Dictionary

Nangan en · PROPN

Pronunciation

• nän′gän′

Etymology

From Mandarin 南竿 (Nángān).

Meanings

1. A rural township in Lienchiang County, Taiwan, primarily made up of Matsu (Nangan) Island.
   • People in flowing robes and dressed up as guards worship a statue of the goddess Matsu, known as the protector of fishermen, in a ceremony in Nangan Township in the Matsu Islands on Sunday celebrating the anniversary of Matsu's ascension to heaven. 2020 October 25, “Matsu worship ceremony”, in Focus Taiwan, archived from the original on 28 Sep 2022, Photos of the Day:
   • The caption on the video posted nearly two years ago reads: “The military exercise (happens every year) recorded by the residents in Matsu, Taiwan. Netizens in Taiwan suggest it is the Nangan Township of the islands, and many comment that such an impressive force can surely scare people on the other side (China) to death.” 2022 August 1, “No, this video does not show a Chinese military threat to Taiwan ahead of Pelosi’s visit”, in France 24, archived from the original on 01 Aug 2022:
   • The offshore islands of Matsu belong to Lienchiang county and cover a total area of 25,052 ha. They are composed of five large and several smaller islands, which are administratively divided into the four villages of Nangan, Beigan, Jyuguang and Dongyin. According to the national census of 1997 5,360 people live on the Matsu islands with more than 60% of the population living in Nangan. 2013, Meng-Kan Chen, Hsiu-Hsi Chen, “Increased cancer mortality in Taiwanese inter-island migrants”, in Geospatial Health, volume 7, number 2, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 08 Aug 2017, page 252, column 2:
   • Cingtanwo [translating 青檀沃], a remote village very close to the coast, is situated in the southeastern part of Nangan Township. 2005, “Offshore Islands”, in Birdwatching in Taiwan, Taipei: Wild Bird Society of Taipei, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 334:
2. Synonym of Matsu (island)
   • There has been no attempt to mount an amphibious assault on Matsu, and with good reason. Nankan is almost straight up and down and nearly devoid of landing places. Embryo beaches are guarded by barbed wire and mines. Traffic in and out of Nankan is by landing boat and planking. [1973 November 4, “Matsu is strong, prosperous”, in Free China Weekly, volume XIV, number 43, Taipei, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 2:
   • The Control Yuan on Tuesday afternoon stated via a press release that it had accepted a video petition from the Lienchiang County Government to investigate, CNA reported. County Secretary-General Chang Lung-te (張龍德) said that in recent years, there have been hundreds of Chinese ships pumping sand in the area every day, and an increasing number of 4,000-ton ships have entered waters near Nangan, causing coastal erosion and ecological destruction to the seabed ecological system. 2021 June 8, Kelvin Chen, “Taiwan's Control Yuan investigates ecological impact of China's illegal sand dredging”, in Taiwan News, archived from the original on 08 Jun 2021:
   • On the main island of Nangan, former military brothels and underground bunkers house exhibits that opened last month as part of the inaugural Matsu Biennial art festival. 2022 March 24, Sarah Wu, “Ukraine war reverberates on Taiwan's 'frontline of democracy'”, in Gerry Doyle, editor, Reuters, archived from the original on 10 May 2022, 公司新闻(英文):
   • One hundred and fifty miles north of Quemoy on Nankan Island, it wasn't the sound of Communist artillery fire that awoke Lieutenant Colonel Carl Kueffer, but the persistent jangling of his telephone.[…]The one landing strip in the Matsus, and good for light aircraft only, was on the second largest island, Peikan. Between Nankan and Peikan lay the Matsu Straits, a twisted riptide-torn channel, boasting freak winds and bouldered shores. [1962, DeWitt S. Copp, “The Mudcats”, in The Odd Day, William Morrow and Company, →LCCN, →OCLC, pages 59–60:

Forms

Synonyms

Matsu

Translations (1)

cmn 南竿 (rural township)