Magong

Magong (POJ: Má-keng) is a county-administered city and seat of Penghu County, Taiwan. Magong City is located on Penghu's main island.
Name
The settlement's temple honoring the Chinese Goddess Mazu, the deified form of Lin Moniang from medieval Fujian Province, is usually accounted the oldest in all of Taiwan and Penghu. The town was originally named Makeng but was changed to during Japanese rule in 1920, and was the center of the Mako Guard District.
After 1945, the Wade-Giles romanization Makung was used. Taiwan officially adopted Tongyong Pinyin in 2002 and Hanyu Pinyin in 2009, leading to the romanization Magong.
History
The island's Mazu temple was erected in the late 16th or early 17th century. The city Magong'ao began to grow around 1887, during the rule of the Qing dynasty.
Under Japanese rule, the settlement was renamed Makō and organized as a subprefecture of Hōko. The area was a major base of the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was an embarkation point for the invasion of the Philippines during the Second World War.
Republic of China
On 25 December 1981, Makung was upgraded from an urban township to a county-administered city.
Administration
Magong City contains 33 municipal villages:
(Romanizations are in Hanyu Pinyin)
Fuxing
Chang'an
Zhongyang
Qiming
Chongqing
Zhongxing
Guangfu
Guangming
Guangrong
Chaoyang
Yangming
Chongguang
Xiwei
Xiwen
Dongwen
Anshan
Guanghua
Qianliao
Shiquan
Caiyuan
Dongwei
Anzhe
Xingren
Wukan
Tiexian
Suogang
Shanshui
Wude
Jing'an
Shili
Fenggui
Hujing centred on Hujing Islet (Hóo-tsínn-sū)
Tongpan centred on Tongpan Island (Tháng-puânn-sū)
Government institutions
Penghu County Council
Education
National Penghu University of Science and Technology
Energy
The city is powered by the Hujing Power Plant located on Table Island.
Climate
Magong has a very warm humid subtropical climate under the Köppen system. Due to the maritime influence, diurnal temperature variation is very low, but in spite of being right on the boundary with the tropics and having winter lows it falls short of being such a climate. This is courtesy of the influence of the cool Asian landmass and prevailing winds in winter. As a result, the coldest month just falls short of the isotherm. In summer, Magong receives monsoonal rainfall with moderated but hot temperatures. While afternoons most often stay in the low 30's Celsius, nights remain above for several months. It is drier than many mainland areas of Taiwan, although it still frequently is cloudy.
Tourist attractions
Central Street
Chang Yu-sheng Memorial Museum
Erdai Art Hall
Fenggui Cave
Fengguiwei Fort
First Guesthouse
Four-eyed Well
Jinguitou Fortress
Magong Beiji Temple
Magong Old City Wall
Mazu Temple
Ocean Resources Museum
Penghu Living Museum
Penghu Reclamation Hall
Shigong Temple
Suogang Fishing Port
Transportation
Penghu Airport operates domestic flights and Magong Harbor hosts ferry connections to Kaohsiung, Tainan, Chiayi and Kinmen.
Notable natives
Chang Yu-sheng, former singer, composer and producer
Pan An-bang, former singer, TV presenter and actor
Tsai Chih-chan, poet and educator
References
External links
County-administered cities of Taiwan
Populated places in Penghu County