Welcome to Kinmen County, ‘Taiwan’s DMZ’: tanks, propaganda and tourists

(CNN) – On top of a hill at the northwestern tip of Taiwan’s Kinmen Island stands the Beishan Broadcast Wall, an imposing concrete structure dotted with 48 speakers.

Decades ago, this sea-oriented propaganda machine blew up songs by Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng, the “eternal queen of pop” in a 10-kilometer stretch of sea, whose music is aimed at residents of the Chinese city. mainland of Xiamen.

Built in 1967, it was a key instrument in the Cold War between the Communist Party on the mainland and the ruling Kuomintang government. In addition to playing songs by famous Taiwanese singers, authorities issued speeches, some of which invited mainland soldiers to desert.

Xiamen speakers returned the favor, launching their own nationalist messages into the water.

Why give so much importance to a small island?

Mainland China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since 1949 after the communist victory on the mainland after a bloody civil war, forcing the defeated Kuomintang (or nationalists) to flee to Taiwan. Despite decades of political hostility, a shared cultural and linguistic heritage remains.

But Beijing considers Taiwan to be an integral part of its territory and does not accept any suggestions to the contrary.

Kinmen Island is part of the larger Kinmen County, made up of several islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, between the mainland Chinese city of Xiamen and the main island of Taiwan.

In fact, it is closer to Xiamen, making it an area of ​​strategic geopolitical importance for decades and, sporadically, the battlefield between the two sides.

Translated as “Golden Gate”, Kinmen was under military administration for 43 years, between 1949 and 1992. As relations between the strait improved, emissions at the former military base ceased in the early 1990s.

The unique history of Kinmen

The name refers to the beginning of limited trade, postal, and trade relations between Taiwan and the mainland through coastal cities, opening up Kinmen County and another set of islands, Matsu.

Evidence of Kinmen’s militarized past still populates the area, which adds to its appeal as a destination for history buffs.

“The term‘ Taiwanese DMZ ’is my own expression,” Lee tells CNN. “I think most Koreans who visit there will feel the same way.”

He says the loudspeakers, military barricades on the beaches and secret tunnels reminded him of the infamous no-man’s land between South Korea and North Korea. But he adds that there are also many differences.

“Compared to the DMZ, Kinmen has a stronger image as a tourist destination than as a frontline,” Lee says.

“While there are still troops stationed and many war-related stories as well as scenic spots, Kinmen has an old town where visitors can glimpse the history of the local people.”

Military relics like the diffusion wall have become great attractions for tourists from mainland China. The speakers continue to play Teresa Ting’s songs, but at a much lower volume and for tourist purposes only.

“During the early days, when Kinmen was under military administration, the island relied on the 100,000 soldiers to maintain the economy,” explains Chien-kang Ting, director of the Kinmen County Tourism Department.

“When the military government was overthrown and most of the troops removed, Kinmen’s economy suffered. Since Kinmen’s opening (in 1993) to the general public, tourism has become the main line. of life of the Kinmen economy “.

Meanwhile, artillery shells are now used to make the famous Kinmen knives, along with other popular items for home cooking and souvenirs for locals and visitors alike.

Mini Three Links: Reconnection of Mainland China and Taiwan

Because there was no direct connection between Taiwan and mainland China before the introduction of the Mini Three Links, Kinmen became one of the places “where exchanges between the two sides began,” Lee says.

“South Korean academics visit there to study the ‘Mini three links’ and how the people of the strait participate in exchanges and live normal lives. Therefore, it is a destination for ‘study trips’ for the South. -Koreans, given the virtually non-existent civil exchanges between the two Koreas. “

Since the lifting of the restrictions in 2001, Kinmen has opened up even more.

Direct flight routes have also been expanded, with more airlines offering flights to Kinmen Shangyi Airport from several mainland cities. Pre-pandemic, more than 40 ferries made the trip between nearby Kinmen and Xiamen every day.

“It opened a new historic chapter for the Kinmen tourism industry,” says Ting, Kinmen Tourism Director. “It has become an important channel between the people on both shores. The local economic development of Kinmen depends largely on the traffic generated by the Mini Three Links.”

The impact of the pandemic

Kinmen welcomed about 2.5 million tourists in 2019. About 41% come from mainland China, a figure that is expected to continue to rise.

However, the explosion of Covid-19 has overshadowed the 20th anniversary of the Mini Three Links this year, as ties have been suspended since February 2020, with the cancellation of direct ferries and flights.

“Inbound visitors through‘ Mini Three Links ’fell 93.96% in 2020,” says Ting.

The local travel market also came to a halt due to the pandemic.

“It was a big blow to the Kinmen tourism industry for the first few months. Most people dared not take any flights. So for a good half of the year, our business was zero.” , says Leo Hung, owner of Huang Cuo San Ceng Lou, a bed and breakfast / restaurant famous for its Taiwanese taro dishes.

Prior to the suspension of the Mini Three Links, Kinmen was receiving “a record number of passengers,” says a Kinmen spokesman Kaoliang Liquor.

“Transportation was almost at full capacity every weekend. Half of Kinmen’s tourists came from the mainland, so the ferry stop has significantly affected Kinmen’s tourism industry.”

But Kinmen’s tourism industry bounced back pretty quickly after the first few months, as the Covid-19 quickly held back in Taiwan and local tourism resumed.

“The crisis was a challenge, but also an opportunity to review the positioning of our industry,” says Ting.

The tourist office, along with the government, deployed a series of travel vouchers and events to attract more Taiwanese tourists to Kinmen.

For example, the county introduced a “Calling Kinmen Veterans” campaign to encourage retired soldiers to revisit. More than 25,000 visitors and veterans traveled to Kinmen as part of the promotion, with the tourism industry accumulating nearly 400 million TWD ($ 14.3 million).

The county also worked with local operators to launch Taiwan’s first “cruise to nowhere,” inspired by the region’s many “flights to nowhere”.

It also subsidized young creators to build their businesses and rejuvenate former military districts in 2020.

His efforts bore fruit. By July, trips had increased to 184,714 visitors. In August 2020, Kinmen received more visitors than in August 2019.

Kinmen spokesman Kaoliang Liquor says its distillery also experienced a boost and received a record number of visitors (more than 190,000) in 2020.

What will follow next for Kinmen County?

Learning of the impact of Covid-19, members of the Kinmen tourism industry say the authorities should expand its offering and diversify the target audience.

“The pandemic may continue to affect the world in the next year or two, so the government should develop more exquisite and unique Kinmen tourism offerings,” Hung suggests. “Also as an island economy, Kinmen has a minimum of sea-related tourism products compared to neighboring Penghu County.”

The Kinmen tourism spokesman agrees, saying more emphasis will be placed on boosting themed and experiential travel products, including water trips.

Ting reveals that Kinmen plans to organize a summer music festival that connects arts, music and battlefields to create a youth tourism brand and rejuvenate the tourism industry. They will also seek to offer new natural attractions and promote lesser-known attractions on the islands.

“Kinmen is home to abundant natural resources,” Ting says. “It is also free of light pollution. We hope to introduce night travel packages and encourage industry members to embark on starry night guided tours, showing travelers the beauty of nature in Kinmen.”

In addition to the military heritage, Ting highlights Kinmen’s global and unique attractions as added attractions.

Kinmen has many stunning exotic attractions. There is the colorful old street of Shamei, Morocco, the Kinmen version of Mont-Saint-Michel (Jiangongyu Island) and the “mini Great Wall”, the stronghold of the patrol division of Fengshang, ”says Ting. .

“It will be immediately transported to another place. It will completely destroy what you had in mind about Kinmen.”