Kinmen
This small coastal fort has display boards and a looping video that give a sense of how young men were toughened into soldiers to endure life here during times of conflict. Big binoculars make Xiamen's towering skyline look even closer.
From Jiugong Pier, where ferries from Kinmen arrive, most (but not all) buses serve Hujingtou bus stop (湖井頭站; Hújǐngtóu Zhàn).
6.83 MILES
Blasted out of solid granite by soldiers in the 1960s, this V-shaped arc of sea tunnels was designed to protect boats from bombs during the war years…
2.52 MILES
Also known as Jiugong Tunnel (九宮坑道), this four-entrance network of wide sea tunnels was blasted out of the gneiss in the 1960s to provide bomb shelters…
4.96 MILES
Built in 1931, this is Kinmen's most famous 'western' building thanks to the 11m-tall gun tower in its yard, erected to ward off (or at least spot)…
8.78 MILES
This Buddhist temple complex on the southern side of Xiamen is one of the most famous temples among the Fujianese, and is also considered a pilgrimage…
26.44 MILES
This quirky temple is dedicated to Manichaeism, a religion originating in Persia in the 3rd century, combining elements of Zoroastrian, Christian and…
6.2 MILES
For domestic tourists, this is one of Kinmen's top sights due to the pivotal nature of a battle fought here over 56 hours in October 1949. For outsiders,…
5.79 MILES
This three-storey tower, built in classical Chinese form, is an iconic local landmark that has often featured on Taiwanese stamps. Yet it only dates from…
13.79 MILES
With a fine setting in a bowl of green slopes, Shanhou is one of the island's prettiest old villages with dozens of classic tile-roofed Fujian homes,…
1.23 MILES
Divided by dykes, this array of channels and reed-fringed artificial lakes is a popular place for birdwatching, especially in winter when dozens of…
1.33 MILES
Yongshi (Warriors') Fort is one of a pair of 1970s military bunkers in Huangtso. Descend through a 200m-long tunnel that now contains a museum about…
2.52 MILES
Also known as Jiugong Tunnel (九宮坑道), this four-entrance network of wide sea tunnels was blasted out of the gneiss in the 1960s to provide bomb shelters…
4.54 MILES
This stern, 9m statue of Koxinga (鄭成; Zheng Cheng) gazes towards China from a tiny islet connected to the rest of Kinmen by a pedestrian causeway, which…
4.96 MILES
Built in 1931, this is Kinmen's most famous 'western' building thanks to the 11m-tall gun tower in its yard, erected to ward off (or at least spot)…
6. Shuangli Wetlands Area Centre
5.38 MILES
This professional centre, across little Shuangli Lake from Beihai, has bilingual introductions to the region's flora and fauna, notably the cormorants,…
5.45 MILES
Originally raised in the Qing dynasty, this Taoist delight is all you'd hope for in a fanciful Chinese temple, complete with ornate roof embellishments,…
5.49 MILES
This handsomely restored walled complex was originally built as a centre of learning in 1780. The two main shrine-like study rooms honour Chu Hsi, a…