The inaugural 2025 World Birdwatching Expo took place grandly on September 20–21 at Taichung Civic Square, bringing together the themes of ecology, tourism, education, and creativity. The event welcomed birdwatching experts and enthusiasts from over 30 countries, highlighting Taiwan’s rich biodiversity and its vision for sustainable tourism.
Matsu National Scenic Area Headquarters under the Tourism Administration, Ministry of Transportation and Communications was also invited to participate by setting up a dedicated booth (Booth No. 101). Centered on the theme "Tern Refuge of the Matsu Archipelago," the booth showcased Matsu’s unique ecological value and tourism highlights. It also introduced a brand-new IP character, “Yah O,” making its debut appearance to the public. In addition to three special promotional activities, the expo featured an interactive segment marking the first live appearance of “Yah O,” where visitors could take photos up close and join in the fun to receive exclusive Matsu-themed gifts.
The Matsu Islands, located in the coastal waters of eastern Fujian, are home to rich marine ecological resources. From April to September, the archipelago becomes a crucial breeding ground for various species of terns, attracting large numbers of rare and migratory birds to nest and reproduce. Among them, the most iconic is the Chinese Crested Tern, often referred to as the "bird of legend." With an extremely small global population and rare sightings worldwide, it is one of the most endangered and elusive species within the tern family. This remarkable bird is distinguished by its orange-yellow bill with a black tip, a key identifying feature. It also sports a striking black crest and grey-and-white plumage, with its forehead turning black during the breeding season—making it all the more distinctive in appearance.
In 2000, the Matsu Islands officially established the Matsu Tern Refuge, a protected area encompassing eight islands and islets, including Shuangzi Reef (Dongyin Township), the Three Northern Islets, Zhongdao, Tiejian Island, Jinyu, and Baimiao (Beigan Township), Liuquan Reef (Nangan Township), and Snake Island (Juguang Township). The refuge covers a total area of approximately 72 hectares, including 12 hectares of land and 60 hectares of surrounding marine waters. It was designated primarily to protect seven key bird species: the Bridled Tern, Roseate Tern, Black-naped Tern, Crested Tern, Black-tailed Gull, Pacific Reef Heron, and the White-throated Needletail.
Recent surveys have recorded over 10,000 terns breeding within the refuge. Among these, the Bridled Tern and Black-naped Tern are listed as protected species. The Crested Tern population in Matsu is the largest in Taiwan, while the Black-tailed Gull has been found to breed exclusively in this region, making its ecological value exceptionally significant. To enhance public awareness of summer migratory birds and their habitats within the protected area, as well as to promote ecological education, Matsu National Scenic Area Headquarters has launched a brand-new IP mascot: “Yah-Ou.” The name “Yah-Ou” originates from the Eastern Min dialect, where “Yah” means “very,” and “Ou” sounds similar to the word for “good,” together conveying the meaning of “very good.” The character is inspired by the Chinese Crested Tern (Thalasseus bernsteini), also known as the "bird of legend."
Its design features the tern’s distinctive traits — a tri-colored bill (black, white, and orange-yellow) and a striking black crest. As a symbolic figure of the tern refuge, Yah-Ou represents the ongoing conservation efforts and achievements in protecting tern populations, while also highlighting Matsu’s role as a high-quality breeding and nesting habitat for seabirds.
Director Hong Chih-Kuang of the Matsu National Scenic Area Headquarters expressed his hope that, through the World Birdwatching Expo and the engaging interactions with “Yah-Ou”, more visitors from home and abroad will gain a deeper understanding of Matsu’s county bird and its valuable ecological resources, while also experiencing the natural beauty and cultural richness of the islands. With the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays approaching, a variety of exciting events are set to take place across Matsu. Among them is the "Island Clean Walk – Matsu Slow Travel on Foot" series, which invites visitors to explore the archipelago’s four townships and five main islands on foot, discovering the region’s geological wonders and ecological charm, and enjoying a truly unique and relaxing island slow-travel getaway.
