page_title: Dongyin, Lienchiang
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Dongyin, Lienchiang / Geography
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of Taipei (T'ai-pei, Taihoku), Taiwan and surrounding areas from the International Map of the World 1:1,000,000
context_page_description: Dongyin Township is an insular rural township which is part of Lienchiang County, Fukien Province, Republic of China. The islands are in the East China Sea off the coast of Fujian Province, Mainland China near the cities of Fuzhou and Ningde. The township is known for its natural beauty and Eastern Min culture, for the historical Dongyong Lighthouse and for its military importance and history as the northernmost territory of the Republic of China.
context_section_description: Dongyin Township is an archipelago in the East China Sea off the PRC-administered Loyuan Bay (羅源灣; Lò̤-nguòng-uăng) and is approximately 100.0 nautical miles (185.2 km) from Keelung on Taiwan, with a total area of 4.4 km². The east coast of Shi Wei Mountain (世尾山) on Dongyin is the easternmost of the Matsu Islands (26。 23’ 08’’N, 120。 30’ 08’’ E), while the north coast of Beigu Reef (北固礁) on Xiyin (Siyin) is the northernmost of the Matsu Islands. Dongyin itself is the northernmost point of the territory of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The islands are the key transportation hub between Mawei and Shanghai, and are of strategic importance in the Taiwan Strait area.
  The Sishuang islands (四礵) in Haidao Township, Xiapu County, Ningde, Fujian, China (PRC) are north-northwest of the township.
  The deepest point in the waters around the Matsu Islands is off the coast of Dongyin. After passing Liang Island (also referred as Wave Islet), ships riding from Nangan encounter stronger waves, which explains why Dongyin was originally called Tungyung (Dongyong). The waters around Dongyin host large schools of fish, and coral reefs, which makes Dongyin one of the best domestic fishing spots and the most densely populated conservation area for Larus crassirostris (黑尾鷗).
  The township was originally part of the Loyüan County before the ROC government evacuated to Taiwan in 1949 following the Chinese civil war. It is claimed by the People's Republic of China government as part of the Luoyuan County of its Fuzhou prefecture.
  The geological formation of Dongyin is closely related to Mainland China, where the granite bedrock was formed by Yanshan Movement (燕山運動)  dated to 100 – 200 million years ago. Thanks to its resistance to weathering, granite bedrock is seen above ground widespread in Dongyin. Although massive granite is tough, lacking internal structures, granite of poor primary permeability is easily eroded by sea water, rain, and gales, resulting in various and magnificent coastal sights.
  The coastal line of Dongyin is maternally related to that in Fujian, drowned valleys (谷灣式海岸) of Submergent Coastlines (沈水海岸). Caps and embayments, typical coastline traits, are prevalent. Caps feature cliff erosion, including sea caves, marine arches, sea stacks, sea trenches, and abrasion platforms, while sea caves are dominant. The less prevailing sedimentary landforms are mainly seen in the inlets and are characteristic of pebble beaches.
caption: Map including Dongyin (labeled as Tung-yin Shan) (AMS, 1954)
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