Qinbi Village

A fishing village of stone houses along a hillside above a cove in Beigan, Matsu. It was settled in the Ming or Qing dynasty by the Chen family of Changle (長樂) in Fujian as a stopover for mainland fishermen, with locals living by catching small shrimp. Its population peaked in 1967 under military administration, then drained away as the fishery declined, until the county designated it a settlement preservation area in 1999. Its granite houses form the most complete group of Eastern Min (閩東) architecture in Matsu, and many have since been restored as guesthouses and arts spaces.