Orchid Island
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Old photo of the people of Orchid Island, near Taiwan published in a Japanese colonial government publication, ca. 1931. |
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An Orchid Island native with a canoe |
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An Orchid Island native in her house |
Orchid Island (;
POJ: Lân-sū) is a 45-
km² volcanic island off the eastern coast of
Taiwan in the
Pacific. It is governed as
Lanyu Township of
Taitung County of the
Republic of China. The island is the homeland to the
Tao Taiwanese aborigines (also known as the Yami people), who call the island
Ponso no Tao ("the island where we live"; also spelt
Pongso no Tao). The island is also known as
Botel Tobago.
Since 1982, Taipower Company has been dumping
nuclear waste on this island and surrounding sea.
In January 19, 1946, the island was designated as Hongtouyu Township (紅頭嶼鄉 "Red-headed Island") of Taichung County. November 24 of that year, it was renamed to Lan Yu, or Orchid Island, named after the local
Phalaenopsis orchids. From 1958 to 1972, thousands of convicts were sent to a prison on this island.
The village communities (社) are: (The asterisks indicate the four current administrative villages (村)
| Yami name | Chinese | Note | | Yayu | Yeyou (椰油) | * |
| Iraralay | Langdou (朗島) | * |
| Iranumilk | Dongqing (東清) | * |
| Ivarinu | Yeyin (野銀) | not an administrative village |
| Imourud | Hongtou (紅頭) | * Redhead Village, township seat |
| Iratai | Yuren (漁人) | incorporated into Imourud Village since 1946 |
| Iwatas | 伊""斯 | incorporated into Yayu since 1940 |
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The islanders are mostly fishermen-farmers.
Lesser Orchid Island (Hsiao Lan Yü;
Pinyin: Xiao Lanyu), an uninhabited volcanic islet near the main Orchid Island, is the southernmost point of Taitung County. It has been the target of military airplane's target practice. It is home to a crticially endangered endemic orchid,
Phalaenopsis equestris f. aurea.
*
Green Island - the other offshore township of Taitung County
*
List of islands of the Republic of China
