Dongju Lighthouse (also called Dongquan Lighthouse), built by the British in 1872, was made a Class 2 Taiwan and Fujian Area Historical Site in 1988. The Ming Era Dapu Stone Inscription is a relic from the rule of the Ming Emperor Wanli, older than the Dongju Lighthouse of the late Qing, but in 1988, after evaluation by the Ministry of the Interior, it was only named a Class 3 site. Dapu Village, a preserved traditional settlement on Dongju, is currently uninhabited, retaining its rustic traditional style. The Matsu National Scenic Area Administration has invited artists to stay here to take the area as inspiration for their art, and is working with the Community Development Association to create a seaside paradise. After arriving on Xiju by ferry, to the left of the Xiqiu Village General Services Center is a footpath towards Qingfan Village’s historic “Mountain and ocean family” (Shan Hai Yi Jia ) building, from where the CIA operated covertly in the early 1950s. There is a viewing platform along the path, which continues on to Kunqiu. There is a series of reefs in the nearby waters, and when the tide goes out, a clean, crescent-shaped shoal is revealed; at high tide, all that can be seen is the top of the reefs, resembling a giant snake swimming in the ocean. This is where the name “snake island” comes from.