Taiwan Outlying Islands Events

The island calendar is small, local and closely tied to the sea.

Penghu International Fireworks Festival — April to June

Displays fired several nights a week over Magong harbour through the spring, framed by the rainbow bridge, with concerts and markets alongside. It was started to extend the island’s season beyond the summer and has become Penghu’s biggest draw; accommodation books up on display nights.

Matsu blue tears — April to August

Not a festival but a seasonal phenomenon: Noctiluca plankton bloom in the waters around the islands and glow an intense blue when disturbed, lighting the surf line and the wake of a boat. Best on moonless nights with a light onshore wind, and boat operators run trips to find them. It is genuinely unpredictable — some nights nothing.

Flying fish season — March to June, Orchid Island

The Tao ritual year turns on this. A summoning ceremony opens the season, men fish at night from the plank boats, and strict rules govern who may catch, prepare and eat each kind of fish. Parts of it are closed to outsiders, and visitors should ask rather than assume.

Green Island human rights events — December

The former prison, now the National Human Rights Museum’s White Terror memorial park, holds commemorations around International Human Rights Day, and former political prisoners return to the island for them. It is a quiet counterpoint to the snorkelling and the hot spring, and the site itself — cell blocks, a parade ground and a slogan carved into the hillside — is open year round.

Temple festivals

Penghu’s Tianhou Temple marks Mazu’s birthday in the third lunar month with processions through Magong, and Kinmen holds Wind Lion God observances and a lively calendar of village temple days. Kinmen also commemorates the Guningtou battle each October.