Liuchiu

L1I1U1C3H4I1U1

A form of Liuqiu — Synonym of Ryukyu (“island chain”): the Mandarin Chinese-derived name.

Scrabble 12

Meanings

proper noun
  1. alternativeAlternative form of Liuqiu (Ryukyu, Japan)

    ON EASTER SUNDAY 1945, American Marines and Army troops landed on Okinawa in the Liuchiu Islands.

    1945 April 22, Paul S. Amos, “Okinawa and the Liuchius”, in The Department of State Bulletin, volume XII, number 304, Department of State, United States of America, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 743, column 1
    3 more examples

    Thirdly, that their right to the sovereignty of Liuchiu was formally acknowledged by China in 1874, by the payment of an indemnity to Japan for the slaughter of the shipwrecked Liuchiuans by the Formosan savages. To this we may add the pregnant fact that no protest was offered by the Chinese to the conquest of Liuchiu in the first instance, nor was any made until quite recently, when the Islands were brought under the more direct control of the Japanese Government by being incorporated with an existing ken; a consideration which appears to be overlooked in the documents before us, probably because the Japanese are aware that they permitted their Liuchiuan subjects to continue certain tributary relations with China which were flagrantly inconsistent with the fealty they owed to the Emperor of Japan.

    1879 October 10, “JAPAN AND THE LIUCHIU ISLANDS.”, in North-China Herald and Supreme Court & Consular Gazette, volume XXIII, number 645, Shanghai, →OCLC, page 349, column 3

    The great Jesuit missionary, St. Francis Xavier, also spent some time at Öita, and Otomo, its lord, was the first Daimio to embrace Christianity. Still farther south, and in line with these, stretches the chain of the Liuchiu islands, the westernmost of the group lying within 50 miles of the Formosan coast.

    1905, Archibald Little, “The Island Empire: Japan”, in The Far East, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 283

    On the sea, all the off-shore islands from Liaotung and Shantung to Hainan were accounted for (except Taiwan and Liuchiu or Ryukyu Islands which were first explored in the time of Sun Chuan in 230 A. D. by The Wu Empire).

    1959 July, Tingsen S. (衛挺生) Wei, “On the Identification of Hsü Fu's Colonization with Jimmu Tenno's Eastern Expedition”, in Chinese Culture: A Quarterly Review, volume II, number 2, Taipei: Chinese Culture University Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 139
  2. alternativeAlternative form of Liuqiu (rural township of Taiwan)

    Since the outbreak of dengue fever type II in Liuchiu Township of Pingtung County in 1981 (2), there have been imported cases or indigenous cases each year.

    2001, Epidemiology Bulletin, volume 17, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 54
    4 more examples

    A serious dengue fever outbreak in Taiwan Area was reported in 1942 during the Second World War. Everyone now aged 60 years and above was probably infected. For years after the retrocession, no cases were reported. In 1981, however, an outbreak of type II dengue fever swept through Pingtung's Liuchiu township, infecting more than 80% of the population.

    1994, Toward the Goal of Health for All: A Health White Paper, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 90

    During the first half of the 20th century, there were three island–wide dengue fever outbreaks in Taiwan (1915, 1931, and 1942). After almost forty years of dormancy, a DEN–2 outbreak occurred in Liuchiu Township, Pingtung County in 1981.

    2014 November 24, “Dengue Fever”, in Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, archived from the original on 11 Sep 2022

    The corruption probe began last year following allegations of bid rigging and financial irregularity on several local projects administered by Liuchiu Township (琉球) authorities, Pingtung County officials said. Liuchiu Township Mayor Chen Lung-chin (陳隆進) has been accused of involvement in the scheme, with prosecutors alleging that Huang acted as a “white glove,” meeting with contractors and collecting payments.

    2017 January 22, Jason Pan, “Pingtung councilor, husband accused of corruption”, in Taipei Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 Sep 2022, Taiwan News, page 3

    After World War II (WWII), no dengue outbreak was reported for nearly four decades until 1981, when a DENV2 outbreak occurred in an off-shore islet, the Liuchiu township [12–14].

    2018 October 24, Jih-Jin Tsai et al., “Seroprevalence of dengue virus in two districts of Kaohsiung City after the largest dengue outbreak in Taiwan since World War II”, in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC
  3. alternativeAlternative form of Liuqiu (island of Taiwan)

    You can visit Liuchiu all year round, but winters are lovely: warm and dry, with temperatures averaging in the mid-20°C range.

    2014, Robert Kelly, Chung Wah Chow, Taiwan, 9th edition, Lonely Planet, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 269, column 1
    5 more examples

    Since 1974, the Taiwan power Co. has launched a series of power plant construction projects on offshore islands including Liuchiu in Pingtung County, Chimei and Wounan in Penghu, Green Island in Taitung, and most recently Orchid island, also in Taitung.

    Free China Weekly

    1982 March 21, “Farmers benefit from Govt. Programs”, in 自由中國週報 [Free China Weekly], volume XXII, number 11, Taipei, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 4, column 3

    Liuchiu Island can be visited as a relaxing day trip, but it’s more fun to spend the night. Indeed, the island is at its most attractive in the evening when the lights from Kaohsiung glimmer on the tranquil sea.

    1994 July, Robert Storey, “South-West Taiwan”, in Taiwan - A Travel Survival Kit, 3rd edition, Lonely Planet, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, pages 236–237

    Liuchiu Island, known locally as “Paradise on the Sea" (海上樂園), is an ethereal escape from the rigors of city life. Unlike Taiwan's other islands, Liuchiu Island was formed entirely of coral deposits. Since the Chinese pronunciation of the island is the same as Okinawa, Japan, locals call the island “Small Liuchiu” (小琉球 Hsiao Liuchiu).

    2008, Scott B. Freiberger, “Islands in the Strait”, in Taipei in a Day, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 87, column 1

    A Taiwanese fishing vessel that went missing off Indonesia last week has been found and is being kept under surveillance by the Indonesian Navy, the head of a fishermen's association in Liuchiu, Taiwan's southern county of Pingtung said Wednesday.

    2010 April 21, “Taiwanese fishing boat missing off Indonesia found”, in Focus Taiwan, archived from the original on 20 Sep 2022, Society

    The crew members took control of the Sheng Tsai Wang 7, registered in Hsiao Liuchiu, Pingtung County, on April 20, the coast guard said.

    2010 April 27, “Taiwan Coast Guard frees fishing officers held by Indonesian crew”, in Taiwan News, archived from the original on 05 Oct 2022, Society

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

  1. Mandarin琉球
  2. EnglishLiuchiu

From Mandarin 琉球 (Liúqiú), Wade–Giles romanization: Liu²-chʻiu².

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Liuchiu. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Liuchiu

MLA

“Liuchiu.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Liuchiu. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Liuchiu,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Liuchiu.

Source: Liuchiu on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.