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38-480: Chongwu Town is in the southeastern part of Hui'an County, on a peninsula jutting into Taiwan Strait . The town's historical center, the Old Chongwu Fortress ( Chinese : 崇武古城 , Chongwu Gu Cheng ) is a walled city dating to the late 14th century ( Hongwu Emperor 's reign; the conventional date is 1384). The traditional Hui'an County vernacular architecture , making heavy use of the local granite,

76-683: A lobe up to 40 m thick in the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. The Strait mostly separated the Han culture of the Chinese mainland from Taiwan Island 's aborigines for millennia, although the Hakka and Hoklo traded and migrated across it. European explorers , principally the Portuguese , Spanish and Dutch , also took advantage of the strait to establish forward bases for trade with

114-582: A short ravine of that depth off the southwest coast of Taiwan. As such, there are many islands in the strait. The largest and most important islands off the coast of Fujian are Xiamen , Gulangyu , Pingtan (the "Haitan" of the IHO delineation), Kinmen , and Matsu . The first three are controlled by the People's Republic of China (PRC); the last two by the Republic Of China (ROC). Within the strait lie

152-650: Is a 180-kilometer (110 mi; 97 nmi)-wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and the Asian continent . The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is 130 km (81 mi; 70 nmi) wide. Former names of the Taiwan Strait include the Formosa Strait or Strait of Formosa , from a dated name for Taiwan ;

190-777: Is also sometimes known as Eluan Pi or Oluanpi ; as Gaw-loan-phi , Ngoluanpi , or Goa-loan-pi from its Hokkien pronunciation; or as South Cape from its position. Eluanbi is the southernmost point of the Hengchun Peninsula , making it the southernmost point on Formosa or Taiwan Island . The area's geologic formation is known as the Eluanbi Beds ( 層 , céng ), a Pleistocene stratum of yellow and brown sand , gravel , and clay . The nearby highlands are considered an extension of Taiwan's Central Mountain Range . Current international agreement places

228-703: Is building major wind farms in the strait. Eluan Cape Cape Eluanbi or Oluanpi , also known by other names , is the southernmost point on the island of Taiwan . It is located in Eluanbi Park within the Hengchun Township in Pingtung County . Éluánbí is the pinyin romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of its Chinese name 鵝鑾 鼻 . These characters literally mean " Goose Bell Nose ", but actually transcribe

266-629: Is largely preserved within the walled city. A large sculpture park is located on the narrow strip south of the fortress, between the city wall and the beach. A memorial hall and the Chongwu Army temple ( 解放军庙 ) on the beach just west of town commemorate an engagement between the PLA infantry and the Nationalist air force that took place here in 1949. A significant amount of hospitality establishment, from luxury to budget hotels, are located outside

304-675: The Strait of Fokien or Fujian , from the Chinese province forming the strait's western shore; and the Black Ditch , a calque of the strait's name in Hokkien and Hakka . The Taiwan Strait is the body of water separating Fujian Province from Taiwan Island . The international agreement does not define the Taiwan Strait but places its waters within the South China Sea , whose northern limit runs from Cape Fugui (the northernmost point on Taiwan Island ; Fukikaku) to Niushan Island to

342-620: The Eight Views of Taiwan . The cape was a major station for the Japanese whaling industry , targeting humpback whales in Banana and South Bays . The site's importance to the whaling industry was underscored by the design of its Shinto shrine , one of only five in the world to use baleen whales ' jawbones to form their torii gates. The fortified lighthouse was seriously damaged again during World War II by Allied bombing ;

380-783: The First Sino-Japanese War and gained control of Taiwan at its conclusion in 1895. Control of the eastern half of the strait was used to establish control of the southern Chinese coast during the Second World War . The strait protected Japanese bases and industry in Taiwan from Chinese attack and sabotage, but aerial warfare reached the island by 1943. The 1944 Formosa Air Battle gave the United States Pacific Fleet air supremacy from its carrier groups and Philippine bases; subsequently,

418-884: The Penghu or the Pescadores, also controlled by the ROC. There is a major underwater bank 40–60 km (25–37 mi) north of the Penghu Islands. All of Fujian Province's rivers except the Ting run into the Taiwan Strait. The largest two are the Min and the Jiulong . A theoretical "median line", also known as the Davis line, was defined down the middle of the strait by US Air Force General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. in 1955, after which

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456-651: The Southern Ming branches of the old imperial dynasty. Dorgon and the Kangxi Emperor were able to consolidate their control over southern mainland China; Koxinga found himself limited to raiding across the strait. His grandson Zheng Keshuang surrendered to the Qing after his admiral lost the 1683 Battle of the Penghu Islands in the middle of the strait. Japan seized the Penghu Islands during

494-700: The Taiwan Strait , and part of the western border of the Philippine Sea. Informally, Eluanbi may also be considered part of the Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel between the territory of Taiwan and the Philippines . Archaeologists have found evidence of prehistoric habitation at Eluanbi dating to around 3100   BC. The remains are similar to those of the Xiantao culture found on

532-577: The Third Taiwan Strait Crisis . These confrontations did not result in large-scale military conflicts between China and Taiwan. In the 21st century, the Cross-Strait relations stabilized, leading to the establishment of Three Links on 15 December 2008, with the commencement of direct commercial flights, shipping, and post across the Taiwan Strait. On 25 May 2002, China Airlines Flight 611 broke up in mid-air and crashed into

570-445: The Chinese construction projects, which necessitated garrisoning and fortifying Eluanbi. The lighthouse itself was finally raised between 1881 and 1883, entering service on 1 April 1883. The lighthouse, its staff, and its garrison were initially overseen by British customs officers and German military officers. The site was protected by 18-pound cannons , Gatling guns , and a mortar . Provisions were kept for three weeks in

608-606: The North: A line joining the coast of China (25° 42′ N - 119° 36′ E) eastward to Xiang Cape (25° 40′ N - 119° 47′ 10″ E), the northern extremity of Haitan Island , and thence to Fugui Cape (25° 17′ 45″ N - 121° 32′ 30″ E), the northern extremity of Taiwan Island (the common limit with the East China Sea , see 7.3). On the East: From Fugui Cape southward, along the western coast of Taiwan Island , to Eluan Cape (21° 53′ 45″ N - 120° 51′ 30″ E),

646-401: The Taiwan Strait, killing all 225 people on board. On 26 February 2022, China denounced the sailing of the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS  Ralph Johnson through the Taiwan Strait as a "provocative act". Since 2018 China has denied that the concept of international waters applies to the Taiwan Strait. China does not claim sovereignty over

684-690: The US pressured both sides not to cross it. As a tacit understanding, it never gained official or legal status. The PRC avoided the line when its air and naval powers were still weak but has never recognized the median line. Aircraft from Taiwan crossed it frequently until the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1958. After its first encroachment in 1999, China has sent aircraft over the median line with increasing regularity, although it tries not to do so when relations with Taiwan are good. In 2019, Taiwan's defense ministry provided coordinates for

722-554: The area's lowlands from the 8th century and were the first to greatly sinify themselves. Under the early Qing , the area around the cape continued to be held by Taiwanese aborigines such as the Paiwan . The cape's strong currents and nearby Qixingyan reefs produced numerous shipwrecks , provoking international incidents in the case of the Rover in 1867 and a Ryukyu convoy in 1871 that led to American and Japanese invasions of

760-534: The area's river valleys and lowlands; the Kueishan culture followed them around the 2nd century and the Ami around the 5th. By that point, hunting had become a ritual act and pastime for its well-developed farming communities, rather than a means of survival. The Paiwan eventually replaced the local people in the highlands, expanding from the north. The Siraya , from a legendary origin on Xiaoliuqiu , settled into

798-635: The bombing was continuous until Japan's surrender in 1945. The rapid advance of the Communist PLA in 1949 provoked the government's retreat across the Taiwan Strait. In the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War , People's Republic of China and Republic of China had multiple brief armed conflicts on the Taiwan Strait, consequently named the First Taiwan Strait Crisis , the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis , and

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836-640: The boundary between the East and South China Seas at Cape Fugui , Taiwan's northernmost point, but Eluanbi—still under its Japanese name "Garan Bi"— forms part of the boundary between the East China and Philippine Seas . The still-unapproved draft for a new edition of the IHO 's Limits of Oceans and Seas makes "Eluan Cape" part of the northern boundary of the South China Sea the southern boundary of

874-767: The entire strait but seeks to regulate what it views as "support for the Taiwan authorities and muscle-flexing against the mainland". This position has led to concerns from American, Australian, and French officials and objection from Taiwan. "International waters" is technically not defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea , and there is no high seas corridor within the Taiwan Strait, but transit rights mimicking high seas such as innocent passage and freedom of navigation are generally allowed within exclusive economic zones . Fishermen have used

912-459: The event of a siege. The Qing structure was heavily damaged during the First Sino-Japanese War , with the retreating Qing attempting to demolish it themselves. It was repaired in 1898 following the Japanese occupation of the island . It was under Japanese occupation that the cape was recognized as the southernmost point on the island, and the lighthouse was popularized by the Japanese as one of

950-460: The island. The American consul at Xiamen (then known as "Amoy") Charles Le Gendre advised the Viceroy of Liangjiang Shen Baozhen of the risk to Chinese control of Taiwan posed by its official disavowal of control over native-held lands on the island. Shen reformed the civil and military administrations on Taiwan, launched assaults against restive tribes, and began a public works program on

988-403: The islands of Taitung County but known locally as "Oluanpi-I". Pottery and weaving began to appear under the "Kenting" around 2500   BC. Around 1500   BC, the "Oluanpi-III" curtailed lowland farming and retreated to more defensive communities in the highlands; it developed into the "Oluanpi-IV" around 50   BC. About the same time, the separate Hsiang-lin culture settled in

1026-826: The larger Kenting National Park that covers the southern end of the Hengchun Peninsula. A viewing platform with a rock marker at the island's southernmost point has become a tourist attraction. Fishing and marine sports are popular in the area, but it also includes some nature reserves such as the Longkeng Ecological Protection Area ( 龍 坑 生態 保護區 ). Located around Banana Bay, Longkeng preserves coral reefs and an old-growth forest . The seas around Eluanbi are no longer home to any native whales, but it remains abundantly stocked with smaller cetaceans such as dolphins , with sea turtles , and bull sharks . In particular,

1064-499: The local Hokkien pronunciation Gô-lôan , used as a transliteration of the Paiwan goran (" sail "). This may be a reference to nearby Sail Rock . The "nose" in the name is a dialectical term for a cape , as in nearby Cape Maobitou . Under the Qing, it was sometimes known as "Linhaishan". Under Japanese rule, the cape was known as Garan Bi or Garanbi from the Japanese pronunciation of characters in Eluanbi. It

1102-608: The mainland during the Ming ; the bases were also used for raiding both the Chinese coast and the trading ships of rival countries. Widespread Chinese migration across the strait began in the late Ming . During the Qing conquest , Zheng Chenggong ( Koxinga ) expelled the Dutch and established the Kingdom of Tungning in 1661, planning to launch a reconquest of the mainland in the name of

1140-413: The median line. The ministry recognizes the line as running from 27°N, 122°E in the north to 23°N, 118°E on the southern end. Each year, Taiwan's rivers carry up to 370 million tons of sediments into the sea, including 60 to 150 million tons deposited into the Taiwan Strait. During the past ten thousand years, 600 billion tons of riverine sediments have been deposited in the Taiwan Strait, locally forming

1178-533: The mouth of the Hanjiang River (23° 27′ 30″ N - 116° 52′ E), on the coast of China (the common limit with the South China Sea, see 6.1). On the West: From the mouth of Hanjiang River northeastward, along the coast of China, to position 25° 42′ N - 119° 36′ E. The entire strait is on Asia's continental shelf . It is almost entirely less than 150 m (490 ft; 82 fathoms) deep, with

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1216-495: The next two years by teams under Li Kuang-chou . In 1992 Eluanbi Lighthouse was among the first lighthouses on Taiwan to be opened to the general public, and its popularity motivated the Maritime and Port Bureau to open others elsewhere. By 2014, it was receiving more than 300,000 visitors a year, many of them tourists from Mainland China . The cape is located within the 59 ha (150-acre) Eluanbi Park, part of

1254-561: The shrine was destroyed at the same time. The Nationalist government rebuilt the lighthouse in 1947. The accidental exposure of several stone coffins near the lighthouse in 1956 prompted investigation of the area by the archaeologists Sung Wen-tung and Lin Chao-chi that year and again in 1966. The lighthouse grounds were turned into a national park in 1982. During the construction of paths and walkways prior to its opening, further prehistoric relics were found in 1981 and excavated over

1292-702: The southern coast including a lighthouse at Eluanbi . Construction of the lighthouse fell under the purview of the British diplomat Robert Hart , who served as inspector general of the Imperial Maritime Customs Service . He sent agents to purchase the southern cape from the leaders of the Kuie Chia Chiao ( 龜 仔 角 ; Guīzǎijiǎo ) in 1875. This gesture did not keep the Paiwan and other tribes from raids and assaults against

1330-486: The southern extremity of this island. On the South: A line joining Eluan Cape northwestward, along the southern banks of Nanao Island , to the southeastern extremity of this island (23° 23′ 35″ N - 117° 07′ 15″ E); thence westward, along the southern coast of Nanao Island , to Changshan Head (23° 25′ 50″ N - 116° 56′ 25″ E), the western extremity of this island; and thence a line joining Changshan Head westward to

1368-478: The southernmost point of Pingtan Island and thence westward along the parallel 25° 24′ N. to the coast of Fujian Province . The draft for a new edition of the IHO 's Limits of Oceans and Seas does precisely define the Taiwan Strait, classifying it as part of the North Pacific Ocean . It makes the Taiwan Strait a body of water between the East and South China Seas and delimits it: On

1406-554: The strait as a fishing resource since time immemorial. In the modern world, it is the gateway used by ships of almost every kind on passage to and from nearly all the important ports in Northeast Asia . Chinese vessels often trespass into Taiwanese territorial waters to fish or dredge sand, leading to interceptions by the Coast Guard Administration as well as seizures, confiscations, and fines. Taiwan

1444-488: The walled city. Chongwu's eastern peninsula, extending east of central Chongwu into Taiwan Strait , contains a number of fishing and farming villages. Toward the east, the peninsula is split in two by the scenic Ben Ji An Bay ( 畚箕垵澳 ). A Neolithic archeological site, Dazuoshan ( 大岞山新石器时代遗址 ), is found on the "north fork" of the peninsula. This Fujian location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Taiwan Strait The Taiwan Strait

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