Penghu's spring/summer tourist drive starts with a bang this weekend when breathtaking pyrotechnics displays featuring a myriad of explosive colorful creations by leading fireworks manufacturers and teams from Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong light up the night skies over the town of Makung.
Jointly organized by the Penghu County Government and the Tourism Bureau's Penghu Department, the Penghu Sea Fireworks Festival was first held in 2003 and has now become an integral part of the offshore island's annual tourist drive, which runs from April through September.
Fireworks displays will take place every other day from tomorrow through June 18 and can be seen from 31 locales in and around the Makung area. The best spot to catch an eyeful of the fireworks, however, is from the Huanyinting Baohai Coastal Park.
Located just outside of Makung, the park offers spectacular vistas and for the duration of the fireworks festival will be home to a host of tourist related activities ranging from fairground-style rides to nightmarket-style food stalls. The fireworks displays will be accompanied by live music from several local orchestras and ensembles.
Once a hugely popular destination for local tourists, Penghu has been plagued by ever-decreasing numbers of visitors over the past few years. According to the Penghu Tourism Bureau the island's tourism industry reached its peak in 2001, when more than 441,000 people visited the island archipelago. This figure dropped by an estimated 23 percent in 2003 and has only recently begun to pick up again.
In order to attract more visitors, organizers have increased the period in which the fireworks festival runs to three months this year, and domestic airlines will be helping out with special deals on long-weekend breaks as well as reduced-price tickets for weekday travel to the islands.
Along with enjoying the fiery spectacle, visitors are also encouraged to participate in and enjoy many of the island's other outdoor and predominately water-based tourist activities.
Over the past four years the central and local governments have invested millions in promoting water sports in Penghu, so while the number of visitors has dropped off, the quality of the activities offered has vastly improved.
Even before the island became a part of the Asian Windsurfing Tour, local windsurfers were taking to the seas off Penghu thanks to the wind that whips across the island. Since its incorporation into the tour five years ago, Penghu has become a Mecca for windsurfers from around the world.
Along with windsurfing, one of the other popular water sports is sailing. The Penghu Sailing Commission has been actively promoting sailing for over a decade, but it is only in the past couple of years that newcomers to the sport have been taking to the seas in small single-rigged sail boats. One of the biggest sailing centers is located near the Kuanying Temple just outside of Makung.
Of course, visitors don't have take to the water to enjoy Penghu. As Pengu is relatively flat, cycling is a great way to get around and see many of the island's most popular sites and coastal vistas. One of the island's other most popular activities is bird watching, which is best enjoyed on one of the archipelago's outlying islands. Daily boat trips to the islands of Jishanyu, Tiechanyu and Donggouyu can be arranged via the Penghu Wild Bird Association.
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