Author(s)

Y. J. Tseng, S. Y. Chen

Abstract

Kinmen, defended by the Chiang Kai-Shek-led national army, were the forefront between China and Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War in 1949. The islands, formerly known as Quemoy, suffered from several bombardments and became a symbol of the Cold War overnight following the Quemoy Crisis in 1958. During this period, the archipelago was mainly populated by the troops with more than 100,000 servicemen stationed here at its peak. Various distinctive military fortifications, massive constructions and special defensive functions were developed and many facilities in preparation for war were constructed in combination with the natural landscape during decades of military rule on the islands. However, the number of troops stationed has been decreasing since the lifting of martial law in 1992. Many military camps have been discarded or abandoned while some were turned into museums or memorial halls by the government to attract tourists. Nevertheless, the majority of the camps have been either closed, disused or demolished. The continuous disappearance of its historic military sites and culture is causing a crisis to Kinmen as a world-famous historic battlefield. This paper aims to present the conservation approaches and challenges of the military sites on the basis of their current status, and to explore possible directions of development for the military sites in Kinmen.

Keywords

Cold War, Quemoy Crisis, preservation, re-use