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Xiao Liuqiu (Little Liuqiu) Travel Guide

Xiao Liuqiu is the small island located in the Taiwan Strait, not too far southeast of Kaohsiung City. In recent years, the island has seen an explosion in numbers of tourists (mostly young local Taiwanese) who make the short journey by fast ferry to its shores to dive, snorkel, eat seafood, or just ride a scooter along the scenic ring-road.
Little Liuqiu is still steeped in traditions and religious practices are still part of everyday life, especially for older people (as seen in this video).


gebanwan beach Xiao liuqiu taiwan
Geban Bay (Gebanwan)

Table of Contents

  • Many names for a small island
  • Facts about Xiao Liuqiu
  • Convenience, convenience!!
  • Renting a scooter on Xiao Liuqiu
    • My #1 advice when visiting Lamay Island
    • My #2 Advice
    • Scenic Spots and Attractions at Xiao Liuqiu
    • From Fishing Rod to Selfie Stick
  • Diving and Snorkeling on Xiao Liuqiu

Many names for a small island

Xiao Liuqiu goes by quite a few names. In Chinese it’s 小琉球, in pinyin Xiǎo Liúqiú, and in English and most travel guidebook it’s Little Liuqiu. It’s former name was Lamay or Lambay Island and to this day, many maps (Google Maps included) still refer to it as such. I know it’s quite confusing. For sake of clarity, I will refer to it as Xiao Liuqiu throughout this article.

taiwanese man Little liuqiu
A Taiwanese man performs Dangki (Jitong) at a local temple near Baishawei Fishing Harbor

Facts about Xiao Liuqiu

  • Total land area: 6.8 square km
  • Population: +/-13,000 people
  • Distance from Taiwan mainland: 15 kilometres
  • There are no rivers on the island.
  • It is one of Taiwan’s largest coral islands
  • The island has a tropical climate, with warm temperatures year round.
  • There are 38 temples on the island.
  • One of the only places in Taiwan where you can spot green sea turtles
  • There are 8 villages on the island.
Little liuqiu bay taiwan
Baishawei Harbour 白沙尾漁港

Convenience, convenience!!

One word that describes well the experience of traveling to Xiao Liuqui is convenience. The boat ride from Donggang is fast, cheap, and comfortable. You can rent a scooter within minutes after arriving at Baisha Port. There are hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of B&Bs all over the place, and just like on the mainland, there are 7-11 and Family Mart open 24h a day.

scooter rental xiao liuqiu
Scooter rental near the ferry boat wharf at Baishawei Harbor

Renting a scooter on Xiao Liuqiu

Easy! Just outside Baisha Port, you’ll see a line of scooter rental shops. They usually ask for 400NT$ per day. Cut the price! You should simply say 300NT$. The shop owner will most likely agree for 350NT$. Leave a piece of ID, grab the key and go. You are required by law to wear a helmet, but most people don’t.

rental scooter little liuqiu taiwan
A 125cc scooter I rented on my last trip. 350NT$ for a day.

There are also quite a few shops which offer Gogoro electrical scooters for rent, you should expect to pay quite a lot more for these. Many guesthouses and hostels offer scooter rental as part of their package, so you should ask about that option before you rent your own set of wheels at Baisha Port.

Make sure to check the tire and brakes condition before you set off around the island. Take a few pictures of the bike before you leave as proof of the exact condition (scratches / dents) the scooter was when you took possession of it.

Taiwanese tourists on little liuqiu
Watching the sunset along the ring road

My #1 advice when visiting Lamay Island

If I could give you only one recommendation when planning your trip to Little Liuqiu, it would be to go during the week. Weekends are really, really overcrowded, and you might even have to wait for quite a few hours in line at the pier to board a ferry as there are not enough boats on schedule to move such a huge amount of tourists in one go.

Xiaoliuqiu guesthouse b&b
Traditional guesthouse on Xiao Liuqiu

My #2 Advice

Book your room in advance! Although there are tons of B&Bs, guesthouses, and hostels on Xiao Liuqiu Island, it’s quite common for all the rooms to be booked on weekends and holidays. On my last trip there, I didn’t book in advance, and I was stuck on the island past the last ferry back to the mainland… I somehow managed to get a room somewhere, but I thought at one point that I was gonna have to spend the night on a beach or bench at the harbor. So book in advance, either through AirBnB or Hotels Combined. You can use the box below to search for a room.


Beauty cave little liuqiu
The entrance to Beauty Cave

Scenic Spots and Attractions at Xiao Liuqiu

The Visitor Center lists 27 scenic spots around the island. Some of those “attractions” are nothing more than a rock sticking out of the sea, a path on a beach, or a hole in a hillside. The outrageous part about this is that there are maps, brochures, and even formal entrance access points with gates and even ticket booths to make you pay to see those somewhat uneventful features. I personally have a profound aversion to paying (even if it’s just a dollar!) to access nature, especially if it has absolutely nothing special!

Old chinese house xiao liuqiu
Old Chinese house inland

I’m not saying you shouldn’t go and pay for those attractions, but I just want to warn you that you may end up inside a cave, on a tourist path, or in the middle of the forest, surrounded by hundreds of tourists wondering: “That’s it!? Why did I have to pay for this!? Let’s get the hell out of here!”

Seaview Shoy B&B xiao liu qiu
Seaview Shoy B&B

I think one of the best ways to discover a place like Xiao Liuqiu Island is to just wander around on your scooter or by foot and let the sights of normal daily life charm you. The island is home to a population that is still somewhat living in the past, and that is still observing many ancient traditions. Just ride around with your camera in hand, and you’ll be surprised how random small alleys can lead to wonderful discoveries.

From Fishing Rod to Selfie Stick

The older folks on Liuqiu have seen war, poverty, growth, tourism, all forms of extreme changes and challenges. They’ve seen their island transformed from a culture of fishermen and seafarers, to an amusement-park-looking place with hundreds of young kids zooming by their front yard holding selfie sticks on electrical scooters.

Diving and Snorkeling on Xiao Liuqiu

Being a coral island surrounded by pristine water and amazing sea life, Xiao Liu qiu is understandably a very popular destination for divers and snorkelers. There are quite a few diving schools around the island, and even more places where you can rent snorkeling gear.

Happy fish diving center xiao liuqiu
Happy Fish Diving Center

I recommend you do your research before committing to a diving center. You want to double-check their safety record, as well as their policy regarding the maximum divers they take on trips. There’s quite a lot of horror stories about diving schools and snorkel day trip organizers who bring as many people as possible on outings.

Rat rock xiao liuqiu
Rat Rock 老鼠石

 

Five kings temple xiaoliuqiu taiwan
Five Kings Temple 五王宮

 

Huashan Daitian Temple Little Liuqiu
Huashan Daitian Temple 華山代天宮

 

Fast boat to xiao liuqiu
A round way ticket to Little Liuqiu Island only costs 410NT$.

 

Little liuqiu xiao liuqiu boat ferry ticket in donggang
Boat tickets can be bought at Dongliu Ferry Terminal in Donggang

 

Filed Under: The Islands Tagged With: Beaches, Nature, Pingtung County

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