“...OUR JOURNEYING HAS EXTENDED INTO ALL FOUR CORNERS OF KINMEN…”
We’ve haven’t even been here for a week but our journeying has extended into all four corners of Kinmen island. It has been easy to move around on our scooter and also by hitchhiking. We’ve found delicious oyster pancakes in typical as well as unexpected places; accidentally stumbled upon ruined houses, theaters and other buildings; met with shop owners who excitedly share their experiences, artifacts and skills. The past six days on Kinmen have been a process of learning about the local culture, the environment, the food, and the history of this little island and how different it is from the main island of Taiwan.
“...THINGS WHICH DIFFERENTIATE KINMEN FROM THE REST OF TAIWAN…”
Through this process of exploration, some quirks of the place have made themselves apparent...things which differentiate Kinmen from the rest of Taiwan. The architecture whether it be in the traditional houses or in the preserved “western-style houses” is one obvious change which can be seen pretty much anywhere around the island. Though most of the islands buildings have been preserved, it is much more frequent on Kinmen to find some residential or military-related structures which have been abandoned, often imbued with an atmosphere which can be described on a scale from creepy to horrific. The eerie feeling of the abandoned buildings can also be felt in the islands towns and on the roads, to a minor degree, at the height of the afternoon when everyone retreats to shady and often air conditioned places in order to hide from the sun and the heat. In certain times of the day, and on particular days, everyone seems to come out and the streets become alive again with people selling fruit, vegetables, fish and meats on the towns’ streets. Restaurants, when they’re open, sell variations of things you may find on the main island of Taiwan but with subtle, though still delicious, differences. For example, the XiaoLongBao (小籠包) here on Kinmen are wrapped in a yeast-risen dough so they are much sturdier, but also fluffier, than their cousins on the main island. Another quirk of the island is how many of the shops feel as though they haven't changed in decades, still selling products that make passerby nostalgic for their childhood while others hold some amazing unique commodities hidden on unassuming shelves.
“...THERE ARE TREASURES TO BE FOUND HERE…”
These are just a small collection of the subtle differences which accumulate and make Kinmen feel like a totally different country from Taiwan. There are treasures to be found here which are only accessible to the inquisitive explorer who chooses to wander into all of the different environments which are present on the island; everything between the unassuming and the ghostly. We’ve seen a lot already but it feels like there is still so much to explore.
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