Kinmen (Jinmen) Island, Taiwan

Kinmen (Jinmen) is a Taiwan-administered island about 10 km by sea from Xiamen's east coast, a former front line of the Taiwan Strait with restored Minnan villages, wartime tunnels, museums and sorghum liquor distilleries. The usual crossing is the direct ferry from Wutong Passenger Terminal in Xiamen's Huli District to Shuitou Pier in Jinning Township, taking about 30 minutes and costing roughly ¥150-200 one way; sailings are several a day, but weather and typhoons can cancel them. Because the trip crosses an international border in practice, immigration queues on both sides can add an hour or more, so the day is best treated as a full day. Visitors must carry a passport and meet Taiwan's entry rules for their nationality, and must confirm that they hold a visa or visa-free status that allows re-entry to mainland China, since a single-entry visa may be consumed. On the island, visitors can take taxis (about ¥500-800 per day for a taxi tour) or the Kinmen sightseeing bus. A typical arc is arrival at Shuitou in the morning, a walk through Shuitou village with its Western-influenced Minnan mansions, then a drive to the Zhaishan Tunnel, Guningtou battle site and a museum of the 1958 artillery bombardments. Lunch is usually local oyster omelette, Kinmen beef noodles or sorghum-flavoured dishes, and the afternoon can include Jincheng Old Town, Mt. Taiwu and a stop at a liquor distillery or shop selling Kinmen kaoliang and knives made from shells. The best time is March to May and October to December; typhoons from July to September stop boats and the winter monsoon can make the strait rough. The last return ferry typically leaves in the afternoon, so checking the timetable on arrival is essential. Walking is moderate and the island's roads are good.