Qinbi Village

Qinbi Village is the best-preserved traditional Min-Dong stone-house settlement on the northwest coast of Beigan Island, its houses built mainly from local granite and other igneous rock in alternating bands of blue-white, yellow-brown, and brick-red tones, arranged along the hillside in a crescent-shaped, bay-embracing layout. After the shrimp-fishing and shrimp-drying economy declined in the 1970s and the population largely emigrated, restoration began around 1997 and the settlement was revived by 2001; residents have since returned to run guesthouses and restaurants, and Qinbi is now an important cultural landscape conservation area in Matsu.

Qinbi's stone houses are built mainly from locally quarried granite and other igneous rock; the stone's alternating blue-white, yellow-brown, and brick-red hues give the settlement its distinctive stone-house appearance. The village's early economy centered on shrimp fishing and sun-dried shrimp production; after the fishing industry declined in the 1970s, much of the population emigrated. Restoration of the settlement began around 1997, led by the county's cultural affairs bureau, and was largely completed by 2001, after which the old houses were converted into guesthouses and arts spaces.

What to See at Qinbi Village

Qinbi's stone houses were built by stacking granite blocks — either dry-stacked or bonded with minimal mortar — with thick, heavy walls that stay warm in winter and cool in summer. Roofs are laid with fish-scale tiles (flat tiles), and some rooftops have stones placed on top to resist sea winds, reflecting the practical logic of Min-Dong sea-island architecture. The settlement was built in terraced tiers along the hillside, with the lower level facing the sea; stone-paved lanes connect the houses, and the overall spatial form reflects the traditional settlement planning of a Min-Dong fishing village. The "crescent-shaped bay-embracing" layout means the entire settlement wraps around the bay in front of it, forming a natural windbreak.

The degree of preservation in Qinbi is unrivaled among the Matsu Islands; even stone houses left vacant for years after residents departed largely retain their structural integrity. Government restoration programs preserved the original appearance of the houses, and residents have been encouraged to return to the village to open guesthouses and restaurants, gradually making Qinbi the tourism heart of Beigan. Spending a night here, when the settlement is still before any visitors arrive in the early morning, is unforgettable — stone houses, the bay, and morning light together form the most poetic spatial memory Matsu has to offer.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Visit

Practical Information

Source: Lienchiang County Government Tourism Bureau, related historical records. Photos pending Dio's field photography.