What's to see/do on Jinmen?

I have to/get to take a faculty weekend trip to Jinmen in November. All I know is that it’s likely to be very windy. That makes the prospect of flying in and out seem kinda scary, but I’m so unknowledgable about the place as to be unqualified to worry about that.

Tell me what I’m in for? What’s there and what’s not? And the seven year old Kitten will be coming along (I think there will be another child of a staff member, too).

Thanks!

Plenty to see and do. General sightseeing, some great architecture, lots of war history and plenty of memorials.

EDIT - links fixed.

Thanks, Chris, but your links aren’t working.

It seems that the auto-pinyin thing on forumosa is changing the spelling on the links. Hang on a minute and I’ll see what I can do. Maoman / GooseEgg you might want to see if you can turn the auto-pinyin off for links.

Links above are fixed.

Because Forumosa changes the Kinmen to (Jinmen)
craigfergusonimages.com/2009 … %20(Jinmen/
If you delete the (Jinmen) it will work. Beautiful pictures.

Edit: never mind.

Awsome photos and lots of great information! Thanks Chris! I plan on using your site later to educate/prepare the Kitten for our trip.

Most of the old villages were designed to repel pirate attacks which should appeal to HK. In Shuiman Village climb the old gun tower, one the highest point on the island.

Just down from the Koxinga Shrine is a islet that you can walk out to during low tide. Lots of crabs and sea life to explore.

The wind lions are a hoot: they look like a dapper pokemon with a real cape blowing in the wind.

Little Kinmen is about 18km round on the bike path. Very fun and you will probably see Mozambique guys clearing land mines behind barbed wire sections. Nice guys and usually happy to chat. Don’t worry about your safety, the paths are perfectly clear. Many old military installations to climb and look at. HK might enjoy the one museum where you can listen in on old phones to conversations soldiers had with their families back on Taiwan.

The Juguang Tower (cf has a pic) has a museum inside highlighting the culture and history of the islands. HK may enjoy the photos on the Welcoming the God festival as it shows the roll children play. Kids from each of the villages get to dress as figures from history and depending where they are fro the ride around on tricycles or get carried on bamboo sedan chairs. Pretty fun. Like Halloween.

Anyway, lots of parks, lakes, beaches, old villages, military installations. I can’t see how a kid wouldn’t have fun.

Thanks, MM, that’s great stuff. I’ll be sure to talk up the pirates angle! I told him about going this morning and he was pretty put off by the idea until I told him about all the bombs and stuff from wars. Boys. :s

Oh yeah, don’t forget to by him a knife made from old bomb shells. You can watch them being made.

And there are some old house left that are still bullet ridden from the communist attack in the late 60s. I mean you can see the holes in the walls.

[quote=“Mucha Man”]Oh yeah, don’t forget to by him a knife made from old bomb shells. You can watch them being made.

And there are some old house left that are still bullet ridden from the communist attack in the late 60s. I mean you can see the holes in the walls.[/quote]

Yeah, he’s gonna love that stuff.

What would I do if I had a girl?! :smiley: God knew just what I needed. :wink:

Some more info also on this thread: