Anyplace boasting a history that includes pirates, classic Chinese architecture and twentieth century battlefields deserves to be a stop on any travelers itinerary but the islands of the Kinmen archipelago are not only overlooked by most, they are often unknown to travelers. Located just a couple of kilometers from the southern Chinese city of Xiamen, but administered from across the Taiwan Strait by the Taiwanese (Republic of China) government, Kinmen was a cold war flashpoint that saw daily barrages of artillery throughout the 1950s and 60s exchanged between the PRC (People’s Republic of China) and ROC. The lifting of martial law in 1993, and the naming of Kinmen as Taiwan’s sixth national park in 1995 opened the islands up for tourism. The “three small links” established between Taiwan and China in 2001 opened Kinmen up to trade and travel from China, and with relations between the two sides warming up over the past year to the point where people are starting to mention possible peace deals, there’s never been a better time to travel to Kinmen.
A military post on Kinmen. With thawing relations between Taiwan and China, these may soon be things of the past.
Located only one hour flying time from Taipei’s Songshan Airport, Kinmen makes a great destination for both residents of Taiwan and those passing through on business or leisure. There are six townships on Kinmen with the largest being Jincheng. This is the county seat, as well as having most of the hotels and restaurants. As such, this is probably the first place travelers will find themselves after leaving the airport, and it has its own charms in the back lanes. It’s definitely worth taking a stroll through the alleys, as their are some great little sites to see that aren’t marked on any map.
Freshly made noodles hanging to dry in a Jincheng alley
Old Fujian style housing in Jincheng, Kinmen
Situated close to the bus station is Mofan St. Dating from 1924, it exhibits a mixture of Western and Japanese style architecture. Brick exteriors and archways house small gift stores and cafes. A few minutes walking distance away, Qiu Liang-Kung’s Mother’s Memorial Arch can be found. Qiu, a Kinmen local who went on to serve as governor of China’s Zhejiang province, built this arch built in 1812 in honor of his mother who chose to live 28 years as a widow rather than remarry after her husband died.
Future Hopes - The Chinese (l) and Taiwanese (r) flags displayed next to each other in Mofan St, Jincheng
Qiu Liang-Kung's Mother's Memorial Arch, Jincheng
To the south of Jincheng lies the Juguang Tower. Built in the style of classical Chinese palaces, this three-storey tower is fairly modern, having been constructed in 1952. A museum is housed inside that tower that was originally built as a memorial to fallen soldiers. Close by is the Wentai Pagoda, a five level pagoda that is one of the oldest monuments in Taiwan, as well as numerous small villages with their distinctive roofing styles.
Juguang Tower built in 1952 as a memorial to fallen soldiers. Jincheng, Kinmen
Traditional rooftop decorations, Kinmen
Traditional village housing, Kinmen
Wentai Pagoda, Kinmen
Also in the Jincheng area is the Koxinga Shrine. Koxinga, born in 1624 in Nagasaki, Japan to a Chinese pirate father and Japanese mother, is also commonly known as Zheng Cheng-gong. Growing up firstly in Japan, then, from the age of seven in China, Koxinga went on to study at the Imperial Nanjing University, the main university of the Ming Dynasty. After the fall of the Ming, Koxinga trained and led armies in a battle against the new Qing Dynasty, basing himself on Kinmen. His armies were able to defeat the Manchus in their attacks on Kinmen, and five years later he defeated the Dutch colonizers at Tainan, Taiwan which he then made a base for remaining Ming-loyalists and other anti-Qing sympathizers. Koxinga died of malaria at age 37. His legacy has seen his honored as a god amongst coastal dwellers in China, people in Taiwan and overseas Chinese throughout South East Asia.
A cannon on display at the Koxinga Shrine, Kinmen
Gateway to the Koxinga Shrine, Kinmen.
At that point, it’s a good time to take a break from our travels in Kinmen. Part 2 will be published next week, looking at a few more areas of interest on this overlooked island. Comments and suggestions welcome, and for any Twitter uses, if you could retweet this post it’d be much appreciated. Thank you.
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Craig Ferguson Images | Cultural Photography. One of the key aspects of life that we humans identify with is culture. We label people, places and events according to our ideas of what they are, ranging from the broader scale defined by tradition and place down to the small scale subcultures and tribes. Craig Ferguson Images is consistantly creating new visions in the field of cultural photography. From traditional festives and customs to modern, urban subcultures, Craig Ferguson Images is in touch with the changing world. From our base in Taipei, Taiwan we are perfectly positioned at the crossroads of the ancient and the modern.
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