Filming Old Military Infrastructure On Kinmen Island

I’ve been driving my motorcycle around Kinmen filming at some of the island’s derelict military infrastructure for a new travel show episode.

How militarized the place once was is truly something to be impressed by. The Guomintang essentially built a great wall of military defenses around nearly the entire periphery of both Kinmen island — much of it was underground. The military bases cut into the sides of natural coastal cliffs  and extend inland via a complex network of tunnels.

Seriously, they dug tunnels everywhere and lived like ant people. There were entire subterranean military bases, each village had a bunker, and the island’s wealthier residents had their own private bomb shelters under their homes. It all made sense, as bombs were falling on the ground above.

Most of this military infrastructure is abandoned now. It just sits around the island, predominantly unused. It’s still all kept in possession of the military … apparently, just in case they ever need to use it again someday.