Cimei

English

Alternative forms

• Chimei, Ch'i-mei (Wade–Giles)
• Qimei (Hanyu Pinyin)

Etymology

From the Tongyong Pinyin romanization of the Mandarin Chinese pronunciation for 七美 (Ciměi).

Proper noun

Cimei

1. A rural township in Penghu County, Taiwan.
   • 2007, Stephen Keeling, Brice Minnigh, The Rough Guide to Taiwan (Rough Guides)‎^[3], →ISBN, →OCLC, page 462:

     Multi-island ferry tours (NT$550) starting from the South Sea visitor center make Cimei their last port in of call before returning to Magong, usually allowing passengers an insufficient hour and a half to look around.

   • 2009, Henry T. Chen, “The Culture and Daily Life of the Kaohsiung Fishing Communities”, in Taiwanese Distant-Water Fisheries in Southeast Asia, 1936-1977‎^[4], St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, published 2017, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 144:

     The abundant marine resources of the Taiwan Strait, however, did not really contribute significantly to their economic improvement since the population was so small that the supply of fish always exceeded local demand. The more fish they harvested, the poorer their families became as the price declined. Hence, some Penghuans were forced to be seasonal fishers, oscillating back and forth between Kaohsiung and Penghu every year, while others migrated directly to Kaohsiung. The first wave of Penghuan migrants came mainly from Cimei. They began their migration during the colonial period and in general preferred to settle in Cihou rather than Gushan.

   • 2017, Brian R. Moss, Ecology of Freshwaters: Earth's Bloodstream‎^[5], 5th edition, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 63:

     Some traditional fishing methods: [...] bottom left, stacked stones form a weirshaped like a double-heart in Cimei, Penghu archipelago;[...]

   • 2018, Chen Chi-ching, Elizabeth Hsu, “Indonesian fisherman dies after falling overboard”, in Focus Taiwan‎^[6]:

     The county Fire Bureau said the dead man was one of four Indonesian crew members on the Cimei Township, Penghu-registered fishing boat, Fajilong 168, which set sail from Cimei at about 9 a.m. Sunday.

   • 2019, “Chinese detained over dredging near Penghu”, in Taipei Times‎^[7]:

     The area where the dredging was discovered is about 30 nautical miles (55.5km) southwest of Cimei Township (七美) and is the habitat and breeding ground for many species vital to Penghu’s fishing industry.

   • 2019 October 17, “Article 10”, in Fee-charging Standards for the Use of State-operated Airport, Navigation Aids and Related Facilities‎^[8], archived from the original on 02 March 2022, page 6:

     The remote offshore areas set forth in the subparagraph 3 of paragraph 1 include: […]
     2. Cimei Township and Wang-an Township under the jurisdiction of Penghu County, Taiwan Province.

   • 2020 April 17, “Penghu coast guard chases off illegal Chinese sand dredgers”, in Taiwan News‎^[9], archived from the original on 20 June 2020:

     The Chinese dredgers and sand transporters were discovered operating about 50 nautical miles west-southwest of Penghu's Cimei Township, which is the southernmost island of the Penghu archipelago in the Taiwan Strait, the coast guard said....
     According to Penghu authorities, the coast guard's 600-ton "Taichung"-class patrol vessel was deployed to chase the Chinese boats beyond the 60 nautical mile marker west of Cimei and out of Taiwan's territorial waters.

2. An island in Cimei, Penghu County, Taiwan.
   • [1982 May 9, “Penghu: Old and new in charming blend”, in Free China Weekly‎^[10], volume XXII, number 18, Taipei, page 2:

     Some 58 kilometers south of Makung, or four hours by yacht, lies Chimei island. The name means “seven beauties” in English, and commemorates the virtue of seven virgins in the Ming Dynasty who, according to legend, threw themselves into a well rather than be captured by the invaders.[...]Small airports have also been built on Chimei and Penghu are convenient.[...]Small airports have also jbeen^{[sic – meaning been]} built on Chimei and Wangan islands to handle services by light aircraft.]

   • [2003, “Taiwan Strait Islands”, in Vivien Kim, editor, Taiwan (Insight Guides)‎^[11], →ISBN, →OCLC, page 225:

     If Penghu’s main island is not quite remote enough, regular flights depart from Makung to tiny Chimei Yu ④ (Isle of Seven Beauties).]

   • 2004, Phil Macdonald, National Geographic Traveler: Taiwan, National Geographic Society, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 198:

     Cimei (Qimei) Islet, the southernmost of the Penghu archipelago, is named after seven legendary local beauties who threw themselves down a well rather than have their virtue despoiled by a gang of marauding pirates.

   • 2021 September 25, “Pygmy seahorse spotted for the first time near Penghu”, in Taipei Times‎^[12], archived from the original on 24 September 2021:

     The pygmy seahorse, known as Hippocampus bargibanti, was discovered 30 nautical miles (55.6km) southwest of Cimei (七美), the southernmost island in the Penghu archipelago, during a research trip, the academy said.

   • 2022 April 26, Natalie Tso, “Penghu kicks off 20th International Fireworks Festival”, in Radio Taiwan International‎^[13], archived from the original on 26 April 2022‎^[14]:

     On May 28, there will be a show on Cimei Island; on June 11, there will be a show on Wangan Island, and on June 25, there will be one on Jibei Island.

Translations

rural township in southern Penghu (the Pescadores)

• Chinese:

  Hokkien: 七美 (Chhit-bí)

  Mandarin: 七美 (zh) (Qīměi)