All You Need to Know About Kinmen Island and Kinmen County
After moving to Kinmen with his wife at the beginning of 2023, Ferdinand started documenting this unique group of islands in ‘Kinmen Travel Tales‘ on YouTube. On this page, you will find the most important information about Kinmen.
What is Kinmen?
Kinmen is a group of islands that belongs to Taiwan. However, it is only 10 km east of the city of Xiamen in Fujian, China. That means it is pretty far away (almost 200 km) of the closest shoreline of the island of Taiwan.
When speaking about ‘Kinmen’ (or Quemoy in Hokkien), most people think about the main island, ‘Da Kinmen’, but Kinmen County also consists of the smaller Kinmen Island (Xiao Kinmen or Little Kinmen), several surrounding islets, and Wuqiu Township, which is remotely located 133 km northeast of the rest of the county.
I personally summarize Kinmen as the most Chinese place in Taiwan. Because there is so much to tell about this place, I started producing a travel vlog about this beautiful island. If you are new to the topic, I suggest starting with my guide video for travelers.
Looking at the Map of Kinmen Island
Most attractions, such as the Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Distillery or the kinmen knife maker Maestro Wu, are in Da Kinmen, but there are also many things to do on Xiao Kinmen. Technically, Kinmen is an archipelago that also includes smaller islets such as Jiangong Islet and Dadan Island. Additionally, the fairly remote Wuqiu Township is also part of Kinmen.
The most important places are the two main islands, as you can see on the map of Kinmen here. You may ask, “How do I get around in Kinmen?” 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.
How Do I Get to Kinmen in Taiwan?
If you want to travel to Kinmen Island, you have two ways of reaching the island: by plane or by ferry. You can travel from either Taiwan or China. Kinmen is a part of Taiwan, even though it is closer to China than to Taiwan. If you are coming from China, make sure you follow the visa regulations of your country.
Traveling to Kinmen by Air (only from Taiwan)
From Taiwan, you have frequent domestic flight connections from all major airports. Flights go from Taipei Songshan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Chiayi, and Tainan Airport to Da Kinmen. There is an airport located in the Jinhu Township. I have personally flown to Kaohsiung and Taipei, and to both cities, the flight takes around an hour.
Traveling to Kinmen by Ferry (From China or Taiwan)
The other option is by ferry. There are ferry connections from Kinmen to mainland Taiwan and to China, as well. The ferry to Taiwan is not recommended as it takes several hours. However, the ferry to China takes just around 30 minutes. I had a great time on this ferry, but I was nervous. China does not recognize Kinmen as part of Taiwan, and there have been several incidents. In my video, you can see how I made it through customs.
There used to be a ferry between the two main Kinmen islands, but it stopped operating in 2024 as it became obsolete. You can now reach Xiao Kinmen from Da Kinmen by crossing the Kinmen Bridge, which is 5.4 km long and was opened a few years ago.
Can I Visit the Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Distillery in Kinmen?
Yes, of course. And in case you are wondering what Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor is, it is one of the most famous alcoholic spirits in Taiwan. You can buy Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor in almost any convenience store, but of course, there is a lot more variety of this ‘fire water’ if you visit the distillery in Kinmen.
Gaoliang (also pronounced Kaoliang) is the Chinese word for sorghum, a grain that you find at every corner of the island. Because the liquor company was originally established to keep the soldiers in Kinmen happy, you can expect some strong stuff. More details are in my video about the most important local products of Kinmen, where I visit the Kaoliang Liquor Distillery, but also a few other important places.
What Is So Special about the Kinmen Knives?
In the same video, I also visit Maestro Wu, a knife maker from Kinmen who turns old Chinese artillery shells into all kinds of cutting tools. Maestro Wu is probably the most famous blacksmith in Kinmen, but other knife makers on the island also turn bombshells into knives. Of course, there is a story behind that.
While Kinmen County is a tourist destination today, it was the last battleground of the Chinese Civil War in 1949 and saw several years of conflict before martial law ended in Kinmen in 1995 — several years after the rest of Taiwan. Especially in the 1960s and 1970s, there were heavy bombardments, and the leftover artillery shells are now used to make the Kinmen Knives.
Why is Kinmen part of Taiwan and What is the Battle of Gunigtou?
While the Red Army was able to win the Chinese Civil War, they lost the Battle of Kinmen. The Kuomintang (KMT) was forced to flee to Taiwan but managed to retain control of several smaller islands close to the Chinese mainland, including Kinmen. In 1949, the KMT successfully repelled attacks from the Communists, establishing Kinmen as a military stronghold.
The Battle of Guningtou, the last battle of the Chinese Civil War, took place in Kinmen. The failure of the Communists to take the island left it under Kuomintang control. This defeat ended China’s opportunity to take Taiwan and eliminate the Nationalists. I go into these details in my episode about the history of Kinmen, but in a nutshell, Kinmen is part of Taiwan because the Red Army underestimated the resistance in 1949.
And what is the Battle Of Kinmen?
The Battle of Kuningtou is also referred to as the Battle of Guningtou. However, this name can be a bit confusing because more battles took place after 1949, especially during the First and Second Taiwan Strait Crisis. In 1979, the shelling of Kinmen finally stopped, which explains why Maestro Wu found so many artillery shells to make his knives.
During the years of conflict, more and more soldiers were stationed in Kinmen. When Taiwanese people asked, “Where is Kinmen?” it was considered a place with many soldiers and somewhere you wouldn’t want to be. But no worries – today, Kinmen is a safe tourist island. The former tanks and fortresses have mostly been turned into tourist attractions.
What is There to Do on Kinmen Island?
Kinmen was not open to the public until 1995 and has a lot of beautiful nature to offer for tourists. However, compared to other Taiwanese islands such as Penghu, it is not the most well-known tourist destination. I discussed this in my interview with Radio Taiwan International.
There are several historical battlegrounds, and Kinmen has amazing beaches. Managed by the National Park Authority, they are super clean. You can even collect your own seafood and see the so-called ‘blue diamonds’ in the water at night, if you visit the island during the right season.
Because Kinmen was a conflict area for so long, nature has had space to grow and flourish. Many Taiwanese come to Kinmen to watch birds, and there are also several hiking areas. In my Kinmen outdoor episode, I could cover a few locations, but there is a lot more to see. Feel free to reach out to me, if you have questions or want to share your feedback.
How is the Hotel Situation in Kinmen?
The tourist infrastructure is great; there are large hotels in the main cities, but I highly recommend staying in one of the so-called Western-style buildings. Over a hundred years ago, some people from Kinmen made fortunes abroad and invested that money in large mansions.
I have a video that explains the reasons why the Kinmenese people moved abroad and the stories behind those buildings. If you are a tourist coming to Kinmen, you should know that today, some of these Western-style buildings are used as hotels or guesthouses, and they are actually fairly affordable.
Are there vacation packages on kinmen island?
Probably yes, because there are many tourists and hotels. I see tourist groups and buses every day, and there is even a 5-star hotel in Jinhu. However, I am not really the type of person who goes for vacation packages. It is very easy to get to Kinmen, and there are many things to do and explore. Just answering the question, “Why is Kinmen part of Taiwan?” kept me busy exploring the island for days – without the need for tour guide or vacation package.
There are also special tours for places such as the Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Factory, where you can learn how to drink Kaoliang Liquor. I had an amazing time chasing the wind lions in Kinmen; you can learn more about that in my video about the Gods of Kinmen.
How Big is Kinmen?
The total area of Kinmen Island covers 150.456 km². It is a fairly small place, and it takes me around an hour to cross the island on my bike. The total population is around 130,000 people, so there is plenty of space. The best way to get around is by renting a scooter, car, or bicycle. There are also public buses, or you can hire a driver. There are English-speaking guides, and the staff in hotels and restaurants also speaks English.
Because Kinmen is a tourist island, it has great nightlife, and there is always something going on. I am still surprised that there are so many options in such a small place. Check out my Kinmen nightlife video for more information. I also mentioned already that Kinmen is a save tourist island today, so do not worry about attacks from China, after all the Chinese are the biggest tourist group. However, make sure the check the weather. I experience my first typhoon in Kinmen and it also can happen (rarely) that flights and ferries are canceled due to weather conditions.
Final Words About Kinmen Island in Taiwan
Note that I am not a travel guide, but rather an average guy with a YouTube channel who happens to live in Kinmen. There are many more areas to explore that I am not aware of. If you have time, check out the short film ‘Island in Between,’ a 2023 documentary by Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien that was even nominated for an Oscar. And besides that, of course, feel free to reach out to me at any time.