Qixingyan (Taiwan)
{{coord|21|45|31.98|N|120|49|28.94|E|display=title}}
{{Location map
|Taiwan
|label=Qixingyan
|lat_deg=21|lat_min=45|lat_sec=31.98
|lon_deg=120|lon_min=49|lon_sec=28.94
|position=right
|width=200
|float=right
|relief=yes
|caption=Position of Qixingyan south of Taiwan
}}
File:Txu-oclc-6557994-index-456.jpg
Qixingyan or Ch'ihsingyen ({{zh|t=七星岩|poj=Chhit-chheⁿ-gâm|l=Seven Star Reef}}), also known as the Vele Rete rocks,{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/senatedocuments06unkngoog/page/n297|title=Senate documents, otherwise publ. As Public documents and Executive documents}} is a group of coral islands in the Bashi Channel, located off the southern coast of Pingtung County, Taiwan. The island group is composed by seven coral reefs. {{citation needed span|At low tide seven reefs are visible. At high tide only two reefs are visible.|date=April 2019}} Qixingyan is shaped like the Big Dipper, hence the name "Seven Star Reef". It is about {{convert|8|nmi|km}} from the southernmost point of Taiwan, Eluanbi. Due to strong currents and shoals in the area, many ships were wrecked and lives lost in the early to mid-19th century after the Qing court opened trade between the West and China. Notable shipwrecks include the 1867 US merchant ship Rover that resulted in the Rover incident{{cite book|script-title=zh:臺灣歷史地圖 增訂版 |trans-title=Taiwan Historical Maps, Expanded and Revised Edition|date=February 2018|publisher=National Museum of Taiwan History|isbn=978-986-05-5274-4|pages=78|location=Taipei|quote={{lang|zh-hant|在1867年(同治6年)3月間，美國商船羅妹號(Rover)因遭遇暴風，在鵝鸞鼻南方七星岩觸礁後沉沒，}}}} and the 1871 Japanese merchant vessel Ryukyu which resulted in the Mudan incident.[http://www.all4you.com.tw/web3/free/theme/theme.asp?newsid=294 詮達文教∣高中館∣Free區] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903181249/http://www.all4you.com.tw/web3/free/theme/theme.asp?newsid=294 |date=September 3, 2011 }}
