2020 金門Kinmen Travelogue
By: Emily Li
Tags: Family, Travel, Culture, Kinmen, Taiwan

September used to mark the end of summer holidays and the return to school — a ritual in the past tense. With transitions into University for Danny and the workplace for me, September became a suitable off-season opportunity to travel with the absence of summer crowds. We originally planned to hike in Taiwan yet was set off by the routine afternoon thundershowers that marked Taiwan’s capricious mountain climate in the summer. As with everything, 塞翁失馬，焉知非福. Never a fan of traveling to the nearby islands of Taiwan due to the summer heat, this was our first try, full of pleasant surprises and unprecedented wonders.

Home of overseas Chinese migrants

Situated strategically just off the southeastern coast of China with a proximity of two kilometers east of Xiamen, Kinmen’s geographical importance is heavily influenced its turbulent political past. Since the Ming and Qing dynasty, coastal migrants of China flocked to Kinmen; and many further traveled to South Eastern Asia (notably Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore) for trade businesses. Dwellers of Kinmen sought opportunities overseas, due to the barren soil and massive deforestation — vulnerable to soil erosion and thus unsuitable for agriculture. Yet, some with successful businesses in South East Asia returned and constructed the magnificent family mansions (閩式建築) in traditional “Min” style mixed with Western architectural influence.

閩式建築

With Kinmen’s divide from Taiwan in geographical border, its slower pace of urbanization maintained cultural practices, preserved historical mansions, and cultivated a slower pace of life with retirees and inhabitants in the tourism, fishery, agricultural, and military sector. We seem to be exploring back in time, with traditional practices still in place. The connections within neighborhoods were strong, manifested with ancestral connected villages (同姓村落) and people acquainting with each other across the townships. The villages were quiet, without nightlife, and secure — people leave open their doors unlocked and were okay with infrequent visitors wandering around exploring their rich heritage.

The family house we stayed in dates back since the Qing dynasty. The Min-styled mansion was situated in 水頭聚落, one of the cultural villages situated near the Kimmen harbor with direct boats that was an hour to Xiamen. Many migrants departed established their dwelling near the port with wealth accumulated overseas, thus creating a prosperous village in the old times with buildings preserved to this day. The chamber we stayed in has 300 years history, while the mansion’s colorful façade and delicate old-style architecture has 100 years of history. I hesitated when booking our stay, as we’ve never lived in such historical buildings with its preservation and management in question. Staying in historical mansions instead of hotels pleasantly surprised us– we were awed by the intricate clay decorations, colorful tiles, Chinese Calligraphy, and historical anecdotes shared by the mansion owners. Their great grandfather migrated to Indonesia from Kinmen to seek a living. In 1925, they transferred a great sum of silver back to Kinmen to construct the family mansion after their successful overseas venture. The mansion served as a military dormitory for KMT soldiers in 1949, unveiling a turbulent past shared with the times.

Our homestay was hosted by four siblings who take turns helping out welcoming visitors and sharing their communal past, in the mansion they grew up in. Similar to the majority of Kinmen youth, each of them left Kinmen for Taiwan to seek for education and work opportunities in Taiwan. They studied, married, and made a living in Taiwan for more than 30 years. Yet, as they approached retirement age a few years ago, most aspired to return to Kinmen and the idea of preserving and slightly renovating the old mansion into a tourist stay budded. 「落葉歸根」, as they stay, as they yearned to spend the time with family and their mother in advanced ages who has never left Kinmen. In the end of the day, our memories are reminiscent of childhood, where our personal and cultural identity are shaped, and where the pace, language, inhabitants, and ways of life are most familiar to us. Be fearless in exploring exotic frontiers when opportunities knock. Different life stages take you to different places — whether geographically, culturally, academically, or professionally. Yet time will tell when to return, whether for a brief intermission or long establishment, as our cultural and family ties are deep-rooted and we carry part of it with us, wherever we go.

Homestay @ 鳳毛麟趾

得月樓(Deyue Gun tower) and 金水國小 (now the overseas Chinese cultural museum) were two other historical mansions we explored in 水頭聚落. Built in the Qing dynasty by returning Chinese migrants (華僑), the villagers suffered from coastal pirate attacks with its proximity from the harbor. Thus, a distinctive defensive tower was constructed with features including gun holes on the third and fourth floors, emergency escape paths, fake chambers, and multiple layered doors. There were two carved clocks on top of the mansion, marking 12:40 and 12:55 respectively — an emblem reminding descendants to work diligently, taking a break 55 minutes later than others at noon time. I enjoyed the 20-minute walking guide along the chambers each with its distinctive usage, giving us a glimpse of the attentiveness, diligence, and woes of merchants during turbulent times.

Topography and Geography

We rented a car for our trip — essential under the scorching 40 degrees heat despite sea breezes along the coast of the island. Along the way, most of the county was underdeveloped with scattered villages, undeveloped land (barren and not cultivated), and a few cows resting lazily under the heat. Agricultural produces consisted mostly of taro, longan (longyan), and guava which survives the scarce precipitation and huge temperature differences in summer and winter.

Military underground tunnels

Most military tourist attractions (seaside forts, artillery museums, historical buildings) were located in rural areas of the island, with desolate pathways frequented only by military trucks. This provided a great opportunity for Danny to drive as the paths were flat and deserted– one of the highlights for a novice driver haha. All of us dared not to lose focus though, everyone had their eyes on the road in case of unprecedented predicaments — the ambience tense, fidgety, and funny with Danny making small jokes with a smile on his face. Such independence granted with surveillance still in place manifested transitions in life stages — we were kids no more yet needed experienced advice from parents still.

Seaside lookout with Xiamen in the distance

Cuisine

In terms of cuisine, Kinmen is most known for its seafood, beef dishes, taro (July), and Kaoliang wine. The wine takes up 75% of Taiwanese Kaoliang market share and served as an economic backbone of the county. The prosperity of local finances are manifested by their well paved stone walks in villages, the “free” parking spaces all over the county, and discounts for multiple types of public transportation.

Due to Kinmen’s unpolluted sea, local fishery business thrive with (oysters) 海蚵 of a different assortment than those I’ve tasted in Taiwan. They were smaller and firmer, coming in delicious yet simple dishes with noodles, fried eggs, or 蚵仔煎.

Stir-fried oysters and eggs

We took a walk along Jiangong islet during sunset, with orange sunbeams lighting up the western skyline. I enjoyed the slow walk with family along the stone paths that led to Jiangong islet, surrounded by low tides, rich coastal geology (crabs, oysters, 彈塗魚…), and the faded heat of summer time. We walked slowly and attentively, careful not to topple over the slippery stone pathways that would be swallowed completely during high tidal points. There were four giant oystermen sculptures along the path to pay tribute to “oyster breeding”, a traditional occupation that still flourishes in Kinmen today.

Military Heritage

The abundance of military relics manifest Kinmen’s turbulent political past, including seaside battle forts, artillery museums, and wartime tunnels. The frequent military confrontations since the establishment of the Republic of China (R.O.C.) placed Kinmen on the battlefront between China and Taiwan. Dad served for 2 years in military in Kinmen, during years of relatively calm cross strait relations (in comparison with the days of combat). He tells us that the displays which welcome visitors are of small strategic importance; while the real military fortifications and underground tunnels are of larger scale and grandiose. Those who have experienced such volatile political regimes must have heartfelt recollections when exploring the relics, but for me and Danny they were a display of military fortifications. “War relics are displayed here for our children to learn about the horrors of war and be grateful for the times without.”

防空洞

Reflections

With pressing transitions in the family — bro off to University and me to the workplace, I wished to remain in this beautiful moment in time with four of us living under the same roof. Preparations for moving into a new city and adaptations to transition into another set of life ritual can leave you apprehensive with uncertainty. A trip together with family brings us together to talk about these little things with a change of atmosphere — relaxed and curious under frontiers we’ve never set afoot on. This trip was planned very last minute, as we booked plane tickets, accommodation, and car rentals the day before we embarked on our trip. I wished that I could have read more about Kinmen’s rich history — from transitions since the Ming, Qing, and Taiwanese rule. Its unique islet industry, political sentiment, and outbound transportation today remains heavily influenced by its history that required more understanding in cultural heritage. I would love to tour the sites with more guided tours (free daily tours are offered in a majority of cultural heritages), hike on 太武山, or simply wander the villages slowly on foot. Yet the essence of family travel is time spent together, and these in-depths insights would be better appreciated with fuller preparation in the future.

The ambiance of our family travels transitioned throughout the years, heartfelt with the maturity of bro — with my perspective as a sister. The little things manifested changes that were subtle yet perceptible. His expressiveness in thoughts in conversations with the absence of academic pressure, volunteering to take up responsibility in driving, cracking small jokes and knowing the limits of bad ones, or being attentive to the needs of parents are observations that I had been oblivious to if not for the trip.

I guess from the perspective of parents, the transitions of children since day one are crystal clear with attention and love. I used to fear that such routine family pastimes would fade eventually with the change in life stages — parents in reign and kids at the backseat, summer vacations spanning months, and physical agility to conquer exciting expeditions… Yet through these trips, I am more aware of the inevitable transitions and adaptations taking place in all families. Kids learn, mature, and acquire new life experiences. At the same time, parents learn together, grant independence, and let go. What does not change, is the warmth of sharing, the dedicated support, the tacit understanding, and enduring love. With life stage transitions of family members, novel elements are assembled into the portfolio of beautiful experiences created together. In our case — differentiated hobbies, distinct areas of study, divergent personalities, and respective friendships developed offer perspectives into a world that is diverse, enchanting, and experienced from different lights. With the return of kids to the family at each life stage, what is brought back, in addition to the maturity and accumulated experiences, would be the appreciation and love for family that is passed on and cherished.