Matsu, situated 200 kilometers northwest of Taiwan proper in outlying Lienchiang County, is a special travel destination offering experiences far in excess of those promised by even the glossiest brochures and websites. Stunning beaches, craggy vistas, compelling military history and rich culture steeped in Chinese tradition combine to make this archipelago of 36 islands one of Asia’s best-kept secrets, and a place sure to leave an indelible imprint upon all who grace its shores.
But it has not always been this way. From 1949 to 1994, Matsu was a frontline ROC military position, its peak-strength 50,000-strong garrison of the mid-1980s manning artillery batteries, concrete look-out posts and all manner of facilities de rigueur for a military fortress conceived during the height of the Cold War. Today, around 5,000 soldiers call the once-proud stronghold home; the deserted bunkers looking down from hilltops and peering out from granite cliffs testament to the fast-paced realities of modern warfare and warming cross-strait relations.
The decision to downgrade Matsu garrison hit the local economy hard. Central government largesse had created something of a wonderland with thoughts of a future sans military dollars unimaginable. To make matters worse, many of the county’s best and brightest were choosing to live and work in Taiwan after completing senior high and tertiary studies there. With an ageing population bereft of ideas on how to adapt to this new economic playing field, many islanders began fearing that their communities were on the road to becoming modern-day ghost towns.
Guu Yung-yuan, director of the Matsu National Scenic Area Administration under the Tourism Bureau, believes an important step toward averting this bleak future was taken in 1999 with the naming of the islands as a national scenic area and establishment of the MNSAA. “We are responsible for all facets of Matsu's tourism plan and ensuring central and local government is on the same page when it comes to development policies and strategies,” Guu said Sept. 7 in an interview with Taiwan Today.
The MNSAA approach, which incorporates international, cross-strait and domestic considerations, aims to promote the islands’ array of cultural, ecological, military and religious attractions. But the administration’s primary goal is to transform the county from a frontline military position into a frontline tourism destination.
To date, the MNSAA has notched up praiseworthy results when it comes to lifting visit numbers to the islands. In the 12 years since its launch, the administration has seen average yearly arrivals climb to 6,666, a 100 percent increase from 1994 to 1999.
While most of these visitors hail from Taiwan, an increasing number are coming from across the strait. The Mini-Three-Links framework, which permits limited shipping, tourism, trade and postal services between Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu and several port cities in mainland China’s Fujian province, has played a role in this growth. But it is the independent travel agreement allowing mainland Chinese to visit Taiwan that is expected to make the real difference.
Beginning June 22, the agreement—brokered by the Taipei-based Straits Exchange Foundation and its Beijing counterpart the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits—allows up to 500 mainland Chinese from Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen to enter Taiwan proper per diem for 15-day maximum sojourns. In addition, from June 29, Taiwan’s outlying Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu islands were greenlighted to receive independent mainland Chinese travelers from Fujian.
According to MNSAA statistics, 4,210 mainland Chinese visited Matsu in 2010, with 1,060 arriving in the first five months of this year. Of these, only 200 were independent travelers. Lienchiang County Magistrate Yang Suei-sheng is not discouraged by these numbers, describing them as a solid foundation to build upon. He sees independent visitors from mainland China playing an important role in boosting the local economy and providing new business and employment opportunities.
“This number is certain to increase in the near future,” Yang said Sept. 6. “With the right promotions, we expect to see the percentage of mainland Chinese travelling to Matsu rise above 10 percent.”
Some of the initiatives being employed by the local government include co-organizing Taiwan Strait Tourism Association-organized marketing events in mainland Chinese cities such as Fuzhou, Ming De, Quanzhou and Xiamen; working with the MNSAA to bring travel agents from across the strait to tour Matsu; offering 20-percent discounts on ferry tickets between Fujian and Matsu; and promoting special two-day mini vacations.
Yang said mainland Chinese visitors are impressed by Matsu’s military fortifications, environmental beauty and cuisine, but it is the islands’ bed-and-breakfast establishments that leave a lasting impression. Many of these tourists have never seen a traditional Fujian-style granite home and are eager to experience a night or two soaking up the ambience of yesteryear, he added.
The local government has moved mountains in terms of providing funding for the restoration of stone houses and setting up of B&B businesses across Matsu. One plan in the works involves paying a maximum subsidy of NT$60,000 (US$2,060) to households joining the Lienchiang County B&B and homestay program.
“We want the residents of Matsu to become stakeholders in this engine for tourism development and help promote the islands,” Yang said. “People need to know they are part of something very special while generating additional income at the same time.”
Chen Kong-han, co-owner of Cafe Chin-Be and a complex of Fujian-style granite houses at Qinbi Village on Beigan Island, is grateful for local government support in helping fund the restoration of his buildings, yet believes more needs to be done if the area’s many flourishing B&Bs are to stand the test of time.
“On the surface, most buildings in the village appear to be authentic structures built from stone using traditional techniques,” Chen said. “Visitors rarely fail to be impressed, especially those from Europe and the United States.”
But the reality is markedly different. Upon closer inspection, some dwellings show signs of being hastily cobbled together by those with no eye for detail. Exposed wiring, slipshod application of concrete, poorly cut and assembled wooden doors, window frames and joints take the luster off what is one the most glittering jewels in Matsu’s tourism crown.
The reason for these quality problems, Chen said, is that owners like himself are forced to use tradesman and materials from mainland China. Cost is one factor in this decision, with the other being the absence of local stonemasons skilled enough to take on the complicated task of building a traditional house.
“The biggest challenge we face now is that most of the people in Matsu who know how to build granite homes are in their 80s and 90s. They are too old to do the work themselves and many are beyond the point where they can teach the young.”
A neighboring B&B owner, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said low quality stone houses may get the job done in the short run, but threaten to saddle owners with prohibitively expensive maintenance and repair bills.
“If we are not careful, what we will have in Qinbi is a small number of beautiful older homes surrounded by shabbier dwellings in constant need of fixing,” the owner said. “Something needs to be done so we can use local builders well-versed in traditional building techniques.”
One suggestion put forth by both owners is for the establishment of a government-funded stonemasonry training institute in Beigan. Staffed by experts from Matsu, Kinmen, Penghu and Taiwan proper, the facility could become a regional center for turning out skilled artisans and play a key role in preserving this fast vanishing skillset. It would also create employment by enabling locals to undertake construction projects countywide.
Acknowledging that Matsu has a dwindling number of tradesman qualified to build traditional Fujian-style stone houses, Yang said the government is open to setting up a stonemasonry institute. “In the meantime, funding and manpower will continue being invested in preserving Matsu’s traditional buildings,” he added.
For Chen Ba-mei, proprietor of a fish noodle factory and restaurant in Beigan’s Tangqi Village, the suggestions of B&B owners for establishing a local training institute make good sense and could be applied to her industry.
“I have spent 30 years of my life making fish noodles and worry that no one will carry on after I am too old to keep working,” she said. “The way I make this food is unique to Matsu and deserves to be passed down to future generations.”
Generally found throughout mainland China’s southeast coastal region, fish noodles begin life as a dough comprising cornstarch, eel and drum fish. Rolled and stretched into thin sheets, the substance is dried in the sun and then fed into a machine that produces the white noodles treasured for their flavor and texture by visitors and locals alike.
With her family members pursuing careers outside the food industry, Chen said time is running out for her to find someone to whom she can pass on her profession.
“If the government were to set up some kind of training center to preserve local skills, it is sure to be a success,” Chen said. “I am willing to work as an instructor and help young people learn.”
Yang said the government is promoting local foods such as fish noodles, fish balls and red yeast rice, and understands the important role they play in the county’s tourism industry. Although no courses have been set up to pass along the knowledge acquired by individuals such as Chen, Yang said that does not mean the situation cannot change.
“Young people recognize that the county’s homegrown cuisine is popular with tourists and are beginning to take a greater interest in learning how to make it,” he said. “Slowly but surely, the local food industry is taking on a new shape.”
Echoing Yang’s remarks, Guu said the value of preserving skills endemic to Matsu cannot be underestimated and represents a sound investment in the future.
“We cannot afford to overlook any piece of the puzzle,” Guu said. “If lifestyles of health and sustainability focusing on high-value, low-volume tourism are to work in Matsu, then no effort must be spared in making sure cultural attractions continue being valued for their authenticity, quality and uniqueness.” (JSM)
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