Penghu — A Miniature Taiwan
Why is Penghu also called JuDao (Chrysanthemum Island)? The answer lies in the gaillardia (天人菊), a wildflower found everywhere across the archipelago and designated as Penghu's county flower. Wind-resistant, drought-tolerant, and sun-loving, it thrives in the island environment surrounded by the sea on all sides — a fitting symbol of the tenacious, resilient character of Penghu's people. Hence the poetic nickname "JuDao."
Li Cheng-lu (Wox), author of Marine Natural History, once observed during a visit to Penghu that the archipelago's marine ecosystem is like a miniature version of Taiwan. The northern waters are influenced by the colder China Coastal Current, yielding fish species similar to those found along Taiwan's Northeast Coast. The Kuroshio branch current flows past the southern part of Penghu, providing the warm waters that give coral an ideal environment to grow. The outer waters of the Southern Four Islands of Penghu are renowned for strong currents and exceptional visibility, where large creatures such as sharks are commonly encountered — much like Taiwan's eastern coast. Meanwhile, Penghu's inner seas experience large tidal ranges; at low tide, vast mudflats are exposed, supporting a diverse range of organisms comparable to Taiwan's western shoreline.
Beneath Penghu's waves, you can discover a fascinating, almost paradoxical coexistence of species: giant clams (protected from harvesting), abundant sea cucumbers, seagrass beds, and nudibranchs beloved by underwater macro photographers. Penghu's varied topography nurtures a rich marine ecosystem, and if you're lucky you might even spot rare species seldom seen around the main island of Taiwan.
Coral Is Beautiful — But I Don't Know Much About It
In Penghu, in addition to coral restoration, you can also see giant clam restoration efforts
Do you know what coral actually is? Coral belongs to the phylum Cnidaria and is made up of countless tiny coral polyps — the variation in polyp pigmentation is what gives coral its many different colours. As coral grows, it secretes calcium carbonate to form a hard calcareous skeleton, slowly building up over time to create a coral reef. Coral reefs are like forests beneath the sea: they are home to countless marine organisms, providing critical space for breeding, feeding, shelter, and protection from predators. However, coral growth is highly sensitive to external conditions — water temperature, sunlight, and water quality all play a role. When coral is subjected to a stressful environment for an extended period, it begins to expel its symbiotic algae, triggering coral bleaching and, eventually, death. Because outlying islands are far less affected by river runoff and land-based pollution, they offer coral a comparatively favourable environment for growth.
The underwater coral ecosystem of Penghu is truly spectacular
The 2020 Magong coral health check report revealed that live coral cover in Hangwan stands at 29.4%, placing it in the "fair" category by international standards. Researchers identified the remains of branching coral alongside thriving colonies of Acropora, confirming that Hangwan is indeed a suitable environment for coral growth.
The Nursery for Ocean Babies — Where Every "Coral Florist" Begins
The aquatic seed nursery provides touch pools where visitors can get up close with marine life
The Aquatic Seed Nursery (hereafter referred to as the Nursery) houses fish ponds, larval rearing tanks, shellfish pools, and algae pools, taking organisms all the way from cultivation through to release. On the ground floor, the aquaculture tanks are filled with ocean babies: you can see spider conch (Lambis lambis) larvae still in their planktonic stage, juvenile white-spined sea urchins (the "horse dung urchin"), and seedlings of Porphyra seaweed — a highly nutritious species with significant commercial value. The second floor features an interpretive visitor route (advance reservation required), touch pools, aquarium display tanks, and an introduction to coral planting.
This is also where every "Coral Florist" story begins. The restoration method adopted by the Penghu Nursery involves collecting coral fragments that have naturally broken off due to typhoons or other natural causes, then cultivating them using traditional Penghu building materials — the local coral limestone known as "gū-ló-tsioh" — as a base for the coral cuttings. Because gū-ló-tsioh is itself formed from coral, it naturally contains tiny micropores that provide breathing channels for coral tissue. The pairing of new coral with this age-old material feels like a passing of the torch — one generation of coral nurturing the next.
The Nursery maintains a close working relationship with Penghu water sports operators
Collecting coral without authorisation is illegal in Taiwan. The Nursery therefore partners with multiple local Penghu dive operators in the Suo Harbour Hangwan waters of Magong to run the "Ocean Garden Coral Planting" programme. Dive shops wishing to join the programme must first register with the Penghu National Scenic Area Administration and provide guests and students with the required insurance coverage for water activities. In addition, the Nursery holds a variety of training workshops for operators during the quieter winter off-season, covering topics such as marketing and packaging, basic species identification, and coral ecology — equipping dive instructors with the knowledge to deliver a richer, more educational experience when the diving season returns.
You Don't Need to Know How to Swim to Plant Coral
Once you've secured a few bases, you're ready to help your coral move to its new home!
You can sign up for the Coral Florist activity — part of the "Aerobic Ocean Proposal" programme — through operators partnered with the Nursery, and choose to participate in coral planting either by snorkeling or scuba diving. The full coral planting session lasts approximately two hours, including a pre-dive briefing, gear fitting, and in-water experience. During the activity you will be given an Acropora coral cutting along with a gū-ló-tsioh base; after moulding and shaping the waterproof epoxy putty used to secure the cutting, you can fix your coral fragment onto the base yourself. You can even give your coral baby a name and look forward to watching it grow!
The calm, flat waters of Penghu's Hangwan bay are ideal for water activities
For snorkelers, once you arrive at Suo Harbour Hangwan, your instructor will take you out to the coral planting zone using a torpedo buoy, introducing you to the underwater coral ecosystem along the way. Taiwan's first artificial coral ocean garden will gradually come into view before you — stone corals in an array of colours, Acropora branching corals in shades of lavender purple, sweeping table-form Acropora colonies — with moray eels occasionally peering out from within the artificial triangular transplant blocks awaiting deployment. For safety reasons, snorkelers will have their coral planted by the instructor on their behalf. Congratulations — at that point, your coral planting is complete! After the planting, your instructor will guide you to the nearby underwater mailbox, where you can drop in the waterproof postcard you wrote earlier, leaving a uniquely personal underwater memory.
Grow big and strong, little coral!
When fully grown, the coral provides a biodiverse habitat for countless marine creatures
For scuba divers, your instructor will guide you to a flat sandy area, where you'll kneel and get into position before planting your own coral cutting directly into a transplant block. As the coral grows, the accumulating calcium carbonate skeleton will gradually encase the concrete block, incorporating it into the reef itself. After planting, you can follow your instructor to explore the Nursery's magnificent coral scenery — and if you're lucky, you might even encounter a sea turtle!
Perhaps There's More We Can Do
Penghu has leveraged the power of government to drive coral restoration, encouraging local operators to participate, while guests plant coral with their own hands — guided by those operators — and in doing so gain a newfound understanding of coral. When you truly know coral, you no longer want to harm it; instead, you begin to care for it. Without even realising it, you start to change your everyday habits: you stop touching and stepping on coral, you keep your distance from reef structures, you switch to reef-safe sunscreen to avoid disrupting coral polyp growth hormones. Slowly, a positive, environmentally friendly cycle begins to take shape.
The coral planting process is also a form of environmental education
Through this kind of soft-touch government support mechanism, Penghu's dive shops gain greater marketing opportunities and competitiveness. Education and entertainment go hand in hand, spreading the vital message of environmental conservation. The three-way partnership among government, operators, and visitors strengthens the resilience and vitality of the coral restoration zone, and has created a successful business model built around the Coral Ocean Garden — one that holds real promise for replication elsewhere. Looking further ahead, if corporate partners were to get involved, perhaps Penghu could take a page from Okinawa's 35-coffee concept: using already-deceased coral to roast coffee beans, creating a locally distinctive souvenir, with a portion of the proceeds flowing back to fund underwater coral garden restoration — completing a truly positive cycle. Alternatively, collaboration with world coral organisations could open the door to challenges like planting one hundred coral fragments.
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