Formerly known as “Fire Island,” Green Island is an island of volcanic rock about 33 km offshore from Taitung City on Taiwan’s main island. Erosion and weathering have endowed Green Island with stunning natural features including sea cliffs, coral reefs, and white sandy beaches. It is also home to a rare undersea hot spring. The island’s combination of land and sea offerings, from grasslands and rare botanicals to coral reefs and its wondrous undersea landscape, have established it as an eastern Taiwan marine paradise.
Green Island development into an island destination for water sports and eco-tourism has been further aided through upgrades to tourism facilities and infrastructure. Infrastructure projects have included the Island Ring Road, airport, and fishing port, all of which have combined to make island more convenient and comfortable for visiting explorers.
(Photo Credit: @salt.wang )
Memories and Migrations on an Island of Time
Walking through Green Island, beyond the vivid blues of the sea and lush greens of the land, one can sense the quiet flow of time. As early as the early 19th century, fishermen from Xiaoliuqiu were blown ashore by strong sea winds and arrived here by chance. They built shared dwellings at the foot of the hills and began fishing and farming, gradually forming the island’s earliest settlements. Later, migrants from Donggang and other areas followed, clearing land and logging timber. As Han communities expanded, the foundations of island life were steadily established.
(Photo credit: @yoyo83818)
(Photo credit: @eamon_mo)
(Photo credit: @yoyo83818)
During the post-war period, Green Island entered a phase of infrastructure development. Fishing ports, an airport, and island’s ring road were successively completed, bringing greater convenience to residents and opening opportunities for tourism. However, limited natural resources and job opportunities led many families to relocate to Taitung or Hualien in search of more stable livelihoods.
Although population movement has reshaped the island’s demographic landscape, traces of history remain deeply preserved. Old settlements, the Gongguan Site, and the oral accounts of local elders all tell stories of perseverance and gentleness. Green Island is not only a place of beautiful scenery, but also a cultural island that gathers memories of the past while reaching toward the future.
