Page 154 - An Overview of Penghu

The customs office on Fisherman Island and Imamura Shōichi

Sky gazing in Penghu

To the west of Taiwan sits Penghu, and to the west of Penghu lies
Fisherman Island. A building facing south stands in the corner of the
Island. While kids refer to it as the palace, villagers call it the customs
office. In the spring of 1931, I rode on the south wind and came to this
place for rehabilitation. With a plan to finally settle down ten years
later, I started tidying up the place.

The Island, sitting on the western edge of the Empire, has
mountains warding its north and a bay open to the south. There is
Huayu Isle on its right and Hujing Isle on its left, accompanied by
Tongpan Isle. Wangan Island floats in front of the Island, while Mao
Isle crouches at the far end. If the fog is heavy, you can glimpse Dayu
Isle buoyed on the sea. If the mist is light, you can see all the islands
present themselves in the mirage formed by water vapor under the sun.

It does not rain here during the autumn and winter, but ferocious
winds continue to blow without showing any sign of abating, causing
the sea to turn turbulent and rocks to shake. Plants also wither under the
influence of the winds. However, in spring and summer, fish with big
eyes and fine scales can be seen jumping between dancing waves that
send sparkles of silvers flying, while fishing boats sail slowly on the
sea. That is a sight to behold on the Island.

Large boats come here from Taiwan, sailing while dragging a
long tail of smoke behind when they turn left and dock at the Magong
Port. Sometimes it is a ferry staying here only for a day; other times, it
is a magnificent battleship patrolling the area to protect Japan's
southern territory. At night on good days, you can feel cool breezes,
while gazing at tides lapping on the gravel. A new moon in the sky can
be seen casting its light all over the place. When lights are turned off,
you can see the Big Dipper and the Crux shining, with tens of thousands
of minor stars gathered around the North Star. As the starry sky slowly
turns, Sirius slides its way into the west and disappears as Altair
appears in the east. The changing star is an epitome of all the changes in
the universe.

Penghu Island lays flat against the spacious sky above. It is known
to the world for its bright moon and the sunset in Xiyu. I love to look up
to the sky, but I have been looking down at the ground for so long that it
makes me anxious and depressed. And here I am, a place with nothing
else to see except rocks and flies, it is time that I turn to the sky again
and enjoy the pleasure brought by the sense of unearthliness.

Some say Penghu is a remote island sitting in the middle of
nowhere; others say it is far from the world, but so close to the
universe, as if the stars were within reach. This is also a place where
you can grasp the infinity of life per se.This passage is written out of a
burst of hope in my heart. (May 28th)

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