Kinmen

An island where Minnan ancestral houses and wartime tunnels stand side by side. A ferry from Xiamen’s Wutong Pier takes about 30 minutes. Local specialties include Gongtang candy, Kinmen cleavers and kaoliang liquor.

Kinmen lies in the sea east of Xiamen in Fujian and is made up of Greater Kinmen, Lesser Kinmen (Lieyu) and other islands. Its nearest point is less than 10 km from Xiamen. The islands are currently administered by the Taiwan authorities. Kinmen preserves many Qing-dynasty red-brick Minnan ancestral houses and Western-style mansions built with overseas Chinese wealth. The 1949 Battle of Guningtou and the 1958 August 23 Artillery Bombardment left behind dense networks of tunnels, pillboxes and war museums. Together these create a distinctive look that combines ancestral houses with battlefields. Most of the area is part of Kinmen “National Park.”

The climate is subtropical maritime. October through April is cool and dry, the best time for cycling and strolling through historic villages. Summers are hot, and spring sea fog often delays flights. Core areas include: (1) Jincheng Town, with Model Street, the Naval Commander’s Office, the Qiu Liang-gong Filial Widow Arch, Juguang Tower, the Shuitou and Zhushan villages to the southwest, and Zhaishan Tunnel; (2) the northwest Guningtou area, with the battle museum, Beishan Western-style mansions and Cihu Lake; (3) central Jinhu Town, with Taiwu Mountain, the August 23 Battle Museum and the Qionglin village; (4) northeast Jinsha Town, with Shanhou Folk Village, the Mashan Observation Post and the Lion Mountain artillery position; (5) Lesser Kinmen, reached by the Kinmen Bridge, which opened in 2022, to Jiugong Tunnel and the Hujingtou battle museum.

Transport: The ferry from Xiamen’s Wutong Pier to Kinmen’s Shuitou Pier takes about 30 minutes under the “Mini Three Links” arrangement. Travelers need the appropriate documents. Flights also operate from places such as Taipei Songshan. The island has buses and sightseeing buses, but renting an electric scooter or driving is recommended. Plan for 2 to 3 days. Specialties include Gongtang candy, kitchen knives, kaoliang liquor and mee sua noodles. Some military facilities remain restricted zones, so do not enter them without permission.

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