Po Toi
It is said that the island used to produce dried seaweeds (), which were shaped like the cattail hassock () used by the monks for sitting; therefore the island was originally called 蒲苔島, the present common name being a corruption. Another explanation states that Po Toi looks like a floating platform () when viewed from a distance on sea. 蒲 is another character meaning "to float" in the local dialect, thus giving the island its name.