A row of Lanterns on Kinmen Island.
A few weeks ago, my mom made the long flight to Hong Kong to visit Katie and me. After spending a couple days around our home, the three of us went on a trip. Our first stop was Kinmen Island, which sits close to the Chinese mainland and is controlled by Taiwan. We had quite a whirlwind day to get there: local bus, subway 1, subway 2, Hong Kong customs and immigration, Chinese customs and immigration, high-speed train to Xiamen, bus across Xiamen Island, Chinese customs and immigration, ferry to Kinmen, Taiwanese customs and immigration, van to our hotel. And we still arrived before dinner!
We were exhausted, but excited to explore. That night we checked out the main town on foot. The following day the three of us rented electric scooters and drove them all over the island. It was a fascinating place, rich with history. The vibe was very laid back and the people were quite friendly.
Here are a few photos from Kinmen Island:
Shuitou village.
Our Bed and Breakfast.
Lantern and motorcycle.
Yummy baked goods.
A temple in Jincheng.
The main temple of Jincheng.
The gateway to shopping.
The battle of Kinmen.
The actual battle site.
The phone booths have the Chinese characters for Jinmen.
While riding our electric scooters, we found this pond and zigzagging walkway.
Katie, wearing her electric scooter helmet, in front of some dragon boats we found.
Me with my mom in front of a temple.
The Taiwanese military dynamited the Zhaishan Tunnel as a hideout for the navy.
Walking through the Zhaishan tunnel toward the sea.
Walking over the Zhaishan tunnel.
The entrance to the Zhaishan tunnel.
Katie is having fun at the tunnel.
Drinks on!
The only natural lake on Kinmen Island.
