Kinmen (
Chinese: 金門;
pinyin:Jīnmén; also
romanised Quemoy from coastal
Min nan (in early Spanish romanization); literally "Golden Door" or "Golden Gate"), is a small
archipelago of several
islands administered by the
Republic of China (ROC):
Greater Kinmen (大金門),
Lesser Kinmen (小金門), and some
islets. Administratively, it is
Kinmen County of
Fujian Province, Republic of China. The county is claimed as part of
Fujian's
Quanzhou Prefecture by the
People's Republic of China (PRC). 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 (
Hokkien). Due to their previous political isolation, most residents will say they speak "Kinmenese", as opposed to "
Taiwanese" as it is commonly called in Taiwan, though the two dialects are mutually intelligible. It is geographically very near
Xiamen, no more than 2 kilometers.
History
Unlike the island of
Taiwan and the
Penghu islands, Kinmen was never ceded to
Japan, because Kinmen was, and still is considered to be a part of
Fujian province, both to the
People's Republic of China and the
Republic of China, though Kinmen was occupied by Japan from 1937 to 1945.
The island was the site of extensive shelling between PRC and ROC forces during the
first and
Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, being also 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 reserve. 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
Chinese Mainland as it is seen as cheaper and easier than entering through
Hong Kong, however, this changed following the
2005 Pan-Blue visits to mainland China and the
presidential and
legislative victories of the
KMT, that allowed easier
Cross-Strait relations. The island has thus experienced an economic boom as businesspeople relocate to the island for easier access to the vast markets of the
People's Republic of China.
Economy
Kinmen's economy is mainly based on tourism and services due to its proximity to mainland China.
Tourism
thumb|right|The slogan "Three Principles of the People unite China", located in Kinmen
Kinmen is recognized as a national park. Because of its military importance, development on the island was extremely limited. As a result, it is 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
Kaoliang liquor, a
tequila-like liquor which is highly appreciated by the Taiwanese. The
Kinmen Airport is located on the bigger island.
Politics
The island consistently votes for the
Kuomintang (KMT). Until the early 1990s, proponents of
Taiwan independence argued that they would consider handing Kinmen over to the PRC in any negotiated settlement. Residents of the island have broadly opposed such measures, fearing the consequences of the PRC government's policies on their standard of living and political freedom.
Townships
thumb|right|Subdivision of Kinmen County into townshipsKinmen County is subdivided into six
townships:
All those townships on Greater Kinmen Island start their names with
Jin ("gold"). Lieyu Township encompasses the entire Lesser Kinmen Island, and is the closest to
Xiamen.
Wuqiu Township comprises Greater Qiu Islet (大坵) and Lesser Qiu Islet (小坵).
Jincheng and Jinsha are the largest of the six townships. Altogether, there are 37 Kinmen villages, three of which – all in
Zhen (鎮) – 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 what happened 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 Juguang ("Brightness of Ju") Tower, a famous landmark in Kinmen.
Image:Jinchengtownview.JPG|Jincheng, the county seat of Kinmen.
See also
