Tiny as it is, the Taiwanese island group of Kinmen has had a role in every twist and turn in Taipei-Beijing relations over the past six decades, from front-line military garrison to vanguard of cross-strait exchanges in the ROC history.
From the time the Kuomintang-led government relocated to Taiwan proper in 1949 until the late 1970s, Kinmen—only 10 kilometers from Xiamen Harbor in the southeastern mainland Chinese province of Fujian—saw intermittent conflict across the Taiwan Strait. On Oct. 25, 1949, 56 hours of close combat were triggered by the landing of communist troops at Guningtou and two other beaches on the island’s northern coast.
Another major incident was the pivotal August 23 Artillery Battle of 1958, a 44-day bombardment between Taiwan and mainland China, after which the communists abandoned their plans to island hop from offshore Kinmen and Matsu to an attack on Taiwan proper.
But things have changed over the past two decades. Following years of mutual hostilities, the two sides of the strait had finally reinitiated contact. “Kinmen has gone from military buffer to a place flourishing with cross-strait exchanges in commerce, culture, economy, religion, trade and tourism,” Kinmen County Magistrate Li Wo-shih told Taiwan Today Feb. 14.
As cross-strait tensions gradually cooled down, the ROC government lifted martial law in Kinmen and demilitarized some sections of the heavily fortified island group in 1992. Before long, the outpost’s mysterious feel began to fade away as tourists from other parts of Taiwan flooded in.
“Tourism was a key change to local economic development,” Li said, adding that long years of military service had kept the islands from economic advancement.
The next momentous point came Jan. 1, 2001, when direct transportation, mail and trade connections opened between Kinmen, Matsu and selected locations in Fujian. This small-scale lifting of restrictions between the offshore islands and mainland China was dubbed the “mini three links.”
After these links were implemented, mainland Chinese tourists started flocking to Kinmen. This has brought new opportunities for the local tourism industry and also ushered in a new era of cross-strait relations.
Despite its relative lack of modern development, Kinmen, also known as Quemoy, has one-of-a-kind assets that make it a popular tourist destination. Military tunnels, air raid shelters, emplacements and artillery shells remain from the war zone period.
Nature reserves that nourish abundant wildlife also add to its tourism draw. More than 300 bird species have been spotted in the small island group of just 179 square kilometers, said Chiu Chui-cheng, chief secretary of National Quemoy University.
“The great cormorant, a wintering bird flying from as far afield as Siberia, is the most eye-catching, and an indicator of Kinmen’s pristine environment.”
Cultural heritage is another point of interest. Clusters of traditional Fujian-style low red-brick houses—featuring graceful upturned swallowtail roof ridges—have survived for a century while their mainland Chinese counterparts have been largely replaced with concrete boxes.
“Along with the world’s most well-preserved old Fujian architecture, traditional ancestor worship ceremonies and ancestral halls from Southeast China have been passed down here,” Chiu said.
“To add further tourist allure, Kinmen is eyeing development as a duty-free island for luxury goods,” Li said. The county government has granted licenses to five stores, with the first one opening last December selling cosmetics, cigarettes, handbags and wine.
Meanwhile, a new landmark under construction is expected to draw even more visitors. At a cost of NT$7.5 billion (US$262 million), the Kinmen Bridge, to be completed in June 2016, will join Kinmen and Lieyu islands.
The 5.4-kilometer bridge comprises a main body of five extradosed bridges, with the largest span measuring 280 meters long, a world record.
“After it becomes operational, the bridge will be lit up in vivid colors at night, making a splendid scene,” Li said, adding that travel time between Kinmen and Lieyu will be cut to five minutes by car, compared to 30 minutes by boat.
“Besides spurring tourism on both islands, it will make life much easier for Lieyu residents by giving them better access to health care provided in Kinmen,” Li said.
Indeed, the construction of the bridge can be seen as the fruit of warming cross-strait ties. Such a major infrastructure project would never have got underway if the two sides of the strait had remained in conflict
Increasing academic exchanges are another benefit of the improved political climate.
With its proximity to mainland China, plus close contact with Xiamen University, NQU—Kinmen’s sole tertiary education institution, upgraded from National Kinmen Institute of Technology last August—acts as a bridge for high-level academic exchanges across the strait.
Reflecting Kinmen’s historical characteristics, NQU features programs on cross-strait relations and Fujianese culture, according to Chiu.
“We are targeting mainland Chinese students now that the government has relaxed pertinent policies,” Chiu said. While universities on Taiwan proper can only recruit 2 percent of their incoming students from mainland China starting September, NQU is allowed to take as many as 10 percent.
Taiwanese and mainland Chinese students studying together for their degrees in Kinmen—a former flashpoint in the Taiwan Strait—will write a new chapter in history.
To mark this growing cross-strait harmony, a peace bell is being made from artillery shells found on the islands, to be hung in a tower at the Guningtou battlefield. As part of ROC centennial celebrations, the ringing of the bell at an Aug. 23 ceremony will symbolize the country’s commitment to pursuing permanent peace.
“Where better than a battleground to mark a new era of peace?” Li said. (THN)
Write to Elaine Hou at elainehou@mail.gio.gov.tw