Kinmen: The Island Forged by War Memories | EP1 | Frontline Residents

Taiwan’s Kinmen Island is located less than three kilometers from Xiamen, China. It is the only place in Taiwan where Communist China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has touched down and fought battles. How do Kinmen residents keep these memories of war alive today?

When visiting Kinmen Island, memories and remnants of war can be seen everywhere you go. During the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1958, the People’s Liberation Army dropped thousands of artillery shells on the island of Kinmen, with bombardment continuing for 20 years. These memories of war are seared into the minds of Kinmen residents who grew up during the bombardment.

One such frontline resident is Kinmen’s Wu Tseng-tung, who today is the director of Maestro Wu. Maestro Wu sells artillery shell knives made from repurposed steel, transforming these remnants of war into quality products that serve as symbols of war and peace.

While the older generation retains lasting memories of war, younger Kinmen residents rely on stories to understand the gravity of war. Local business owner and guide Wang Ling conducts local tours of Kinmen’s historic sites. However, she worries that younger generations are disconnected from the wartime history of Taiwan and China.

Frontline Residents is a six-part mini documentary series that investigates how wartime history in the Taiwan Strait continues to impact those living on Taiwan’s frontline islands today. We tell their stories through the lens of history, exploring residents’ complex relationships with Taiwan and China and illuminating the long-term consequences of war and the importance of peace.

Chapters:
00:00 Kinmen: The Island Forged by Memories of War
01:56 Legacies of War on Kinmen
02:50 Wu Tseng-tung, Director of Maestro Wu Steel Knives
03:01 Why Are There So Many Abandoned Artillery Shells on Kinmen?
03:38 Wu Reuses Artillery Shells to Make Steel Kitchen Knives
04:58 Passing on Memories of War
06:25 Wang Ling Rediscovers Her Hometown’s History
07:57 How the Chinese Civil War Transformed Kinmen
08:35 Wang Ling’s Guided Tours Show War’s Effects on Local Residents and Businesses
10:59 Kinmen Residents’ Relationship to the Air Raid Shelters
13:55 How Do Kinmen Residents View Their Relationship to China?
16:45 Do Kinmen Residents Still Understand War’s Significance?
17:32 Memories of War Must Continue To Be Passed Down
19:55 End Credits

#kinmen #wwii #taiwanhistory #chinesehistory #chinesecivilwar #taiwan #FrontlineResidents #taiwanplus
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