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From the port of Sand Harbor Village or Beiliao Village in Huwei Township, located about 4 kilometers northeast of Beiliao Village, the sea surface features two islands on a basalt plateau. The surrounding sea cliffs are marked by clear columnar jointing of basalt. During low tide these two islands can connect. Originally, the two islands were a single lava plateau that formed about 12 million years ago, but intense wave erosion divided it into a larger and a smaller island. Both islands contain olivine blocks in their basalt, indicating that the lava came from relatively deep beneath the earth’s surface. The east, south, and west sides of Dajie Shanshan Island show sea‑erosion caves and gullies, while a shallow sandy beach lies to the southeast. Xiaojie Shanshan Island is a typical basaltic plateau island: irregularly shaped columnar basalt towers rise from the sea, resembling a colossal pipe organ against the turquoise sea and blue sky. Their hexagonal joints are sharp-edged and resonant, making it the most famous spot for watching rock formations and birds in Penghu. In summer, the number of red scaups nesting on the island is the highest in the North Sea, with one to two thousand individuals choosing the island as a roost each year. Recent research by the Penghu County Bird Society, using leg‑flagging on the scaups’ feet, found that these birds originate from northeastern Australia. Similarly, Australian wintering studies have discovered scaups from Penghu, and birds that were released in Penghu over a decade ago have returned to breed there. This shows that red scaups travel thousands of miles between Penghu and Australia every spring and autumn. Protecting the island’s scenery is also the best way to safeguard wildlife. In recent years, as tourism has expanded, Jie Shan Shan Island has become a new destination in the East China Sea, and the dialogue between basalt and scaups is like a harmonious natural scene.