Makung

Makung or Magong (馬公 Mǎgōng in Mandarin, Má-keng in Minnan) is a city of 60,000 people (2014) city in the offshore Penghu Islands of Taiwan. It is the only city on the islands. The city has many historical sites tracing back to the Ming Dynasty.

Get in

See Penghu page to see how to reach Makung by ferry or by plane from Taiwan main island, or from Kinmen island.

By ferry

• 1 Magong Harbor (馬公港). The harbor serves boat trips to Kaohsiung, Tainan and Chiayi. (updated Jun 2019)

By plane

• 2 Penghu Airport (formerly Magong Airport) (澎湖機場), ☏ +886 6 922 9123. Flights operate from here to Taipei–Songshan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Tainan, and Chiayi. (updated Jun 2019)

Get around

The city is walkable. Otherwise, there are plenty of motorbike rental shops.

See

Central street

Historical sites

• 1 Central Street (中央街), ☏ +886 6 927 4400. 24 hr. The oldest street in the city, buildings along this street also show a mixture of Western and Fujianese elements. (updated Jun 2019)
• 2 Courbet Memorial (孤拔紀念碑). A memorial to the French admiral Amédée Courbet who was involved in several naval engagements between France and China in 1885. (updated Apr 2020)
• 3 First Guesthouse (第一賓館), No. 15, Jieshou Road, ☏ +886 6 926 9413. F-Su 09:00-17:00. An historic guesthouse which was frequented by the President of the ROC, Chiang Kai-shek. (updated Apr 2020)
• 4 Four-eyed Well (四眼井), No. 40, Zhongyang Street, ☏ +886 6 926 1141 (#138). A historical water well, it is thought to have been dug during the Yuan or Ming dynasties. (updated Jun 2019)
• 5 Jinguitou Fortress (金龜頭砲臺). An old former fort that was previously an artillery battery. (updated Jun 2019)
• 6 Magong Old City Wall (澎湖廳城). The remains of the old city walls and one of the gates which were originally completed in 1889. (updated Apr 2020)
• 7 Mazu Temple (天后宮), ☏ +886 6 926 2819. The temple claims to be the oldest in Taiwan, possibly dating to the early Ming in the 15th century. (updated Jun 2019)
• 8 Old House of Family Hsu, Suogang (鎖港許祖取古宅). 09:00-16:00. An old family residence built for the Hsu family. (updated Apr 2020)
• 9 Penghu Reclamation Hall (澎湖開拓館), No. 30, Zhiping Road, ☏ +886 6 927 8952. W-Su 10:00-12:00, 13:30-17:00. The building was constructed in 1935 as the official residence of the Hōko Prefecture governor. After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China in 1945, the building became the official residence of the Penghu County magistrate. (updated Jun 2019)
• 10 Qimei Lighthouse (七美燈塔). The lighthouse was built in 1939. It was the last lighthouse built by the Japanese government. (updated Jun 2019)
• 11 Tropic of Cancer Avenue (虎井嶼北回歸線追日大道), ☏ +886 69216521. A decorative concrete 'avenue' which marks the point at which the Tropic of Cancer passes through the island. (updated Jun 2020)
• 12 Hijing Military Observatory (虎井軍事觀測所). A decommissioned military obersvation point with a number of rooms set up as they would have been when the facility was in use. (updated Jun 2020)

Museums

• 13 Ocean Resources Museum (澎湖縣立文化局海洋資源館), No. 230, Zhonghua Road, ☏ +886 6 926 1141 (#216). W-Su 09:00-12:00, 14:00-17:00. A museum dealing with marine life, business, and conservation. (updated Jun 2019)
• 14 Penghu Fossil Museum (澎湖化石館), 236 Zhonghua Road, ☏ +886 6 926 1141 (#224). W-Su 09:00-12:00, 14:00-17:00. (updated Jun 2019)
• 15 Penghu Living Museum (澎湖生活博物館), No. 327, Xinsheng Road, ☏ +886 6 921 0405. F-W 09:00-17:00. A museum dedicated to the customs and culture of Penghu built in 2010. (updated Jun 2019)
• 16 Chang Yu-sheng Memorial Museum (張雨生紀念館), ☏ +886 6 926 0412. Daily 08:00-17:30. A museum about singer Chang Yu-sheng (updated Jun 2019)

Temples

Penghu martyrs' shrine

• 17 Daguankou Guanyin Temple (大關口觀音寺). A smaller temple situated at the tip of a peninsular jutting out into Magong harbour. (updated Apr 2020)
• 18 Magong Beiji Temple (東甲北極殿), ☏ +886 6 927 3614. A temple primarily devoted to the god Xuanwu. The date of construction of this temple is unknown, but the date of some repairs is recorded to be 1791. (updated Jun 2019)
• 19 Magong Chenghuang Temple (媽宮城隍廟), No. 20, Guangming Road, ☏ +886 6 927 3724. Completed in 1779, the temple serves the Taoist city god. (updated Jun 2019)
• 20 Mazu Temple (天后宮), ☏ +886 6 926 2819. Claims to be the oldest temple in all of Taiwan, its exact age is disputed, but it is thought to date from the 15th century. (updated Apr 2020)
• 21 Penghu Guanyin Temple (觀音亭), No. 7, Jieshou Road, ☏ +886 6 927 8535. Established in 1696 and dedicated to the goddess Guanyin, the temple is a popular attraction during the annual fireworks festival held between April and June. (updated Jun 2019)
• 22 Penghu Martyrs' Shrine (澎湖忠烈祠), No. 203, Xinsheng Road, ☏ +886 6 927 4400 ext 319. A shrine to those who lost their lives in the service of Taiwan, built on the site of a previous Japanese colonial era temple to Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa. (updated Apr 2020)
• 23 Shigong Temple (施公祠), No. 10, Lane 1, Zhongyang Street, ☏ +886 6 921 6521. Commemorating Shi Lang (Navy during the Qing dynasty), the temple was established some time between 1683 and 1696. (updated Jun 2019)
• 24 Wukan Fazang Temple (烏崁法藏寺), ☏ +886 6 921 6550. A large Buddhist temple complex in Wukan district. (updated Apr 2020)
• 25 Ziwei Palace (鎖港紫微宮), Suogang Village, ☏ +886 6 995 2579. A large temple building that features a massive statue sitting atop the roof. (updated Apr 2020)
• 26 Tongpan Fuhai Temple, ☏ +886 69291279. An ornate, dark red temple on Tongpan island. (updated Jun 2020)
• 27 Hujing Guanyin Temple (虎井觀音寺), ☏ +886 69291112. 05:00-20:00. A temple to the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin, with a highly decorated roof on the island of Hujing. (updated Jun 2020)

Do

Parks and nature

• 1 Chungwei Memorial Park (重威紀念公園). A public park in Magong City, Penghu, Taiwan which is dedicated to the physician Lin Chong-wei (林重威) who died during the SARS epidemic in 2003. (updated Apr 2020)
• 2 Guanyinting Recreation Area (觀音亭親水遊憩區), No. 7, Jieshou Road, ☏ +886 6 927 3615. 24 hr. An outdoor area of sports grounds, beaches, parkland, and the multi-coloured Xiying Rainbow Bridge. (updated Jun 2019)
• 3 Guanyin Park (觀音公園). A park on the western side of Hujing island which features a large statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy. (updated Jun 2020)

Eat

Siwei Vermicelli of Penghu

Siwei Vermicelli of Penghu it is reckoned that due to the climate of the island, it is a good place to produce vermicelli, and many noodle makers settled on the island as a result.

Drink

• One House. Small pub with a full bar and a larger upstairs area. Thursday night is Tourist Night, 20 percent off on all drinks. No English menu. 
• Freud (Downtown Magong area, on the intersection of Sinsheng Rd. and Jhongsing Rd.). Old fashioned pub, good mixed drinks, good selections of beers. (You can even get a Guinness here!) Also serving food with a full menu in English. 

Sleep

Book ahead because hotels can fill up fast in summer. Hotels offer discounts in the off-season (winter and early spring).

• MF Hotel PengHu
• Bowa Hotel (near Magong Harbor)
• Yi Mei B&B (traditional style)
• Bayhouse Hostel Penghu (close to the beach in the suburbs)

Connect

4G connection is available everywhere.

Go next

See Penghu for other cities and islands around Makung.