KINMEN Island, Taiwan. The most heavily fortified place on the planet, thought I might drop in

I'm going to China and Taiwan in about 3 weeks on business. I saw this program on the box the other day about Kinmen Island which is Taiwanese territory only 2 km from mainland China. Turns out that tourists can have go there now after being off limits for 50 years. The local residents couldn't even go to the beach.

Rusty steel staves stick out of the beach, waiting to stab invading troops. Soldiers toting machine guns nearby yell at tourists who try to snap pictures.

This tiny Taiwanese island about a kilometre off rival China's southeast coast might seem to be a hostile place for travellers. And for decades, Kinmen (pronounced Jin Men) was off-limits to visitors. But in recent years, the military outpost has been opening up to visitors and has become one of Taiwan's unique tourist sites.

Kinmen -- also known as Quemoy -- made headlines in 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist troops retreated to the island after losing a civil war to the Communists.

Chinese cannons pounded the island with nearly a million rounds in a conflict that at one point required the support of the U.S. Seventh Fleet. During several intense periods in the 1950s, America considered using nuclear weapons to stop the artillery barrages.

But as the Cold War ended and the China-Taiwan feud went from a boil to a simmer, the number of troops has been halved and the smoke from artillery fire has long since drifted away.

Although the threat of a Chinese attack still exists, many residents ignore the politics and even illegally travel back and forth or buy smuggled pears, melons, cigarettes, nuts and other goods.....

....At one point, thousands of troops populated the islands both above and below ground, in a network of secret tunnels, some of which are now open to the public.

Kuningtou War Museum is one of Kinmen's best museums. On Oct 25, 1949, tens of thousands of Chinese troops landed on Kinmen's northwest shores in Kuningtou. China attempted to take the island and, according to Chinese propaganda, "wash Taiwan with blood."

But most of the Chinese troops were either killed or captured in the bloody battle.

The best way to see the island is to rent a car or a taxi at the airport. Most of the island's uncongested roads are marked with English signs. The island is so small -- about 30 by 40 kilometres -- it's difficult to get lost.


www.workopolis.com...

There are I think 40 000 soldiers there now down from 80 000. This program also showed Taiwanese Marines in training, they are rquired to swim 10km which is easily the distance to China and back. During the cold war, marines could gain respect by swimming over to the mainland killing a Chicom sentry and bringin his head back.


The following pictures are from this site, It's worth a read:

www.leschamb.com...






Well, I'm going to try and go there.





[edit on 23-9-2004 by mad scientist]

prolly best not to take a camera with you, they'll have you shot as a spy or something ridiculous.. paranoid culture.. prolly the last place for a tourist in my opinion.. good luck and have fun bossman!

(on a real note.. do bring back some picks if you can, would be interesting to see how bad it is there from a first hand account)

I haven't made any preparations to visit Kinmen yet, but I hope to.

There is a man on Kinmen who specialises in making knives out of unexploded shell casings fired from China. One of the pictures above shows the selection you can choose from.

Mad Scientist, when you go to Kimen, please do ask the residents of what they think and whether they want Taiwan Independence. It is the only port with direct transportation link with Mainland China, I believe.

Originally posted by zcheng
Mad Scientist, when you go to Kimen, please do ask the residents of what they think and whether they want Taiwan Independence. It is the only port with direct transportation link with Mainland China, I believe.

I will, I have heard that Taiwanese fishermen don't really catch fish anymore, but secretly trade with mainland China. The worst kept secret in Kinmen.
Zcheng, how come China hasn't taken overe this isalnd especially being so close to China ?

Originally posted by mad scientist
I will, I have heard that Taiwanese fishermen don't really catch fish anymore, but secretly trade with mainland China. The worst kept secret in Kinmen.
Zcheng, how come China hasn't taken overe this isalnd especially being so close to China ?

Have not I told you that Kimen, Machu are meant as the link that draws Taiwan closer to China? In the 60,70's, if Taiwan wanted to go independent, China would have no capability to prevent it. These islands tied Taiwan to China. At that time, the ruling Jiang was a patriot Chinese, and would never accept Independent Taiwan. He dreamed to conquer Mainland China sometime in the future.

Today, it is in reverse. China has capability to prevent Taiwan from going Independent, while current Taiwan government is inching toward Indepedence.

More likely because of this ;

Kuningtou War Museum is one of Kinmen's best museums. On Oct 25, 1949, tens of thousands of Chinese troops landed on Kinmen's northwest shores in Kuningtou. China attempted to take the island and, according to Chinese propaganda, "wash Taiwan with blood."

But most of the Chinese troops were either killed or captured in the bloody battle.

Maybe one ass-kicking was enough

Originally posted by mad scientist
More likely because of this ;

Kuningtou War Museum is one of Kinmen's best museums. On Oct 25, 1949, tens of thousands of Chinese troops landed on Kinmen's northwest shores in Kuningtou. China attempted to take the island and, according to Chinese propaganda, "wash Taiwan with blood."

But most of the Chinese troops were either killed or captured in the bloody battle.

Maybe one ass-kicking was enough

Yes, that was a collosal failure. At the time, Taiwan government also controlled second largest island of China, "Hainan Island", currently Hainan province. With lessens learnt from the failure in Kinmen, that attack was swift and successful. Go find out the timeline of event, before spuring * please.

Originally posted by zcheng
Go find out the timeline of event, before spuring * please.

? what do you mean ?

Originally posted by mad scientist

Originally posted by zcheng
Go find out the timeline of event, before spuring * please.

? what do you mean ?

You do not know the time sequence of failure in Kinmen, Liberation of Hainan, and 8.23 Shelling of Kinmen. They were battles in the Civil war.

what does the timelin have to do with anything ? All I said is when the KMT retereated to Formosa and other islands. The Chinese tried to take quemoy and were repulsed with massive losses. That is all, it has nothing to do with Hainan Island.

Originally posted by mad scientist
what does the timelin have to do with anything ? All I said is when the KMT retereated to Formosa and other islands. The Chinese tried to take quemoy and were repulsed with massive losses. That is all, it has nothing to do with Hainan Island.

They were all battles by the same two army, PLA and GMT National Army.

Originally posted by mad scientist
what does the timelin have to do with anything ? All I said is when the KMT retereated to Formosa and other islands. The Chinese tried to take quemoy and were repulsed with massive losses. That is all, it has nothing to do with Hainan Island.

You obviously know very little about Taiwan and China.
Go to
gurukul.ucc.american.edu...
and check out what you will do as US president in Taiwan crisis.

Well I've put forward the facts, spin them howver you want. I know a bit about China, I spent 4 years in HK when I was younger.

Originally posted by mad scientist
Well I've put forward the facts, spin them howver you want. I know a bit about China, I spent 4 years in HK when I was younger.

I do not deny the failure in Kinmen around 1949. That failure leaded to the success in Hainan. Spending 4 years in HK does not mean you know much about China, esp Chinese History.

Originally posted by zcheng

Originally posted by mad scientist
Well I've put forward the facts, spin them howver you want. I know a bit about China, I spent 4 years in HK when I was younger.

I do not deny the failure in Kinmen around 1949. That failure leaded to the success in Hainan. Spending 4 years in HK does not mean you know much about China, esp Chinese History.

Thankyou, what was the title of the thread Kinmen Island not Hainan.

I got to know a few free Chinese poeple, no one likes the communists HK or Taiwan simple as that. I know a fair bit about 20th century Chinese history.

Besides look at Mao, he was a paedophile for gods sake as bad as Beria under Stalin.

Originally posted by mad scientist

Thankyou, what was the title of the thread Kinmen Island not Hainan.

I got to know a few free Chinese poeple, no one likes the communists HK or Taiwan simple as that. I know a fair bit about 20th century Chinese history.

Besides look at Mao, he was a paedophile for gods sake as bad as Beria under Stalin.

That is the propaganda you received and accepted. Do not simply assume they are facts. Deny ignorance please.

Originally posted by zcheng

Originally posted by mad scientist

Thankyou, what was the title of the thread Kinmen Island not Hainan.

I got to know a few free Chinese poeple, no one likes the communists HK or Taiwan simple as that. I know a fair bit about 20th century Chinese history.

Besides look at Mao, he was a paedophile for gods sake as bad as Beria under Stalin.

That is the propaganda you received and accepted. Do not simply assume they are facts. Deny ignorance please.

zcheng I dont think pictures are propaganda, and this is only the things that are publicly available. Imagine the invisible fortifications.

Originally posted by IBM
zcheng I dont think pictures are propaganda, and this is only the things that are publicly available. Imagine the invisible fortifications.

Please post links to those images that are "publicly available". I will see whether they are genuine or doctored from my experience.

Im talking about the pictures that are posted on this thread by the author. When he posted them it is automatically public knowledge. And no they are not doctored.