Kinmen

Kinmen County 金門縣 Abbreviation(s): Kinmen (金門)
County seat	Chincheng
Region	Southern Fujian
County Magistrate	Lee Chu-feng (李炷烽)
Cities	0
Townships	6
Area
- Total	153.056 km² (20 of 25)
- % water	0 %
Population
- Total	82,768 (April 2008) (24 of 25)
- Density	540.77/km²
Symbols
- County flower	Four-season orchid
- County tree	Cotton tree
- County bird	none
Official websites	www.kinmen.gov.tw

Kinmen, (Traditional Chinese: 金門, Simplified Chinese: 金门, Hanyu Pinyin: Jīnmén, Tongyong Pinyin: Jinmén, Wades-Giles: Chin-men, POJ: Kim-mn̂g, also romanized Quemoy from coastal Min nan (in early Spanish romanization); literally "Golden Door" or "Golden Gate"), located at , is a small archipelago of several islands administered by the Republic of China (ROC) government: 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. 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 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.

Contents 1 History 2 Tourism 3 Politics 4 Townships 5 Gallery 6 See also 7 External links

History

See also: List of battles over Kinmen

In contrast to the island of Taiwan and the Penghu islands, Kinmen was never colonized by 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.

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.

Tourism

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

Kinmen County is subdivided into six townships:

Name	Hanzi	Hanyu Pinyin	Wade-Giles	Tongyong Pinyin	English meaning
Chincheng Township	金城鎮	Jīnchéng	Chin-ch'eng	Jīnchéng	Golden City
Jinsha Township	金沙鎮	Jīnshā	Chin-sha	Jinsha	Golden Sand
Jinhu Township	金湖鎮	Jīnhú	Chin-hu	Jinhú	Golden Lake
Jinning Township	金寧鄉	Jīnníng	Chin-ning	Jinníng	Golden Tranquility
Lieyu Township	烈嶼鄉	Lièyǔ	Lie-yü	Lièyǔ	Heroic Islets
Wuchiu Township	烏坵鄉	Wūqiū	Wu-ch'iu	Wuciou	Black Mound

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. Wuciou Township comprises Greater Ciou Islet (大坵) and Lesser Ciou Islet (小坵).

Jincheng and Jinsha are the largest of the six townships. Altogether, there are 37 Kinmen villages, three of which – all in Jhen (鎮, Zhen) – are Li-villages (里); the rest are Cun-villages (村).

Gallery

See also

• Matsu Islands
• Administrative divisions of the Republic of China
• Township (Taiwan)
• List of cities in the Republic of China (Taiwan)
• Republic of China
• Cross-Strait relations
• Taiwan Province, People's Republic of China
• Fujian

External links

• Falling rain Genomics Inc.—Kinmen
• Kinmen travel guide from Wikitravel
• Kinmen County Government Official Website
• Complete list of the villages in each township
• Maps of Kinmen
• Satellite image of Greater Kinmen and Lesser Kinmen by Google Maps

Administrative divisions of the Republic of China Provinces and counties Taiwan Province Changhua · Chiayi · Hsinchu · Hualien · Kaohsiung · Miaoli · Nantou · Penghu · Pingtung · Taichung · Tainan · Taipei · Taitung · Taoyuan · Yilan · Yunlin Fujian Province Kinmen · Lienchiang (Matsu Islands) Provincial cities Chiayi · Hsinchu · Keelung · Taichung · Tainan Central municipalities Taipei City · Kaohsiung City Taiwan Area

Cities and townships of Outlying Islands of the Republic of China County seats are in Bold Penghu Cities Makung City Rural townships Baisha · Cimei · Husi · Siyu · Wang-an Kinmen Urban townships Kincheng · Kinsha · Kinhu Rural townships Kinning · Lieyu · Wuciou Lienchiang Rural townships Nangan · Beigan · Jyuguang · Dongyin

Territorial disputes in East, South, and Southeast Asia
Type	Territory	Currently Administered by	Claimants
Land:	Aksai Chin		2
	Arunachal Pradesh		2
	Baekdu Mountain		2 2
	East Turkestan		1 2
	Heixiazi/Bolshoy Ussuriysky (Eastern part)2
	Indo-Bangladesh enclaves3
	Kashmir3		2
	Kachin State		1 2
	Kayin State		1
	Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands3
	Mainland China2
	Mongolia2
	Pamir Mountains (Northern and central parts)2
	Wakhan Corridor2
	Pattani		1
	Sabah2
	Shan State		1
	Sixty-Four Villages East of the Heilongjiang River2
	Tannu Uriankhai (now Tuva Republic of Russia)2
	Tibet		1 2
	Trans-Karakoram Tract		2
	Wa State		1
Islands and Waters:	Kinmen
	Liancourt Rocks		2
	Macclesfield Bank
	Matsu
	Paracel Islands
	South Ledge
	Pratas Islands
	Scarborough Shoal
	Senkaku Islands
	Sir Creek3
	Socotra Rock		2 2
	Southern Kuril Islands
	Spratly Islands3
	Taiwan and Penghu2
Notes:	1Government in exile/exiled group. 2Inactive dispute. 3Divided among multiple claimants.

Language
Sino-Tibetan-speaking nations and regions      Bhutan  Burma (Myanmar)  People's Republic of China  Christmas Island  Hong Kong  India  Macau  Malaysia  Nepal  Pakistan  Singapore  Republic of China (Taiwan)  Thailand Names in italics indicate non-sovereign territories. Territories of Greater China and Chinese-speaking nations     People's Republic of China Mainland China · Hong Kong · Macau Republic of China Taiwan · Penghu · Kinmen · Matsu  Singapore