Everything about Kinmen totally explained
Kinmen (;
POJ: Kim-mn̂g; also romanized
Quemoy from
Southern Min (in early Spanish romanization) or
Jinmen in standard
Mandarin; literally "Golden Door" or "Golden Gate"), located at, is a small
archipelago of several
islands administered by the
Republic of China (ROC) government:
Greater Quemoy (大金門),
Lesser Quemoy (小金門), and some
islets. Administratively, it's
Kinmen County of
Fujian (Fuchien) Province,
Republic of China. The county is claimed as part of
Fujian's
Quanzhou Prefecture by the
People's Republic of China. Some islands of other counties, such as
Wuciou, were transferred to the jurisdiction of Kinmen County by the ROC government following its
retreat to Taiwan.
Matsu is the other set of islands on the Fujian coast controlled by the ROC.
Many of the county's inhabitants speak the
Southern Min language (
Min Nan). Due to their previous political isolation, most residents will say they speak "Kinmenese", as opposed to "
Taiwanese" as it's commonly called in Taiwan, though the differences are arbitrary and the two dialects are mutually intelligible. Quemoy is geographically very near
Xiamen (also known as Amoy).
History
In contrast to the island of
Taiwan and the
Pescadores, Kinmen was never colonized by
Japan. This was due to the fact that Kinmen is considered a part of Fujian.
The island was the site of extensive shelling between PRC and ROC forces in the
1950s and
1960s and was a major issue in the
1960 United States Presidential Election between
Kennedy and
Nixon. In the 1950s, the United States threatened to use
nuclear weapons against the PRC if it attacked the island.
Kinmen was originally a military preserve. However, the island was returned to the civilian government in the mid-1990s, and travel to and from
Taiwan was allowed.
Direct travel between
mainland China and Kinmen was opened in
2002, and there has been extensive tourism development on the island in anticipation of mainland tourists. Direct travel was suspended in
2003 as a result of the
SARS outbreak, but has since resumed. Many Taiwanese businesspeople use this link to enter the Mainland as it's seen as cheaper and easier than entering through Hong Kong. The island has thus experienced an economic boom as businesspeople relocate to the island for easy access to the vast markets of the People's Republic of China.
Tourism
Kinmen is recognized as a national park. Because of its military importance, development on Quemoy was extremely limited. As a result, it's now a popular weekend tourist destination for Taiwanese and is known for its quiet villages, old-style architecture, and beaches. Due to extensive shelling campaigns between the PRC and ROC, Kinmen is famous for its
Artillery Shell Knives. Local artisans would collect the vast amounts of exploded ordnance and make high-quality knives which are still sought after by chefs and connoisseurs. Kinmen is also home of the locally famous KinMen GaoLiang liquor, a
tequila-like liquor which is highly appreciated by the Taiwanese.
Politics
The island consistently votes for the
pan-blue coalition. Until the early 1990s, proponents of
Taiwan independence argued that they'd consider handing Quemoy over to the PRC in any negotiated settlement. Residents of Quemoy have broadly opposed such measures, fearing the consequences of the PRC government's policies on their standard of living and political freedom.
Townships
Kinmen County is subdivided into six
townships:
All those townships on Greater Quemoy Island start their names with
Jin ("gold"). Lieyu Township encompasses the entire Lesser Quemoy Island, and is closest to
Xiamen.
Wuciou Township comprises Greater Ciou Islet (大坵) and Lesser Ciou Islet (小坵).
Jincheng and Jinsha are the largest of the six townships. Altogether, there are 37 Quemoy villages, three of which – all in
Jhen (鎮,
Zhen) – are
Li-villages (里); the rest are
Cun-villages (村).
Gallery
Image:Wuwangzaiju.JPG|Calligraphy by former President Chiang Kai-shek etched on a rock in Kinmen reads, "Forget not that you're in Jǔ" - an allusion to the Warring States Period when the State of Qi, cornered into the City of Ju by the State of Yan, successfully counterattacked and retook its territory. This is intended as an analogy to the situation between the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China. Other slogans alluding to "retaking the mainland" can still be found in Kinmen.
Image:Juguanglou.JPG|The Jüguang ("Brightness of Jü") Tower, a famous landmark in Kinmen.
Image:Jinchengtownview.JPG|Chincheng, the county seat of Kinmen.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Kinmen'.
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