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Joseph: Today on "Travelscope," I enjoy summer fun on Taiwan's Penghu Islands and explore the islands' entertaining mix of historical, cultural, and natural experiences.

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Joseph: Taiwan is an island country of 23 million people, and a majority of them live in a handful of cities.

When they seek to leave their hectic urban life behind, they escape to the country's villages, mountains, forests, and islands.

Recently, their getaway of choice has been the Penghu Archipelago in the Taiwan Straits, a chain of 64 isles and islets, 20 inhabited, 50 minutes by air from the capital of Taipei.

Here, they enjoy summer fun in the sun, while also experiencing Taiwan's historical, cultural, and natural heritage.

[Speaking native language] The islands of the Penghu Archipelago were originally called Ilhas dos Pescadores by the 16th-century Portuguese sailors, which means Island of the Fishermen, and the first Chinese settlers and fishermen came here as early as the 9th century.

Now, an early morning visit to any of the network of ports here on the Magong Island or throughout the islands will make it very clear to you that the sea is still a major source of survival for the islanders.

This is the main hall here at the market.

The fishing boats have brought in their catch.

All sorts of different kinds of fish are on the floor, and retailers are purchasing from the wholesalers in bulk-- restaurants, hotels, other fish markets.

Each of the buyers is given a number, and they lay it on the fish that they want.

I don't know how everybody keeps track of things, but it's been going on for centuries.

Joseph: Is this your fish?

Man: Yes.

We have small boat, and we have 4 people on the boat.

You were sailing for 2 days, 3 nights.

Is the fishing still good?

So, so many fish.

So many islands.

You know, I've been to lots of markets in the world, and I love markets.

It's where the people come, and you get a real flavor of the destination, but nothing is like this fish market.

I mean, I've got blood, fish guts all over me.

Everything is splashing around.

It's buying and selling going on, and all sorts of different fish.

Many of them, I've never seen before, and these are being sold directly to the people who come every day to get their fish.

Peter.

This is my guide Peter.

What kind of fish are these?

[Speaking native language] [Speaking native language] Oh.

Is torquan fish, some sort of, like, snapper.

Ha ha!

That's a good description-- some kind of snapper.

Look at the little baby squid.

Oh.

They are ready for eating.

You should try one.

Oh, me?

OK. Oh!

It's very fresh.

[Speaking native language] She said, "Eat more, please."

Ha ha!

Oh, wow.

They're very, very good.

They're really good.

So fresh.

Here.

Have another one.

Oh!

I'll have one.

Ha ha ha!

This is a little bit big.

What is this fish here?

Grouper.

Grouper, I know.

It's probably one of the only fish so far that I know, except for squid.

There are thousands and thousands of pounds of fish that come here every day.

And people come to Penghu to eat seafood.

That's what they come here for-- one of the attractions.

The seas that surround the Penghu Archipelago are rich with seafood, as you can see from the fish that are surrounding me.

What do you do with those thousands of kilos of fish that are caught every day?

You can't eat them all.

You preserve them, and the traditional way to preserve fish is by salting and drying them.

Now, what they do at the small seafood factory here behind me is, the fish come in about 5:00 in the morning.

They're put in a vat of salt to marinate.

Then the salt is washed off, they're put into ovens to be cooked for about 10 minutes, and then they're laid out on a field like this to dry for a day and a half.

The final product is used as seasoning or to accompany other dishes, or they eat them like we do nuts, with a bottle of beer.

OK!

Hey!

These are the gentlemen-- you have to drink if you toast-- who go out every morning-- [Speaking native language] Oh, oh.

Well... to catch these.

They go out; they bring it back to their wives, who do all the processing here.

They've been back since 5:00, and they're on lunch hour or evening cocktail hour or...

Anyway, it's gonna be going on for quite a while.

[All toast in native language] Mmm!

They're good together.

We've certainly followed the fish story, all the way from the boats to the wholesale market.

Now we're here at the retail market, BeiChén.

But there's more than fish here.

There is fish, and there's shrimp, different kinds of seafood, but there's chicken-- Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Chicken feet, delicacy here in Taiwan and all the Chinese cultures.

There's a whole floor of other meats upstairs.

There's vegetables.

Ah!

Nice tomatoes.

And outside, under the umbrellas, is where the local people bring their goods from their gardens to make a little money on the side.

Do you speak English?

Yes, yes.

Wow.

Ni hao.

What is that?

That's watermelon.

Ha ha!

It's huge.

It's gigantic.

It's bigger than her.

Where are you from?

I'm from Taipei.

I got vacation from home.

What do you do when you're here?

Just looking around, and I go to the Qimei Island and come back here.

Everything touristy, I do.

Following the homegrown trail, I step back in time at the Nonliao community in Huxi Township on the main island.

The cultural immersion experiences here include being carted through the streets by oxen.

300-year-old taxi here.

This is really cool.

I like your hat.

[Speaking native language] It's good for the sun.

[Speaking native language] No.

Bad for the sun.

Lots of sun, yeah.

[Women singing in native language] Joseph: Looks like we have a flat tire.

[Ox grunts] Joseph, voiceover: Other activities demand a deeper and more personal commitment.

Nonliao is a 300-year-old village, and if you were to visit now, they would be happy to share with you some of their traditional methods that they used to be able to survive all of those years here on the islands.

They will show you how they built straw walls to protect their crops of peanuts and sweet potato and barley from the summer sun and also their vegetables in the winter from the fierce wind.

And since necessity is the mother of invention, they will show you how they created fuel on an island which is basically a desert island and how the recycled the manure of their animals into fuel for cooking and for heating, and the first step of that process is to take that cow manure and to mix it all up with your feet, and that's what my friend here and I are in the process of doing, and once you get it to a nice texture, creamy, oozing, and gooey, then you're ready for step 2.

[Singing in native language] [Humming] Oh, I see there's a little game you play here.

Ha ha!

I think it's an honor to be able to make patties together and to get a little bit on your face.

Uh!

Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

It is an honor.

When it's summer and hot and steamy, islanders and visitors of Magong City flock to Penghu Bay and up on Rainbow Bridge in order to cool off, bathe in the multicolored glow of the setting sun.

The Penghu Archipelago runs 36 miles north to south, 24 east to west, and spans just 54 square miles.

The home island consists of 3 major islands and 2 islets connected by bridges.

While its human presence dates back 5,000 years, it was formed from volcanic eruptions which took place 17 million years ago.

Evidence of its cataclysmic birth can be seen throughout the islands.

Like the Devils Tower in Wyoming and the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, Daguoye is an outcropping of basalt columns and the stuff that the Penghu Archipelago is made of.

It was formed hundreds of thousands of years ago from cooling volcanic lava.

Along with the coral walls and homes of the historic villages, it is one of the island's most distinct architectural features.

When the first settlers to Penghu in about 800 AD, they discovered very quickly that fisherman was the best occupation to have.

Well, first of all, they're islands, so there's plenty of fish out in the water, but also that their crops wouldn't do very well on this land, mainly because of the fierce winds that blow in the fall and the winter and bring saltwater, which would spoil the land and kill the crops.

Then they devised an interesting solution-- take the coral from the sea and make tall stone walls to protect their crops.

In its heyday, Erkan was a thriving community.

Many of the crops they were protecting from the wind were Chinese herbs, and 70% of the people made their living practicing traditional Chinese medicine.

Today, there are 100 people that live here in Erkan, and with the coming of tourism, many of the abandoned homes are in the process of being rebuilt or renovated.

This village has been here for 300 years.

The people who own this house have been here for 14 generations, and this is one of the traditional crafts on the island.

This is incense.

It's made from flowers-- chrysanthemum, wormwood, and cotton rose-- and what's interesting about this incense is not only does it smell good, but it also repels insects and creates good vibes for you.

These ladies are working extremely hard here.

How can I help you?

How do I do this?

Let's see.

OK.

Put...just like this.

And like this?

Oh, this is different, between mine and theirs.

OK, but you can make it better?

Ah.

The best solution is to get rid of what I did and come back for this.

So I'm gonna take a whole bunch of these home and keep the insects away and make my chi be clear.

While traditional villages, geologic wonders, an array of temples, including one sheltered by a 300-year-old banyan tree, and island fun are just a few of the varied attractions on Penghu's main island, even more entertaining natural and cultural experiences await those willing to travel to the outer islands.

A little bit over 90,000 people that live in the entire archipelago, but the overwhelming majority, about 85,000, live in what is called the Home Island, which includes Magong and the other 2 island connected by bridges.

To get to the outlying islands, such as Qimei, you can take a ferry.

You could take a private vessel; it's about hour and a half.

In any case, it's easy to get from the developed part of the islands to a more remote and natural experience.

While 4 uninhabited islands in the south have been set aside as Taiwan's ninth national park, most of the archipelago is a national scenic area which strives to balance preservation and tourism.

Qimei, Penghu's southernmost island, is a fine example of both.

On Qimei, visitors enjoy the slow pace of island life, unspoiled natural beauty, and sweet cultural charms, such as Little Taiwan, a wave-cut rocky shelf that, at the right tide and in the right light, resembles the mother island country herself, and the twin-hearted weir, where your most romantic dreams may come true.

[Speaking native language] Ahh.

You know, Qimei is the fifth-largest of the 64-100 islands that make up the Penghu Archipelago, depending on whether the tides are in or out at the time.

It's only 2.7 square miles, so scootering around the island to its different attractions is a fun way to go, and one of the attractions is the double-hearted fishing weir.

Now, having a fishing weir on an island of fishermen is not unusual.

Having 2 fishing weirs that turn out to look like a double heart perhaps is, and in any case, the romantic couples certainly make the most of it.

Qimei is a lovers' destination, popular with brides and grooms, and the stunning nightly sunsets are the frosting on the cake.

Early morning here in Qimei.

There's only 4,000 people living here, so things are more authentic and more genuine.

We have the sardines drying out here in the rack, small fishing boats in the background, shops opening up, breakfast is being served, and life here just goes on and on and on as it has for hundreds and hundreds of years.

Ni hao, ni hao.

Ni hao.

Ni hao.

[Speaking native language] Oui, oui.

OK, OK. "Oui, oui."

I'm speaking every kind of language I can here.

You know, Taiwan has many 5-star hotels-- breakfast foods, wonderful luxury accommodations-- but sooner or later, you got to get out of the hotels and get into the street, just be with the locals, and having breakfast with the locals is one of the great things I love to do.

So we have onion omelet, with egg or without, pot stickers.

We also have a number of other little small dishes, and you're ready to go.

Ah!

Breakfast is served.

[Speaking native language] ...which means bon appétit.

[All toast in native language] Mmm!

Ah...

It's very good.

Delicious.

Qimei is noted for hot, windy, and dry weather, and the best place to cool off is in Yuyueli Bay.

That's what I'm doing.

Snorkeling to come.

Seeing that giant mollusk wet my appetite for my favorite member of the family-- fresh oysters, just one delicacy from Penghu's ocean of possibilities.

Oh, wow!

It's like a forest of oysters.

Actually, I remember when I grew up, it was Soap on a Rope.

This is Oysters on a Rope.

These go down to about 12 feet under the water, and they get thousands and thousands out of here.

Look at that.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

Ha ha!

My favorite food right here, a curtain of them.

Whoo!

Captain, can we eat one?

Whoa.

Look at those little guys.

Ha ha ha!

Mmm!

[Speaking native language] How many oysters do you do a year here in Penghu?

20,000.

Wow!

That's a lot of oysters.

And what is the high season of oysters?

From April to September.

I understand you have a certain challenge here with oysters.

[Speaking native language] Yes.

It is the enemy of our oysters in Penghu.

It looks almost alien.

Alien, yeah.

Yeah!

It is alien.

How do you get rid of him?

OK. You see?

He's watering the oysters.

Yeah.

They have to take a bath every day.

I thought he was watering the oysters that if you water them, they grow, and they get bigger and bigger.

Never mind.

Um... OK.

It was a joke, Christine.

Anyway, teach me how to open one of your oysters.

Let's do it.

OK. First of all...

Yes?

The left side, OK?

Hold the oysters tightly.

I'm holding it.

And then open it.

Yeah.

Open it.

I'm gonna get this.

Don't worry.

OK. OK.

Here it comes.

Don't be nervous.

You can do it.

I'm not nervous.

I've done this before.

There he is.

Hey, those are nice-looking oysters.

Yeah... OK.

I didn't do a great job.

Yeah, you did a great job.

OK, so don't hire me.

Let's just eat oysters together, all right?

Yeah.

OK?

Xiè xiè.

You're welcome.

Since Han Chinese fisherman arrived on Ilhas dos Pescadores during the 9th century, the Portuguese, Dutch, French, Japanese, and several Chinese dynasties have left their mark on the Penghu Islands.

Part of its history is on display back in Magong City's old town.

Magong's central street is the oldest street in the archipelago.

Here, you can pray at one of the oldest temples in the country, see a bit of the ancient wall, and you can even get your own personal Chinese chop made.

If you're wondering how old the oldest street in Magong is, the Four Eyes Well should give you some indication.

It's 400 years old.

The 4 eyes were to contribute to neighborly love, so that people wouldn't be fighting over who gets the water first.

By the way, the water is still there, and it's still being used for washing.

This Taoist temple, a national historic site in central Magong, is dedicated to Matsu, goddess of the sea, empress of heaven, and one, if not the, most revered god of Taiwan.

Well, it makes sense that in an island nation, this protector of fishermen would be so revered, and she has been protecting fishermen, helping women with childbirth, and restoring order in the nation from this site for more than 400 years.

Matsu was not always a deity.

Lin Moniang lived at the end of the 10th century in Fujian Province, China, where she became famous as a shaman and granter of wishes.

When she died at 28, she was enshrined in the Chinese pantheon of gods.

She is the spiritual symbol of Taiwan.

This is a 700-year-old statue of Matsu, the oldest one in the temple.

Everyone loved Matsu, including the two demons that you see here-- Ears That Hear on the Wind and Thousand Mile Eyes-- who she tamed and converted to Taoism and now serve her in the thousands of temples dedicated to her throughout Taiwan.

This Ming Dynasty stone stela, engraved in 1604 and ordering the red-haired Dutch barbarians off Penghu, is said to prove that Penghu's Matsu Temple is the oldest Matsu temple in all of Taiwan, although that claim is also made by at least 4 other cities.

Penghu has many attractions, yet everyone's favorite pastime is eating.

The islands offer an array of local specialties, and during my Penghu stay, I sampled many of them.

With a little help from my friends, I crowned my favorites.

Number one.

Squid.

Squid!

You can get it anywhere-- small, large, chopped, with sauce, without sauce.

Number 2, loofah.

You eat this?

I take a shower with a loofah.

I grew up eating loofah.

Since I've been here on the island, I got to taste it.

It's delicious.

This is a local vegetable from people's gardens here.

Number 3.

Pumpkin rice noodles.

Pumpkin, another local vegetable.

This is grown in this ground that doesn't have much nutrients in the soil, but it's delicious.

The last but not least is...

It's grouper, the county fish of Penghu.

It looks like it's been steamed.

Only the freshest fish can be cooked in this fashion.

So first, let me say xiè, xiè.

You are most welcome.

Thank you for helping me pick the top 4.

[All toast in native language] To us.

Finally... [Speaking native language] Bon appétit.

Let's go.

Can't wait.

In Magong City, nighttime in summertime is party time.

All this madness is going on on the waterfront in front of Penghu's Rainbow Bridge to celebrate the Penghu International Fireworks Festival.

As an explosive way to usher in summer days or as an exclamation point to mark the end of an island stay, the festival has been going on from April to June since 2003.

It's just one of the many Taiwanese festivals that celebrate this culturally rich and naturally gifted country.

Xiè xiè.

Thank you for joining me on my Taiwan Penghu Islands adventure.

About the size of Maryland and Delaware combined, the island of Taiwan is a many-faceted destination, from forested mountains to white-sand beaches, from modern cities to rural villages, the opportunities for adventure are endless.

Taiwan's islands round out the options with a menu of attractions that range from the historic to the spiritual and from the cultural to the leisurely.

It's an island getaway that fulfills your appetite for fun in the sun while feeding your spirit with authentic encounters.

It's that mix of nature, people, and culture that continues to bring us back to Taiwan.

Until next time, this is Joseph Rosendo, reminding you of the words of Mark Twain-- "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."

Happy traveling!

Announcer: "Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope" is made possible by... Emerald Waterways.

It's been said that if experience is the best teacher, then travel is the best experience.

River cruising seeks to immerse travelers deep within a culture while moving gently through it.

With Emerald Plus, in-depth cultural experiences are included on every European cruise.

Emerald Waterways.

And No-Jet-Lag jet lag prevention.

For a DVD of today's show or any of Joseph's "Travelscope" adventures, call 888-876-3399 or order online at Travelscope.net.

You can also email us at TV@Travelscope.net or write us at the address on your screen.

Joseph: Now that we've enjoyed summer fun on Taiwan's Penghu Islands, learn more at Travelscope.net, where you can follow my worldwide adventures through my e-magazine, blog, podcast, and on Facebook.

Stay in touch-- 888-876-3399 or TV@Travelscope.net.

Cactus juice, one of the most popular plants in the archipelago-- brought by the Dutch in the 17th century, still being served as Chinese herbal medicine.

Xiè xiè, xiè xiè.

So many mopeds in the Penghu Archipelago.

Wherever you go, you'll see them.

Definitely the favorite mode of transportation, and people here at the Magong market are actually shopping by moped.

I mean, they could walk through here, but why walk when you can drive?

We know that in Los Angeles.