Taiwan Religious Culture Map

The Eight Immortals are a group of legendary immortals in Chinese mythology that are revered by Taoists. The earliest references to the legend were made in the Tang and Song dynasties (618 – 1279), when the first depictions of the Eight Immortals appeared in art. However, they weren’t fully fleshed out as individual characters until the late Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644), when writer Wu Yuantai penned the novel The Eight Immortals Depart and Travel to the East. Wu gave them names (Li Tieguai, Zhongli Quan, Lü Dongbing, Zhang Guolao, He Xiangu, Cao Guojiu, Han Xiangzi, and Lan Caihe), backstories, and personalities. In his tale, they represented a cross-section of society—men and women, the young and the old, the poor and the rich. Local legend adds that Li Tieguai, Lü Dongbing, and He Xiangu stopped at Sanxiantai on their journey to rest. The island’s natural sea caves are believed to be the footprints they left behind. Another legend holds that the island’s three rocky prominences are the three immortals themselves. The positioning of Hehuan Cave and the Xianjian Gap between two of the rocks has been interpreted as the disastrous result of Li Tieguai interrupting a tryst between Lü Dongbing and He Xiangu.

Sanxiantai was once a popular fishing, hunting, and foraging spot for the Amis people, and is known by them Nuwalian—the eastern-most land. In Amis legend, the island was protected by a sea dragon named Cifawuan. The Amis people’s hunting and fishing practices emphasize the maintenance of ecological balance, and it was believed that the sea dragon would mete out punishment to fishermen and hunters who exceeded their needs. It was thanks to this belief that Amis people ruled that anyone who overfished or overhunted would have to pay a penalty of one cow to the tribe. Later, Sanxiantai became known for its abundance of sea snails, whose shells were sought after by businesses to be sold as souvenirs. As a result, the Amis people began scrambling to catch and sell the large shells. Upon seeing this behavior, the sea dragon let out a mournful cry and shook the land as a warning sign. His fury and indignation was so great that he died and was never seen again.

Hehuan Cave and the Xianjian Gap are located between the Lü Dongbing prominence and the He Xiangu prominence. It is said that after these two immortals, together with Li Tieguai, arrived at Sanxiantai, Lü and He had a tryst inside Hehuan Cave. The meddlesome Li tried to peep, but was discovered by the deity guarding the Southern Heavenly Gate. The deity threw a double-edged sword from heaven, chopping the promontory in half to form the Xianjian Gap. Hehuan Cave was created by erosion. It has a maximum height of around ten meters, and its width and length are sufficient to hold a ten-meter-long wooden walkway. The Xianjian Gap was also carved out by the sea, and sea breezes often roar through the towering, craggy rocks. The beautiful landscape adds to the mystique of the island.

In the past, Sanxiantai was only accessible by wading through the water at low tide. To resolve this access problem, a 400-meter-long bridge connecting the island with Taiwan was built in 1987. Sanxiantai Bridge is composed of eight arches and is painted red and gray. From the side, it looks like a giant dragon leaping across the water. It is the most famous landmark in the Sanxiantai scenic area.

The Sanxiantai Lighthouse is located on top of the the Lü Dongbing prominence. It was built in 1915 by the Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan to serve as a navigation aid for ships sailing along the east coast. The white lighthouse is seven meters tall, and is situated 61.5 meters above sea level. In 1999, rechargeable solar batteries were installed to power the lighthouse’s lamp. Visitors must climb a winding staircase of over one hundred steps to reach the top of the lighthouse. It offers spectacular views of the terrain, including a marine trough, potholes, and wave-cut platforms, as well as magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean and the sky.