Insulele P'eng-hu, P'eng-hu au scris și Penghu, chineză (romanizarea Wade-Giles) P'eng-hu Ch'ün-tao sau P'eng-hu Lieh-tao, (Pinyin) Penghu Qundao sau Penghu Liedao, Pescadores convențional, arhipelag și hsien (județul) din Taiwan. Este format din aproximativ 64 de insule mici, care se află la aproximativ 30 de mile (50 km) la vest de coasta Taiwanului continental, de care este separată de canalul P'eng-hu.
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De origine vulcanică, multe dintre insule sunt compuse din bazalt rezistent și sunt înconjurate de recifuri de corali. Insulele sunt joase, cele mai multe cresc doar cu aproximativ 30–40 metri (100–130 metri) deasupra nivelului mării. Cel mai înalt vârf este de aproximativ 48 de metri. Insulele au un climat cald, fiind situate pe calea Kuroshio (curentul din Japonia), iar intervalul de temperatură anual este cuprins între 61 și 82 ° F (16 până la 28 ° C). Precipitațiile sunt de aproximativ 900 mm (anual), aproape toate dintre cele iunie și septembrie. În restul anului există o lipsă de apă și nu există râuri. În timpul iernii, insulele sunt măturate de vânturile severe. Cele mai mari insule sunt P’eng-hu (64 km pătrați), pe care trăiește mai mult de jumătate din populație, Pai-sha (Baisha), Yü-weng (Yuweng) și Pa-chao (Bazhao). P'eng-hu, Pai-sha,și Yü-weng sunt legate de calea ferată.
About half of the islands are cultivated, but the soils are poor and the climate harsh; the main crops—sweet potatoes, peanuts (groundnuts), corn (maize), and millet—are those associated with poor hill country in southern China. A large part of the population are fishermen, and the European name Pescadores (“Fishermen”) was given to the islands by the Portuguese in the 16th century.
The islands were probably known to the Chinese (under the name Liu-chiu) as early as the 7th century ce. Their name first appears as P’eng-hu (or P’ing-hu) in Chinese sources of the 12th century, and it was at this time that they were probably first settled by Chinese fishermen from Fujian or Zhejiang on the mainland. At the beginning of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), the Chinese government built a fort on P’eng-hu, established a civil government there, and imposed taxes on the fisheries. In 1388, however, the entire population was transported to the mainland. P’eng-hu was then abandoned and became a lair for pirates. Only in the reign of the Wanli emperor (1572–1620) did Chinese settlers again begin to colonize the islands, first establishing fisheries and then, in 1625, military colonies. Meanwhile, between 1622 and 1624, the islands had been occupied by the Dutch. At the end of the Ming dynasty, many settlers came to the islands to escape the fighting in southeast China, mostly from Zhangzhou and Quanzhou in Fujian. By 1683 there were said to be some 6,000 inhabitants on the islands, who were formally placed under the control of the civil authorities in Taiwan. In 1721 the islands became the base for government punitive action against Zhu Yigui (Chu I-kuei), a rebel on Taiwan.
In the 19th century, when the Western powers began to have designs on Taiwan, the islands again became an important strategic area. They were occupied by the French in 1884–85, and, after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–95, they were ceded to Japan, together with Taiwan. Returned to China in 1945, the islands were made a chen (township) under Taiwan and, in 1950, became a hsien of Taiwan province.
Since 1949 the islands have been under the control of the government of the Republic of China on Taiwan; a Chinese Nationalist naval base, Ma-kung (now the county seat), was established on P’eng-hu. In addition to the fishing industry, the working of the islands’ phosphate deposits have also provided income. Area 49 square miles (127 square km). Pop. (2012 est.) 98,843.
