Local Must-Go Places to Have Fun

Juguang Tower is the most famous tourist attraction in Kinmen. There is even a saying that goes “not going to Juguang Tower when you go to Kinmen, is just like not going to 101 when you go to Taipei”. This demonstrates that it is rather well-known.The tower was first constructed in 1952 by Hu Lianxing, the defense commander of Jinmen. The famous architect Chen Xuehai built this imposing three-story fort-like building modeled after the design of Kylin Pavilion in ancient times.Juguang Tower was originally built honoring the heroic spirit of the garrison troops of Kinmen. It has been more than 60 years since then. Right now, Juguang Tower has become a symbol of Jinmen, and it is the first stop for many tourists who come to Jinmen.

Among the many historic sites in Jinmen, Zhaishan Tunnel is a place that is very unique in its own right. The tunnel is located within the southwestern end of the mountain body of Zhaishan at Greater Jinmen. It is about 101m long, 6m wide and 3.5m tall. This granite tunnel is divided into two parts - the tunnel and the waterway - and it is completely man-made via excavation.In the 1960s and 1970s, this place was used for the parking, landing and transportation of personnel and materials in preparation for war. However, the tunnel was abandoned later on. It was open for visitors in 1998.It feels like going back to that period in history when you enter the dark tunnel.

Jiangong Island is located about 500m away from the western sea of Greater Jinmen. You can get a panoramic view of Jiangong Island from afar at Koxinga Shrine in Greater Jinmen. The interesting part about Jiangong Island would be that it is an offshore isle during high tide. The seabed is exposed whenever the tide recedes, and tourists can walk over to the island. This is why you must check the tide timings in advance in order to access the island.According to legend, this island used to be an place where leprosy patients were exiled to in the early days. Later on, it was used as a military base by the army due to its geographical location at the mouth of Wujiang River. Until today, there are still the remains of various forts on the island.

Shuitou Village is a coastal village in the southwestern part of the Kinmen Islands. In the past, the villagers of Shuitou Village conducted trade in Southeast Asia. After successfully becoming rich, they returned to their hometown and built their own Western-style buildings, Minnan old houses and Western-style mansions. Completely different architectural styles intersect here. Until today, Jinmen is most represented by these residential buildings.The people in Jinmen often say, “as wealthy as Shuitou but no buildings like Shuitou”. This means that even if one may be as wealthy as the people of Shuitou, one may not be able to build their houses like that of Shuitou Village. This goes to show how special this place is.There are also guesthouses, and exhibition halls on expatriate culture in the village, to allow one to gain a deeper understanding of the local customs.

This is the most well-preserved military headquarters from the Qing Dynasty in Taiwan currently. It was formerly the study room of Xu Xie from the Ming Dynasty, who ranked first in the imperial examination, and it has a history of more than 300 years. It was reconstructed to become the military headquarters during the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty.The existing military headquarters is a typical Minnan courtyard house with four entrances and two corridors. The traditional layout of the door entrance, lobby, hall and the wing have been preserved. There are a wide variety of related cultural relics on display indoors. as well as the underground cells of prisoners from the old days.There is an ancient banyan tree outdoors that is about 200 years old. You capture a sense of nostalgia when you stand underneath the lush banyan tree. Red lanterns are lit up at night, adding much color to the government office.

The peak of Kinmen is Mount Taiwu. Although its altitude is not very high, it is tall enough for people to get a panoramic view. The verdant landscape of the mountain and the distant blue seas and skies combine to form a beautiful image.Another major reason as to why Mount Taiwu is so famous would be the stone tablet “Forget not that you're in Ju” of Chiang Kai-shek. It stands tall and proud at the top of the mountain. Mount Taiwu is full of history and is now a famous tourist landmark in Kinmen.Additionally, you can take a leisurely stroll to view the other attractions on top of the mountain, such as Hai Inn Temple, Chenggong Cave, Taiwu Cliff, Zhanyue Pond, Mianyun Stone and Yilan Pavilion.

Chen Jing-lan Western House is the largest Western building in Kinmen. Chen Jinglan, an islander of Kinmen, traveled to Indonesia and Singapore. He returned back to his hometown in 1921 after his business became successful and built this two-story white Western building. Not long after it was built, the Pacific War broke out. Chen Jinglan never returned to this place again. The building was later seriously damaged when it was expropriated by the army during the war. Repairs to the building were only completed in 2008, and it has been opened to the public since.