10 Surprising Facts About Kinmen Island in Taiwan
It is the middle of November, the perfect time to visit Kinmen! To inspire you to do a trip, I have put together 10 facts that make this island a truly unique place to explore. Some of these might even surprise the locals. In case you already decided to travel, check out my Kinmen Island page for more information.
1. The First Tourists Did not Arrive Until 1995
Although Taiwan lifted the martial law officially in Taiwan in 1987, it took the government until 1992 to remove all restrictions on freedom of assembly, speech, and the press. Even then, the Ministry of National Defense issued a temporary declaration of martial law in frontier regions, including Fujian Province (Kinmen and Matsu), which remained in effect until May 1994.
Most local sources consider 1995 the official beginning of Kinmen’s tourism era, as it took several months to establish basic tourist infrastructure. Note that the ferry connection to China has opened in 2001. In 1995, Kinmen’s largest tourist groups were birdwatchers from Taiwan. Today, most visitors actually arrive from Xiamen, China, via ferry.
2. Kinmen Was Never Colonized by Japan – Unlike the Rest of Taiwan
When Taiwan was annexed by the Empire of Japan in 1895, Kinmen remained part of the Chinese Empire. After the founding of the Republic of China (ROC) in 1912, Kinmen became part of Fujian Province.
At that time, the ROC governed both mainland China and Taiwan. For more about China between 1912 and 1949, check out my article on the Battle of Kinmen. Although Japan did occupy Kinmen from 1937 to 1945 during World War II, the island never experienced the same level of colonization as the rest of Taiwan. The Japanese fortified the island and improved its military infrastructure. However, they did not settle or alter the local culture. In 1949, the Kuomintang (KMT) successfully defended Kinmen during the Battle of Guningtou, the final battle of the Chinese Civil War. Full story in my blog post explaining why Kinmen is part of Taiwan, not China.
3. There is No VAT in Kinmen
It is true: Kinmen does not have a Value Added Tax (VAT) on goods and services sold locally. That is why some people actually fly all the way to Kinmen just to buy the latest iPhone, it can be cheaper here than in other parts of Taiwan.
Unsurprisingly, Kinmen has several large shopping malls that seem oversized for such a small island. In my Kinmen Travel Guide, I visited the Everrich Shopping Mall to give you an idea of what to expect.
4. Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Pays for Free Lunches
Another quick fact: Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor helps pay for school lunches, including those of my nephews, and covers the costs for all high school students on Kinmen Island.
The liqor company also sponsors various events such as the Kinmen Marathon. I also saw Kinmen Kaoliang advertisement on cycle ways, but I am not sure if they sponsor them as well.
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5. Maestro Wu Is Not the Only Knife Maker in Kinmen
Kinmen’s famous knives are often associated with Maestro Wu, a blacksmith known for turning old artillery shells into high-quality blades. I visited his workshop in my video about Kinmen’s best products.
But he is not the only one making knives in Kinmen. While Maestro Wu gets most of the spotlight, other blacksmiths still operate in places like Jincheng. They may receive less attention, but their craftsmanship is just as fascinating.
What makes Maestro Wu special is that it is a long-standing family business dating back to the Qing dynasty in Xiamen. Today, they continue to thrive, in part thanks to strong marketing and branding.
6. It Took 9 Years to Build the Kinmen Bridge
One of Kinmen’s most impressive landmarks is the Kinmen Bridge, which connects Greater Kinmen (Da Kinmen) with Little Kinmen (Lieyu Island). At 5.4 kilometers (3.4 miles) long, it is hard to miss.
When I first arrived in Kinmen, the bridge was still under construction, and I had to take the ferry to reach Lieyu. The bridge took nearly a decade to complete, construction began in 2013 and finally wrapped up in 2022.
The total cost? Around 9 billion NTD (about 306 million USD). A massive investment, but a real game-changer for locals and travelers alike.
7. A Taiwanese-born Chinese Solider became Senior VP of the World Bank after Swimming to China from Kinmen
This fact is one of my personal favorites. When I did my video about the Mashan Oberservation post, I also checked on the defecting solders. During the years of conflict, some members of the army used the closest point between Taiwan and China to swim to Xiamen. Justin Yifu Lin was one of those solider. He swam across and sought refuge in Xiamen of the People’s Republic of China in 1979.
However, I was surprised to find that he now has his own Wikipedia article. After settling in mainland China, Lin became an economist and earned a PhD from the University of Chicago. He then completed his postdoctoral studies at Yale University before returning to Beijing, where he became a professor of economics. Later, he was appointed Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank. After his term there, he returned to Beijing to continue his research as a professor at Peking University.
8. The Capital of Kinmen Is Connected by an Underground Tunnel System
The Jincheng Civil Defense Tunnels are now a tourist attraction, but only accessible via guided tour. Unlike many other tunnels on the island, this one was built not just for soldiers but to protect the general public. It allowed daily life to continue underground, even during intense artillery shelling from China.
The tunnel network beneath Jincheng stretches 2.3 kilometers. Today, only parts of it are open to visitors, but in the past, it connected all the major points of the city. Every entry point was heavily fortified, as these were the most vulnerable during attacks. After all, the last thing anyone wanted was to get trapped underground.
9. Kinmen Was a Hot Topic in U.S. Politics and Came Up in a Debate Between Kennedy and Nixon
Kinmen in Taiwan, known as Quemoy in Formosa at the time, became a hot issue during the 1960 U.S. presidential election. In one of their debates, Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy discussed whether the United States should defend Kinmen if China attacked Taiwan.
Nixon argued that Kinmen was an “area of freedom” that must be protected. JFK, on the other hand, claimed that the islands were strategically indefensible and not essential to Taiwan’s defense. Still, he was careful to add later on that he does not want to give the Communists the impression that the U.S. would not stand united against aggression. I mentioned this in my second video, and you can still find the original debate footage online
10. The German Minority Officially Consists of One Single Person
This article has gotten pretty long, so let us make the ending short. Of course, I saved the best for last: It turns out I am officially the German minority of Kinmen. A title I totally did not make up 😉
According to data from the National Immigration Agency under the Ministry of the Interior, there is only one registered German citizen living on Kinmen. The data is anonymous but I am confident this is me.
Thanks so much for reading! If you want to hear more about Kinmen, feel free to follow me on Facebook or Instagram. You might also want to check out my article about the Wind Lions of Kinmen that protect the island.