The Controversial Island China Prefers You Not to Know About
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Just off the coast of Mainland China lies Kinmen Island, a place with more military history packed into its tiny landmass than most countries have in their entire territory. These days, it’s peaceful, scenic, and full of charming villages—but the crumbling bunkers and rusting anti-landing spikes tell a different story. This was once one of the most heavily fortified islands on Earth, caught in the crossfire of some of the most intense conflicts of the 20th century.
In this video, I take you deep into Kinmen’s hidden military past, from the first Ming Dynasty fortifications to the brutal battles of the Chinese Civil War. I’ll explore ancient villages that somehow survived the chaos, stumble across Wind Lion Gods that are believed to protect the island, and even wander through eerie Cold War-era tunnels built to withstand a full-scale invasion. And of course, I’ll be doing all this on a rented scooter, because that’s just how we do things around here.
If you’ve never heard of Kinmen Island, you’re not alone. This place is a historical goldmine that rarely gets talked about, despite its insane past as a front-line military base. And while today it’s a sleepy little island filled with temples and tea shops, the scars of war are everywhere—abandoned bunkers, bullet-ridden walls, and underground tunnels that once echoed with the sounds of conflict.
From centuries-old pagodas to battlefields that shaped modern China, this is Kinmen Island like you’ve never seen it before. Let’s uncover the secrets of this forgotten military outpost and see what remains today.
#taiwan #kinmen #china
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 – Welcome to Kinmen (Introduction)
0:56 – Journey from Mainland China to Kinmen Island
2:10 – Chapter 1: Ming Dynasty (Wentai Pagoda)
3:00 – Chat with local taxi driver
3:36 – Renting a scooter
4:24 – A must-have when travelling (Holafly)
5:09 – Chapter 2: Qing Dynasty (Military Headquarters)
8:10 – Grand Mansions in Shuitou Village
12:02 – Chapter 3: Republic of China Period
13:30 – Exploring Oucuo Village (Breathtaking)
16:46 – Kinmen’s Wind Lion Gods
18:06 – Chapter 4: Battle of Guningtou
18:49 – Exploring Guningtou
21:03 – Chapter 5: China’s Cold War (Zhaishan Tunnel)
23:42 – Exploring Abandoned Military Bunkers
24:06 – Chapter 6: A Peaceful Transformation
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LOCATIONS:
📍 Wentai Tower 文臺寶塔: 89346, Kinmen County, Jincheng Township, 金門 縣 金 城鎮 金門 城南 磐 山 南端
📍 Troops Headquarters 清金門鎮總兵署: 893, Kinmen County, Jincheng Township, 浯江街53號
📍 Shuitou Village 水頭聚落: 893, Kinmen County, Jincheng Township
📍 Guningtou Battle Museum 古寧頭戰史館: 456號, Jinning Township, Kinmen County, 892
📍 Zhaishan Tunnel 翟山坑道: 893, Kinmen County, Jincheng Township, 90號
*Occasionally, subtitles are added for comedic effect only.*
* This description contains affiliate links. I will earn a small commission if you purchase something using them (at no extra cost to you), so thank you! *
28 Comments
Get 5% off your travel eSIM (and help the channel in-turn): https://holafly.sjv.io/191eA9
I hope you enjoy this new style of video. A lot of work went into this one… a simple thumbs up would go a long way!
I really enjoyed making this, so let me know if you'd like to see more videos where I dive deeper into the history of the place that I'm visiting.
Waoo… you finally arrived at Qingmen. Very few bloggers made videos on this Island. Love it !
As Chinese, I thought Kinmen island is belong to China mainland as it said so on our map. Great content and well studied!
Nice presentation Oli. Would be suitable for the History Channel. Cheers from Ohio, USA
好久没见你了
Oli, were the Yankees there ? 🤔
The Telegraph
" US troops are on an island just four miles from China, Taiwan reveals "
Special forces are operating on the Kinmen Islands, a tiny outpost neighbouring the Chinese coastal city of Xiamen .
Ah…Quemoy. If you are a Cold War historian like me, you know all about it and its presence across the 1950s. But I have not seen any news about the islands in years, so thanks for putting together this excellent vid about its current fate. Cheers from Virginia, USA.
That beach you visited is still an active military zone. No other beach would have a revolving radar mast; that's military equipment being used to observe any maritime elements nearby.
This the first video I have watched of yours, very interesting and informational, great video!!!
Another great video 👍 Does this mean you two no longer live in Danang?
Oli, One thing that can be added is that in recent years, especially in the last decade or so, in Taiwanese public opinion, it is the island's mainstream to worship and PRO everything Japanese, culture, and even glorify the Japanese occupation period – believing that they brought about modernization and are the mother of today's Taiwanese culture.
This is understandable, because those who were exploited during the Japanese Occupation era have either died out or their descendants are grassroots who are busy making a living and have no political volume; while those who are in power today are the descendants of those who collaborated with them during the Japanese Occupation era, and they have always been equally involved in the colonial benefits.
What a quick mood switch at 23:40 😂
影片做的非常棒，我观看你的视频来学习英语❤
Cool video mate
Don't wander around the beaches on the island, there are many mines.many people in Jinmen bought houses in Xiamen. Their houses are very strong, and each family has a basement as a bomb shelter. Very interesting video.
secret bunker that is not so secret. lol
You have to ask what the US did during the dynastic changes in China, as it created Taiwan.
Your video is good and worthy of more viewers. You can interview Kinmen people's views on the mainland.
I love Oli! I love Taiwan! 😘😍🥰🥳 Please show us more Taiwanese videos. 🙏
so you are back to China now? welcome back!!
Fun Fact: Now Xiamen provides water supply for Kinmen. Can you imagine one country relying on its biggest enemy for water supply? So I don't know about the next war.
Chine doesn't tell you, or you just don't care?
With 5000 years of history, I am sure there are tons of things that China doesn't tell you.
And you don’t tell people about the 三民主义统一中国?😂
Oli let's go to Australia Melbourne
讨厌战争，又无能为力。
我喜欢这，非常安宁祥和。 旅途愉快！
Oliver you are so cute
11:35 honestly first hime hear Oli speak chinese
35年前我在這裡服役，我是一位步兵排長
I served here 36 years ago
I'm an infantry platoon leader