000,000 yuan of damage on the islands. In the 2018 election, Mayor Hsieh Chun-Lan () was re-elected mayor, defeating her opponent Chen Shun-Shou () by over a hundred votes. Hsieh called for rebuilding the former township office as a resort, beautification of the township, and creation of a vibrant sight-seeing economy. In 2020, undersea communications cables between Nangan and Juguang were damaged by sand dredgers from mainland China on five occasions, disrupting phone and internet services.


Geography

Dongju (Tong Chu), the southernmost of the Matsu Islands, is 2.63 km2 and Sijyu 2.36 km2. Islets includes like Yongliu (永留嶼 Yongliu) near Dongju. Dongju is shaped like a
dagger A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually one or two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a cutting or stabbing, thrusting weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or ...
, while Xiju a
triangle A triangle is a polygon with three corners and three sides, one of the basic shapes in geometry. The corners, also called ''vertices'', are zero-dimensional points while the sides connecting them, also called ''edges'', are one-dimension ...
, so seemingly bigger on maps. Some cliffs of Dongjyu is severely corroded by
wind Wind is the natural movement of atmosphere of Earth, air or other gases relative to a planetary surface, planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heatin ...
, creating a strangely aesthetic appearance. Other islands include Linaoyu () also known as Lintouyu (), Xiniuyu (), Dayu (), Xiaoyu (), and Sheshan (). The northernmost and easternmost points of Juguang Township are on Dayu, the westernmost point is on Sheshan, and the southernmost point is on Linaoyu. Linaoyu is also the southernmost point of the Matsu Islands. Juguang is across from
Meihua ''Prunus mume'', the Chinese plum or Japanese apricot, is a tree species in the family Rosaceae. Along with bamboo, the plant is intimately associated with art, literature, and everyday life in China, from where it was then introduced to Kor ...
Town (),
Changle District (, Foochow Romanized: Diòng-lŏ̤h) is one of 6 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province, China. It occupies a land area of and a sea area of . Changle was established in the sixth year of Emper ...
, Fuzhou, Fujian, China (PRC).


Politics and government


Administrative divisions

Administratively the islands are part of the
Lienchiang County The Matsu Islands; Foochow Romanized: Mā-cū liĕk-dō̤ ( or ), officially Lienchiang County; Foochow Romanized: Lièng-gŏng-gâing (), are an archipelago of 36 islands and islets in the East China Sea governed by the Republic of China (T ...
. Neither Dongju nor Xiju has an island-wide administrative level. The islands are divided into five rural villages: Xiju Island ** Qingfan Village ( Qīngfán, ) ** Xiqiu Village ( Xīqīu) ** Tianwo Village ( Tiánwò) Dongju Island ** Daping Village ( Dàpíng) ** Fuzheng Village ( Fúzhèng)


Mayors

* Appointed mayors: # Chen Chia-Tui () (1960-1961) # Lin Tso-Chou () (1961-1964) # Hsueh Chih-Lien () (1964-1967), former mayor of Nangan # Li Kuei-Li () (1967-1970), later mayor of Beigan # Chen I-Peng () (1970-1973), mayor during the change of the name of the township and islands, former mayor of Beigan and later mayor of Nangan (Matsu) # Lin Po-Jen () (1973-1978) * Elected mayors: # Lin Mao-Chun () (1978-1982), received 692 votes out of a total 697 votes cast (699 eligible voters) # Chen Chien-Kuang () (1982-1986) # Chen Le-Tuan () (1986-1990) # Tsao Erh-Szu () (1990-1994) # Wang Ta-Chieh () (1994-1998) # Chiang Chih-Hsing () (1998-2002) # Wang Ta-Chieh () (2002-2006), second term # Ko Yu-Kuan () (2006-2014) # Hsieh Chun-Lan () (2014–present) ( KMT), b.1960 first female mayor of the township


Infrastructure


Electricity supply

The township is powered up by
Xiju Power Plant The Xiju Power Plant () is a diesel-fuel power plant in Xiju Island, Juguang Township, Lienchiang County, Taiwan. History The power plant was commissioned in 1979. Due to the changes in electricity needs, Xiju Power Plant was connected by subm ...
located in Xiju Island and Dongju Power Plant located in Dongju Island. Due to the changes in electricity needs, both islands were interconnected by
submarine power cable A submarine power cable is a transmission cable for carrying electric power below the surface of the water.water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Th ...
had been scarce in Xiju Island despite having water wells drilled around the island by the residents. Later the
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
built a dam and formed the Ledao'ao Reservoir for the water needs of residents, defense and irrigation.


Tourism

The 19.5-metre (54-step)
Dongquan Lighthouse The Dongquan Lighthouse () or Dongju Island Lighthouse () or Tungchu Tao Lighthouse is a lighthouse on Dongju Island, Juguang, Lienchiang, Juguang Township, Lienchiang County, Fujian Province, Republic of China, Fujian Province, Republic of China ...
on northern Dongjyu, made during the late
Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
with granite. The guiding light is in the shape of a
clam Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve mollusc. The word is often applied only to those that are deemed edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the sea floor or riverbeds. Clams h ...
and can reach . Dongju Lighthouse is a second-level national historic building. In front of the lighthouse, there used to be four mist-cannon for signaling, but has now been removed and placed in
Matsu Folk Culture Museum The Matsu Folk Culture Museum or Matsu Folk Cultural Artifacts Exhibition Hall () is a museum in Nangan Township, Lienchiang County, Fujian Province, Republic of China. History The museum was originally built in 1974. In 1983, the museum build ...
. The 42-
character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to Theoph ...
Dapu Inscription, in Dapu Seaport of Dongju, was made during the Wanli era of the
Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
, concerning the capture of
pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
s alive. Remembering-the-Past Pavilion (懷古亭 Huaigu Ting) was constructed in 1966 sheltering the stone. In the sea south of the Sijyu, there is Snake Mountain (蛇山). The main island has a small Green-sail Seaport (青帆港), two water reservoirs and a
middle Middle or The Middle may refer to: * Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits. Places * Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man * Middle Bay (disambiguation) * Middle Brook (disambiguation) * Middle Creek ...
-
elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
, but are not major tourist attractions. It also features the Mysterious Little Bay.


Transportation

There is one accessible seaport on Xiju, and two on Dongju. Juguang can be reached by ferry from Fuao Harbor in Nangan or by helicopter which only operates during the winter and priority on which is given to local residents.


Education

There are two public elementary and junior high schools in Juguang: Lienchiang County Jingheng Junior High & Elementary School (連江縣敬恆國民中小學) is on Xiju, while Lienchiang County Jinguang Township Dong Jyu Junior High & Elementary School (連江縣莒光鄉東莒國民中小學) is on Dongju. (國立馬祖高級中學), operated by the national government, is located in Nangan.


Notable natives

*
Chen Hsueh-sheng Chen Hsueh-sheng (; Foochow Romanized: Dìng Siók-sĕng; born 1 January 1952) is a Taiwanese politician. He was the Magistrate of Lienchiang County from 2001 to 2009, and has represented Lienchiang County in the Legislative Yuan since 2012. ...
,
Magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judi ...
of Lienchiang County (2001-2009)


See also

*
Administrative divisions of the Republic of China The Republic of China (Taiwan) is divided into multi-layered statutory subdivisions. Due to the complex political status of Taiwan, there is a significant difference in the ''de jure'' system set out in the original constitution and the ''d ...
*
List of islands of the Republic of China The islands comprising the Taiwan Area under the jurisdiction of the Republic of China (ROC) are classified into various island groups. The island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, is the largest island and the main component of the ROC-contr ...
* List of islands in the East China Sea


References


External links

*
軍史探舊系列-莒光前線行(上集)
('Exploring Military History Series - A Visit to the Frontline at Juguang (Part One)') {{Lienchiang divisions