It fought off a People's Liberation Army attack in 1950 and continues to be a site of security intrigue, precariously perched by the Chinese coast and armed to the teeth by Taiwan. But the government now wants to show a different side to tiny Dadan island.

Dadan Island

Dadan Island, a small outpost held by Taiwan near the Chinese city of Xiamen, has reopened to tourists following its closure during the COVID-19 pandemic. The island, which has seen more than 25,000 visitors since reopening, features military relics, tanks, and signs warning of landmines, reflecting its history as a site of conflict between Taiwan and China.

Dadan is part of the Kinmen islands, controlled by Taiwan since 1949 and notable for its role in past military confrontations, including a 1950 assault by the People's Liberation Army. While the area still experiences maritime tensions, local officials hope that opening Dadan for tourism will promote peace and highlight the value of reconciliation, with restored military camps serving as reminders of the island's complex past.

Taiwan's frontline Dadan island reopens for cultural tourism

Tourists arriving at Taiwan's Dadan Island have some unusual sights ahead of them. Tanks, military relics and danger signs warning of landmines. Also on the itinerary, selfies against the backdrop of China's Xiamen, just some two and a half miles away. More than 25,000 visitors have flocked to the island since it reopened last year, after closing in 2019 because of the COVID pandemic. Dadan is part of Kinmen, a group of islands held by Taiwan since 1949, when the Republic of China government fled to Taipei after losing the civil war to Mao Zedong's forces. It was also the site of a People's Liberation Army assault in 1950, which the Taiwan military fought off. For visitors like Su Yihua, the island evokes a powerful sense of history. As someone who has served in the military, my impression is that being stationed here back then must have been incredibly tough and exhausting. It also gives me a real sense of tension between Taiwan and China at the time. That tension still simmers. Chinese Coast Guard ships regularly enter Kinmen's waters, prompting Taiwan to send its own vessels in response. The island is dominated by a striking red slogan, Dadan's Top Tourist Attraction, painted in large, bold letters facing China. It reads, Reunify China with the Three Principles of the People, the political philosophy for Sun Yat-sen, who founded the Republic of China and overthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1911. These days, Su Qixin, Kinmen's Tourism Bureau Director, hopes tourists come away with some optimism about the future, despite the ongoing tensions between Taipei and Beijing. Kinmen County is the only place where urban warfare has taken place, which reminds us that war is ruthless and peace is priceless. Through opening Dadan for tourism, it is a symbol of peace. The past is history, it's behind us, and what we have is a better future. Through restoring the military camps, we hope to pass on a spirit, a universal value, peace.

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Breakdown