Kinmen -- The Hometown of the War, Food and History

    People may have heard of the name Kinmen, but they have never been there or known where the island is. For this reason, I would like to introduce this historical and beautiful island to you. Thanks to the convenient public transportation, you can go to Kinmen easily by taking an one hour flight. When we talk about Kinmen, the first thing comes up in people's mind is the war. There were some famous wars like the 823 War and The War of Guningtou in the military history of Kinmen. Instead of those famous wars, sightseeing and special local food are also the features of Kinmen.

(The map of Kinmen)

   

    My parents were both born in Kinmen, and due to this, I have some great chances to visit the beautiful island. My parents' hometown are both in Jincheng, the most prosperous town in Kinmen. The most famous tourist spot in Jincheng is Juguang Tower. The men who have been assigned as soldiers to Kinmen have the same memory about the Juguang Tower. The tower even becomes the landscape of both Jincheng and Kinmen. Also there are others famous spot like Mountain Taiwoo and Arch of Virtue and Piety for Ciou Liang-Gong’s Mother in Jincheng.

(The picture of Juguang Tower)

(The picture of Arch of Virtue and Piety for Ciou Liang-Gong’s Mother)

 (The picture of Mountain Taiwoo)

    In addition to the sightseeing, the local food of Kinmen is also world famous. For example, sticky candy, Kaoliang wine and clay oven rolls are the very first products that people come to Kinmen want to buy. The sticky candy is really delicious. Although people in Taiwan can buy sticky candy and clay oven rolls in some stores, the taste and the mouthfeel are really different to the those sold in Kinmen. When we discuss the issue of wine, the very first thing people will say is the Kaoliang wine from Kinmen. The strong aroma of the Kaoliang wine is the most praised feature by people who like to drink.  In addition, the only dish you can find in Kinmen is a full menu of the beef dishes. The dishes are all made of beef and that's the most incredable and delicious food I have ever tasted.

(The picture of sticky candy)

(The picture of clay oven rolls)

(The picture of Kaoliang wine)



    When you come to visit Kinmen, you can never miss, The Wind Lion, the tutelary god for all of Kinmen. According to the statistics made by the Kinmen County, there are sixty eight kinds of  The Wind Lion in the entire Kinmen. Each of them is different. Some are big and tall while others are small and short. The reason why The Wind Lion is the tutelary god of Kinmen is that the wind damage in Kinmen was strong, and people believe that The Wind Lion can scare away the bad thing, especially the wind damage. Also, they think lion is the king of the animals so the majestic The Wind Lion has can keep away the misfortune. Nowadays, people in Kinmen still praise and worship The Wind Lion and regard them as the tutelary god of the Kinmen.

(The pictures of The Wind Lion)

    After some basic introduction of Kinmen, do you have a strong feeling that want to visit and take many photos there? I would like to visit there again right now! Kinmen is not only an island which contains many historical events but a place filled with enthusiasm and friendliness. If you have free time or a short vacation,  a trip to Kinmen is a nice choice. Go there and explore something fascinating by your tongue, your eyes and your haert!

(The picture sources is from the website of the Tourism Bureau of Kinmen Couty and Yahoo picture searching, http://tour.kinmen.gov.tw/english/ , http://tw.yahoo.com/)