Qimei Island, at the southern tip of Penghu County, was originally called Dayu — “Big Island.” The name changed to Qimei, meaning “Seven Beauties,” because of a sombre legend from the Ming dynasty: when Japanese pirates landed and threatened the village, seven women chose to die together rather than be violated, throwing themselves into a deep well. The islanders sealed the well with stones, built a tomb on the spot, and have observed memorial rites ever since, keeping the story alive across generations. Today the Seven Beauties Tomb is a well-maintained commemorative site; each year around the Qingming Festival, islanders still gather here to pay their respects. Most visitors come to Qimei for photographs of the Twin-Heart Fish Trap, but the Seven Beauties Tomb is where the island’s historical identity becomes tangible.
What to See
The tomb itself is understated — a single upright stone stele with a concise inscription. What draws the eye is the aged hibiscus tree spreading beside it: orange-red flowers bloom almost continuously through the year, their vivid colour contrasting sharply against the pale stonework and making the tree the most photographed element of the site. Local tradition holds that the tree was not planted but grew up naturally after the burial, and is regarded as a living expression of the seven women’s spirits. Whatever the truth of the legend, a flowering tree standing beside a centuries-old tomb is a striking sight in its own right.
The paths are paved with laogu stone — coral reef limestone — and the surrounding walls are built in the same traditional dry-stacked slab technique found on historic buildings throughout Magong. The site therefore serves as a useful introduction to Penghu’s vernacular construction materials. Bilingual (Chinese and English) interpretation panels beside the tomb cover the different versions of the legend and the evolution of the island’s name; three minutes spent reading them helps connect the surrounding landscape into a single narrative. In terms of light, late afternoon sun catches the hibiscus from behind and throws long shadows across the stele, giving considerably richer conditions than midday if your schedule allows.
Getting There and Nearby Sights
There is no public transport on Qimei Island. Two ferry routes serve the island:
From Magong Harbor: regular ferries take about 2 hours; speedboats take about 55–70 minutes. Summer sailings are frequent; the northeast monsoon in winter can reduce schedules or suspend service — confirm with the ferry operator before travelling. Tickets are sold at the South Sea Service Center next to Magong Tourism Harbor, or through individual operators’ websites.
On arrival at Qimei Pier, rent an electric bicycle (around NT$150–200 per day) or scooter from one of the shops near the pier. The tomb is about 1.5 km from the pier — roughly a 5-minute ride. All the main sights are clustered on the southeastern side of the island and can be linked in a loop of under 20 minutes by bike.
Suggested nearby itinerary: From the Seven Beauties Tomb, a 5-minute ride brings you to the Twin-Heart Fish Trap, an ancient fish weir assembled from basalt stones in the intertidal zone in a double-heart shape — its outline is clearest in the hour before and after low tide. Continue south for about 10 minutes to the Little Taiwan landform, a coastal plateau whose silhouette, viewed from above, closely resembles the outline of Taiwan. The Dashi boulder and the columnar basalt formations at Longcheng are also nearby and worth a stop for geology enthusiasts. A half-day is enough to see the highlights; a full day allows more time at each site.
For ferry timetables and departure information from Magong to Qimei, see the Penghu ferry information page.