A Kinmen Travel Guide: 5 Days on Kinmen Island in Taiwan
Kinmen is a group of islands belonging to Taiwan, located just off the coast of China and nearly 200 kilometers from Taiwan’s main island. I called it home for almost three years. During that time, I documented the islands and created a dedicated Kinmen Island guide page as well as a Kinmen eBook.
However, in all of that content, I did miss some content for travelers coming to Kinmen for the first time. In this article, I want to share my Kinmen travel guide on the best way to explore this interesting place in five days. But I am sure if you read this article until the end, you will agree that five days may not be enough.
And if you want to know more about traveling in Taiwan in general, I have got you covered as well.
Getting to Kinmen: A Plane or Ferry Will Get You There
Most people fly from Taiwan to Kinmen. There are domestic flights from all major cities such as Taipei Songshan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Chiayi, and Tainan Airport to Da Kinmen, the larger Kinmen Island. Note that when most people refer to Kinmen Island, they typically mean “Da Kinmen”, though Kinmen is actually a group of islands. This travel guide also includes a visit to Little Kinmen, for example.
Another option to reach the island is to take a ferry from Xiamen in China, which is just 10 kilometers away, but you must go through customs. I made a video about traveling from Kinmen to Xiamen by ferry. There is also a ferry from Kinmen to mainland Taiwan, but it is slow and expensive. However, Kinmen is the place where you can go from China to Taiwan by ferry.
A Travel Guide on How to Get Around in Kinmen?
I suggest renting a scooter for the full length of your trip. Thus, this article assumes you will have a scooter as well, but you can also hire a driver or use taxis to follow my suggestions. A scooter is the most convenient and cost-effective option, and there are electric scooters available that you can ride without a driver’s license.
There are also public buses that can take you everywhere, and you can use them with an EasyCard. However, I do not recommend using the buses as a traveler in Kinmen, as they are often too slow. Kinmen is great for cycling as well.
One of the main attractions and an amazing place to stay in Kinmen are the so-called Western-style buildings. Some of these old mansions are used as hotels or guesthouses and are actually fairly affordable. This is where I stayed, and I recommend that you do the same.
The story behind these houses is quite interesting. We come back to the topic later in this article, so just keep reading. Besides the Western-style houses, there are also several hotels to suit all budgets in the two major cities, Jincheng and Jinhu.
Traveling on Kinmen Day 1: Arrival in the Capital
On my very first trip to Kinmen, I arrived by plane. Also, I had called a rental company in advance to reserve a scooter. Most rental companies either deliver your vehicle to the airport or hotel or offer a free shuttle service to pick you up at the airport.
At the airport, I made a call, and 20 minutes later, a driver from the rental company arrived. After a short shuttle ride to Jincheng, I picked up my scooter and explored the old town of the capital. I enjoyed some great food and got a first look at the Maestro Wu knives, made from Chinese artillery shells. Kinmen was the last battleground of the Chinese Civil War and was not open to travelers until 1995. Tomorrow, I will explore the military history of Kinmen.
For now, I continue my walk to Juguang Park, where I visit Juguang Tower and enjoy a great view of the coast and the town. While Jincheng is the capital and has a lot of tourist infrastructure, it is quite small, which only adds to its charm IMHO.
A major highlight of my first day is the free guided tour of the Jincheng Civil Defense Tunnels. Be prepared for an adventure: These former military fortifications, built mostly in the 1970s, are now a popular tourist attraction. You cannot explore them alone, but the Kinmen Tourist Authority offers several free tours each day. The tunnels are intense and serve as a reminder of how critical the situation in Kinmen was just a few years ago.
After that, I hopped on my scooter and headed to my guesthouse, called Île d’Or. It is a wonderful place run by a French-Taiwanese couple, and I really recommend getting in touch with them if you plan to come to Kinmen. But not: They run a Bnb, not a hotel and they are NOT your personal Kinmen tour guides.
Locations of Day 1 in Kinmen
- Jincheng Old Street
- Jincheng Civil Defense Tunnel
- Juguang Park with the Juguang Tower
- Jincheng coast area
- île d’or 一朵民宿 – 中蘭
Traveling on Kinmen Day 2: Chasing the Military History
The next day, I woke up very early because I had a full schedule and needed to catch my time window for my first location. Jiangong Islet is a tidal islet that can only be accessed at specific times. Once a military outpost, it is now a popular tourist hotspot, and there is even a live cam to check out.
Next stop was the Guningtou Battle Museum. Here, things get serious. I learned that Kinmen was a front line in the battle between the Communist Party in China and the KMT in Taiwan. In 1949, the retreating nationalists managed to hold onto Kinmen, even though they lost the Chinese Civil War. In 1979 the shelling of Kinmen finally stopped, so it is no surprise that Maestro Wu found so many artillery shells to make his knives.
After lunch, I drove to Beishan to see the famous Beishan Broadcasting Wall, an extremely large speaker. Today I played Mandopop. But back in the day, it was used to spread nationalist propaganda across the Taiwan Strait to China. You can learn more at the Teresa Tang Museum of Kinmen.
I went coast-to-coast and circled the island on my scooter. So many impressions, and it was time to take a rest, so I went back to my guesthouse. As a little surprise, my hosts invited me to drink the famous Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor. Like with the Kinmen Knives, there is a story behind this fire water
Locations of Day 2 in Kinmen
- Jiangongyu Islet
- Guningtou Battle Museum
- Beishan Seawall / Beach
- Beishan Broadcasting Wall
Traveling on Kinmen Day 3: Time to Explore the Great Outdoors
The next day, it was time to climb the highest point in Kinmen, Taiwu Mountain. It is less effort than you might think. A short scooter ride and a little walk later, I reached the summit. The mountain stands just over 250 meters tall. There are multiple paths to the top, including a solid concrete way, so you do not have to bring your hiking gear.
There are several great viewpoints, and there is the Haiyin Temple, which has so many different Buddha statues. I enjoyed the view, took a rest, and then it was time to move on. And talking about temples, during the time of my visit, I did not know about the wind lions.
My next stop is the Zhaishan Tunnel. This is one of several former underground military fortifications that are now tourist attractions. Visiting these tunnels is impressive. Originally built to protect boats from artillery fire, this place is extremely large.
Although I did not have the option to attend a concert on this trip, the tunnels host classical music performances from time to time, which are exceptionally good. I recommend asking your hosts or a tourist guide about the latest events, as there is always something happening in Kinmen.
Locations of Day 3 in Kinmen
- Taiwu mountain
- Dao Ying Ta
- Haiyin temple
- Zhaishan Tunnel
Traveling on Kinmen Day 4: the History of Old Villages
I felt really tired after my outdoor day, so I decided to take it easy. The great thing is that even without being keen to walk a lot, I was still mobile thanks to my scooter. Today, I wanted to explore the history of Kinmen before 1949 and understand the origins of the Western-style houses in Kinmen.
Long story short: Over a hundred years ago, some people from Kinmen made fortunes abroad and invested that money in large mansions. They mostly worked their way up in countries such as Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia. At the time, these countries were either colonies or at least heavily influenced by Western countries.
The Kinmenese abroad wanted to help their home island, but, at least to some extent, they also wanted to show off their wealth by building houses or even complete villages. The architecture is a mix of classic Fujian-style buildings and Western architecture of the time.
There are several old villages on the island, and I had enough time to visit Shanhou, Shuitou, and Zhu Shan. I also made a quick stop at the Wentai Tower, the oldest building on the island. This podcast about the history of Kinmen has the details.
Fun Fact: In Singapore, there is even a house and a street dedicated to the settlers from Kinmen and Xiamen. I actually visited it as well. This video shows the Amoy Street in Singapore.
Locations of Day 4 in Kinmen
- Shanhou Folk Cultural Village
- Shuitou Historical Village
- Deyue Tower
- Zhu Shan Village
- Wentai Tower
Traveling on Kinmen Day 5: Shopping in Jinhu and Beach Back to Taipei in Taiwan
Last day, and I realize that five days are never enough to explore Kinmen. I race my scooter over the Kinmen Bridge that connects Xiao Kinmen and Da Kinmen. The bridge is more than five kilometers long and was opened just a few years ago. Even with the scooter, it takes more than five minutes to cross the Kinmen Golden Gate Bridge.
I take a quick look around Xiao Kinmen, the smaller Kinmen Island, but I cannot stay long. Instead, I head back over the bridge and go to Oucuo Beach to take an epic picture with an old tank.
The final stop today is in Jinhu, the second biggest city in Kinmen. There is a large shopping mall. Apparently, Kinmen enjoys a tax benefit to encourage tourism, so several things are cheaper here and thus you have such a large mall on the island. My host even told me that some people come from Taiwan or China just to buy the latest iPhone.
I dropped off my scooter in Jincheng, and luckily for me, the host of my guesthouse arranged a taxi to bring me back to the airport. That is the end of this trip.
Locations of Day 5 in Kinmen
- Kinmen Bridge
- Ou Cuo Sandy Beach
- Jinhu
Last Words About My Kinmen Travel Guide
This was my suggestion for a trip to Kinmen, a little Kinmen travel guide. I never expected to live on the island. But it happened. I have to confess, I have spent less time creating Kinmen content lately. Rather, I have spent more time working in Taiwan. Still, I sincerely hope this blog post helps you plan your trip to Kinmen. I also have more content about traveling in Taiwan in general.
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