Cotton Island

Cotton Island

The whole island of mianhuayu is covered by volcanic lava. The hard and porous dyke has strong anti weathering and anti erosion properties. Over the years, the rock bone has been formed, and the sea erosion cave on the shore has become a special geological landscape of the island. Mianhuayu is almost a flat cliff. Only a small bay in the northwest corner of the West Bank is allowed to land. However, due to the short distance between the island and the rocks and the strong wind, it is very difficult for ships to dock.

geographical environment

Mianhuayu is high in the southeast and low in the northwest. In the north, it belongs to platform terrain. It is a volcanic island composed of gray black olivine, ancient pyroxene and basalt. The East-West length is about 530 meters, while the North-South length is 800 meters. The highest altitude is 61 meters and the perimeter is 2200 meters. The whole island of mianhuayu is covered by volcanic lava. The hard and porous dyke has strong anti weathering and anti erosion properties. Over the years, the rock bone has been formed, and the sea erosion cave on the shore has become a special geological landscape of the island. Mianhuayu is almost a flat cliff. Only a small bay in the northwest corner of the West Bank is allowed to land. However, due to the short distance between the island and the rocks and the strong wind, it is very difficult for ships to dock. On the east side of mianhuayu Island, there is a 25 meter high reef standing on the sea, which is called "pingfengyan".

geographical position

Mianhuayu is located at 122 degrees 6 minutes east longitude and 25 degrees 30 minutes north latitude, about 65 kilometers northeast of Keelung. It is about 300 meters long from east to west and 400 meters long from north to south, covering an area of 0.13 square kilometers. The highest altitude is only 61 meters. Mianhuayu, pengjiayu in the north, and fanhuayu in the southwest are three pillars. As mianhuayu and pengjiayu have similar geographical location and shape, many fishermen mistakenly regard mianhuayu as pengjiayu.

topographic features

The coast of mianhuayu island is a continuous cliff, with waves hitting the bottom of the cliff. The coast is vertical. There is only a small bay in the northwest, about 50 meters wide, and the cliff is low. There is a small sandbank connected with the flat land, which becomes the only landing site of the Island. In the central part of the east coast, there is a rock reef, about 25 meters high, standing in the sea, which is called "screen rock".

The topography of this island is the highest in the southeast and the platform like in the north. There is a sandbank about 20 meters wide in the Xiaowan in the northwest, which is connected with the slightly wide flat land inside and is dustpan shaped. There are three hills in the southeast, the east of which is the highest, with an altitude of 61 meters. There is a gentle undulating surface from the top of the hill to the hillside; the southwest is about 6-7 meters lower than the East, with bare rocks on the top and towering mountains, but the bottom of the mountain is covered by debris and sand.

Benyu is a volcanic island, which is formed by the lava flow of gray black olivine and ancient copper pyroxene basalt, sometimes in the form of slag. Among them, there are hard and porous dikes, which are resistant to weathering and protrude from the surface, especially in the southeast hills. In addition, there are some pumice tuffs on the lava, with a thickness of more than 10 meters, which is the most developed in the East and northeast of the island.

The volcanic activity period of mianhuayu may be later than that of early pengjiayu, but it is almost the same as that of lava flow. More than half a million years ago, there were basaltic lava flows and then pumice tuff deposits.

Biological resources

Birds are the main animal resources in this island. According to the survey conducted by the Taipei wild bird society in June 1992 and Keelung wild bird society in May September 1994, 58 species of birds belonging to 26 families were recorded in mianhuayu, including 10 species of conservation birds, such as big water bird, Black Tern, egret, red bellied eagle, bunting, Falcon, grey tern, white browed tern, Black Tern, red tailed Shrike and ribbon bird. In terms of vase Island, it is mainly the breeding and habitat of white browed tern and white bellied bonito. The recorded conservation birds include white browed tern and falcon. In terms of mammals, there were more than 30 sheep released on mianhuayu Island, and there are many sheep habitats beside the bare rock on the island. In order to maintain the original ecological community, the authorities have transported these released sheep back to Taiwan on the announcement day.

The soil of mianhuayu island is poor, dry in summer and strong wind in winter, which is unfavorable to the growth of plants. Most of the plants are composed of herbs, without shrubs and trees. There are about 100 nests of white browed terns on the cliffs and screen rocks around the island; black terns live on the Northeast reef rocks; birds of passage can be seen in spring and autumn; birds of prey mostly perch on the highest part of the island.

Habitat environment of the Black Tern

The soil of mianhuayu island is poor, dry in summer and strong wind in winter, which is unfavorable to the growth of plants. The plant phase is mostly composed of herbs, without shrubs and trees. There are about 100 nests of white browed terns on the cliffs and screen rocks around the island; black terns inhabit on the Northeast reefs and breed on the northward steep slopes on the east side of the main island; white bellied bonito inhabits on the north and south walls of screen rocks; sandpipers and rock herons move on the reefs and rocks on the west, North and northeast sides of the main island; transit birds can be seen in the whole island in spring and autumn; Raptors mostly inhabit on the island The highest.

The plants on the vase island are sporadically distributed, mainly in flagelliforme. Vase island is steep and unable to land, forming a natural place for seabirds to inhabit and breed. About 100 white browed terns breed and move in the low grass area of the Northeast Depression; white bellied bonito mainly inhabits on another independent rock wall in the northeast, with a maximum of about 100 recorded in August.

Conservation bird species of white browed Tern

1、 Endangered species

1. Falcon (red officer)

2、 Precious and rare

1. Grey faced vulture (Butastur, India)

2. The red bellied Eagle (soloensis)

3. Egret of Tang Dynasty

4. Anous stolidus

5. White browed tern (anaetheta tern)

6. Tern (yew tern)

Research history

Mianhuayu and fanhuayu are located about 65 kilometers north of Keelung. They belong to the jurisdiction of Keelung municipal government as well as pengjiayu. They are volcanic islands independent of Taiwan Island. Among them, mianhuayu and huahuayu have relatively complete natural features and volcanic geological features because of their steep terrain and early military control zones, which are less disturbed by human activities.

In 1886, after the Sino French war, Dr. Mackay described that there were tens of thousands of birds living on mianhuayu. Later, in the investigation report on pengjiayu by Japanese scholar Yi Neng xiju, he even reported that there were three natural resources in this area: cetaceans, albatrosses and big fishing grounds. The descriptions of natural resources of mianhuayu and fanhuayu in recent years include: the rare white bellied bonito recorded in the preliminary investigation of bird resources in specific areas of National Museum of marine science and technology; the breeding records of Black Tern, white browed tern, white bellied bonito, Sandpiper, rock heron and other birds recorded by Keelung wild bird society Dynamic record. In view of the importance of mianhuayu and fanhuayu in the breeding, transit and habitat of birds, the Council of Agriculture announced mianhuayu and fanhuayu as important habitats for wildlife on June 12, 1995. In order to avoid human disturbance and damage to the natural landscape, Keelung municipal government designated them as wildlife reserves on March 18, 1996. The main purpose of the project is to protect the birds and ecological environment, as well as the unique topography and geological landscape, and promote bird watching activities, so as to strengthen the natural ecological conservation.

Usage management

Land use status

Mianhuayu: it has been registered as state-owned land without Garrison and military facilities. After being designated as a protected area, it was managed by Keelung municipal government of China. Wanyinggong temple is the only man-made building on the island, which is uninhabited.

Vase Island: it is an uninhabited island, which has not been registered as state-owned land. After it is designated as a protected area, the competent authority is conducting land survey, and after land registration, it will be handed over to Keelung municipal government of China for management.

Management status

Zoning planning into core area and slow down area

Flushing area:

1. Core area: mianhuayu and fanhuayu.

2. Buffer zone: the average low tide line of mianhuayu extends 500 meters and the average low tide line of fanhuayu extends 200 meters.

Address: an island about 65 km off the north coast of Keelung

Longitude: 122.105551

Latitude: 25.485004

Ticket information: no ticket required.

Chinese PinYin : Mian Hua Yu