Taiwan’s Matsu Islands are situated on the west side of Taiwan Strait and its 36 islands and islets are spread just outside of Minjiang Estuary, appearing like a strand of pearls across the sea. The abundance of granite rocks on the islands have constructed a unique landscape of hills and rocky shores.

The unique urban settlement of Matsu today can be traced back to prehistoric Neolithic settlers 6,000 years ago; displaced Minyue communities during the Han dynasty; fishermen from the coast of Fujian Province; and a small group of immigrants from Quanzhou City during the early Qing dynasty.

These early settlers developed ports alongside the coast and built stone houses along the mountains, but during the Chinese Civil War (1927-1950), Matsu became a military base where tunnels, forts, war slogans, and defensive batteries covered the hills, holding the word record for sheer density of tunnels in comparison to land mass.

As a unique historic war site, the well-preserved Matsu Battlefield Culture is a sober example of human warfare encompassing the height of conflict, the lull in battle, and peaceful co-existence. The addition of its Eastern Fujian culture enhances Matsu’s unique position as a heritage site.

In contrast, only a small segment of the Berlin Wall remains today, the 38th parallel north demilitarized zone between North and South Korea remains on high alert, and trenches from the Vietnam War have been wiped out. Even the war infrastructure in Mawei District directly across from Matsu have been demolished.

Moreover, the Chinese crested tern, a kind of seabird that was previously believed to be extinct, was spotted again in Matsu during 2000. Statistics show that the islands have the highest number of surviving birds; about 50 remain in the world, 20 some of which dwell in Matsu today.

3-1. Military Development of Matsu

In 1949, during the latter half of the Chinese Civil War, the Chinese Communists were advancing and soon gained control of Min River and the Zhoushan Islands. Upon U.S. advice, the Nationalist government withdrew from the indefensible Dachen Islands and retreated to the Kinmen and Matsu archipelagos to gain a better vantage of Communist military activities on the coast of Fujian Province. Matsu became the northernmost line of defense in the Chinese Civil War.

In the following year, the Matsu Administrative Office was established and martial law was imposed on the islands. The administrative organization was soon perceived to be unstable and unable to unify military forces under a single source of authority, so the Battlefield Government Affairs Committee was established in 1956 to simplify administrative hierarchy and centralize power.

The military controlled all affairs, closely monitored the lives of local residents, and restricted travel. Civil defense units were established, turning fishing villages into anti-Communist fortresses during the Cold War. As a front-line outpost defending the democratic world from Communist expansion, Matsu holds substantial historic significance.

Matsu was not demolished by war, so traces of military activity became the islands’ most precious cultural heritage. Subsequently, the Kinmen and Matsu Battlefield Culture was selected as one of Taiwan’s potential world heritage sites in 2009.

3-2. PrehistoricDevelopment of Matsu

The developmenthistory of Matsu can be traced back to 6,000 years ago to the Liangdao settlement of the Neolithic age. Shell-mound burials and well-preserved human remains were discovered at the Liangdao Dig Site on Matsu, confirming the hunter-gatherer-fisherman lifestyle of prehistoric humans.

Relics excavated from the Chipinglong Archaeological Site on Matsu’s Dongju Island also confirmed that the prehistoric cultures on Matsu belong to the same archaeological period as the Tanshishan Archaeological Site in Fujian’s Fuzhou City.

The two archaeological sites on Matsu are related, to some degree, to the Minyue culture that developed later on the mainland. Today, the people of Matsu still revere Minyue cultural relics such as snake and frog totems, reflecting how deep-rooted the Minyue culture is in their daily lives and traditional rituals.

After Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty conquered the Minyue Kingdom, a group of Minyue people refused to surrender and took to the seas, becoming the first Chineseseasteaders. However, they were belittled by subsequent Chinese dynasties as the “Tanka people,” otherwise known as “Fuzhou Tanka” or “Fuzhou Boat People.”

Matsu residents referred to them as “Kuoh-da-giang,” meaning “Tanka people” in the Fuzhou dialect. These seasteaders developed and maintained many ports on Matsu, and several places such as “Kuoh-da Port” are named after them.

3-3. Coastal Development of Matsu

Historic records mention two bans on maritime activities, under which a scorched-earth policy was imposed and local residents were relocated to Matsu inland. The first ban was ordered in 1387 to defend against early Japanese invaders; the second ban was in 1661 to prevent residents along the southeast coast from assisting Chinese military leader Zheng Chenggong and his army.

However, such bans could not keep Matsu residents away from the sea. During the early Qing dynasty, coastal fishermen in eastern Fujian and a handful of people from Quanzhou City still migrated to port regions of Matsu. They constructed houses with local granite slabs and established coastal villages nestled in the mountains.

Today, the distributionpattern of “one village per port” has formed a unique landscape. Solid granite walls and the usage of rocks to weigh down roof tiles contribute to the distinctive architectural style of Matsu. The square “one-seal” style of siheyuan houses and the intricate gable walls of local temples also form an interesting contrast.

In Matsu, people still speak with the Fuzhou dialect and uphold folk beliefs such as the “White Horse King,” a guardian of the ports. They also maintain the traditional Fuzhou way of life, worshipping deities and ancestors and hosting celebrations in accordance to their traditional calendar. Their homebrewed liquor has also become widely famous and is now the signature product of Taiwan’s national winery.

3-4. Nationalist Development of Matsu

In 1947, the National government was losing decisive battles in the Chinese Civil War as the Communist soldiers advanced south, forcing the Nationalist troops to retreat to the islands along the eastern coast.

In attempt to cut off Communist contact with the outside world, a defense line was established by occupying the Shengsi Islands to seal off Yangtze River and Shanghai, and the Zhoushan Islands were used to block off access to Huai River and the East China Sea fishing grounds.

The National troops then used Matsu as a base to control the Minjiang Estuary region, and used Kinmen to block communications with Xiamen.

Criteria II & IV

Beginning in 1968, the Matsu Islands were outfitted with both offensive and defensive capabilities. The Nationalist troops worked day and night to tunnel through the hard granite in the regions of Nangan, Beigan, Xiju, and Dongyin to make the Beihai, Andong, and Wusha tunnels, which connected underground bases with docking ports for marine vessels. The serious military aptitude of Matsu, which includes the world record for highest density of tunnels to land mass, has created a unique battlefield landscape.

War slogans such as “Retake the Mainland,” “Long Live President Chiang Kai-shek,” “Fight for Ultimate Victory,” “Civilian-Military Cooperation,” and “Be Ready for Combat” are still displayed everywhere in Matsu. Fortified military strongholds equipped withstone basements, tunnels, batteries, kitchens, and toilets also dot the landscape.

Coupled with unique lighthouses, temples, and stone tablets, the Matsu Battlefield Culture reflects a unique spatial design and illustrates the Cold War stage in human history, thereby meeting the second and fourth criteria of the UNESCO’s world heritage register.

Criterion III

The unique Matsu Battlefield culture encompasses elements from both negative world heritage (confrontation, war, tragedy) and positive world heritage (reconciliation, peace, relief). The site ultimately represents the universal value of mankind’s pursuit of peaceful co-existence, thereby meeting the third criterion for inclusion.

5-1. Military Facilities

5-1-1. Wusha Tunnel in Beigan

The Wusha Tunnel, also known as Wusha Beihai Tunnel, is several hundred meters in length and more than ten meters in width. Construction began in 1968, together with Beihai Tunnels in Nangang and Dongyin. 

Although it is not as magnificent as the Beihai Tunnel in Nangang, the Wusha Tunnel was also dug by solders using pickaxes, shovels, rakes, and iron dustpans to clear out the hard granite rocks. The construction took nearly three years to complete and more than 100 soldiers lost their lives in the process, reflecting the difficulty of the project. 

The Wusha Tunnel was originally designed for small boats to dock, but it was not used after completion and was abandoned for many years. Since many soldiers were killed by explosions during construction, haunting stories of ghosts kept local residents away from the area, making the tunnel even more desolate. 

After the establishment of the Administrative Office of Matsu National Scenic Area, the Wusha Tunnel and nearby bases were renovated. Roads and fenced footpaths were also built for visitors to walk from Banli or Wusha Village to visit the Wusha Tunnel, one of the best contemporary destinations for experiencing the Matsu Battlefield Culture . 

5-1-2. Qinshan Broadcast Station for Psychological Warfare

During the Chinese Civil War, psychological warfare through broadcasting infrastructure was an important channel for the Nationalist government and the Communist regime to criticize their enemies and promote their agendas.  

The Ministry of National Defense set up five broadcast stations at frontline outposts in Kinmen and Matsu. The Qinshan station in Beigan was equipped with 48 sets of 500-watt amplifiers, making the station the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia at that time. 

The Qinshan Broadcast Station, which began operations on Sept. 3, 1979, was the only psychological warfare base on Matsu. Its broadcasting range was 29,000 meters when the shortest distance between the two sides of Taiwan Strait – namely Matsu’s Kaodeng Island and China’s Beijiao Peninsula – was a mere 9,250 meters. 

Therefore, residents of Lienchiang County and Huangqi Peninsula on the eastern coast of Fujian Province, as well as the people of Matsu, could all receive the broadcast loud and clear. Even the residents of farther regions such as Qiaozai and Qinbi were very familiar with the messages, and fishing boats could sense the buzzing and vibrations when passing by the station.  

The messages were broadcast in either Mandarin Chinese or Fuzhou dialect, with the Female Youth Brigade under the Ministry of National Defense handling the Mandarin broadcast while a female teacher based in Beigan helped with the Fuzhou broadcast. 

The earliest messages focused on criticizing communism, discrediting Chinese Communist leaders, and advocating the benefits brought by the Three Principles of the People to residents in Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu. 

At the start, the broadcasts were used for war propaganda purposes, including urging anti-Communist freedom fighters to flee to Taiwan and claim their reward in gold, and the latest news. For instance, the Qinshan Broadcast Station reported updates on the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 when mainland Chinese authorities censored the news. 

The station usually broadcasted 8 to 9 hours of programs ranging from war propaganda to songs by famous singer Teresa Teng. When tensions across the Taiwan Strait eased up, propaganda programs were replaced with news, weather reports, and music. 

In June 2003, the Beigan Defense Command planned to ship the idle broadcast equipment back to Taiwan for scrapping, but the move was stopped by Beigan residents and the equipment was kept in temporary storage instead. Now, the equipment is displayed at the War and Peace Memorial Park after the park was inaugurated in 2010 . 

5-1-3. War and Peace Memorial Park

War and Peace Memorial Park is located at Mt. Dawo behind Houao Village in Beigan Township, occupying an area of 38.8 hectares. Developed and managed by the Matsu National Scenic Area Administration Office, it is the only park in Taiwan to showcase weapons and military tunnels. 

Preparations for the establishment of a war park began in 2004 after the military offered use of its abandoned Mt. Dawo military site. The park now includes the War and Peace Memorial Park Exhibition Center, Luoshan Natural Trail, Stronghold 06 Viewing Platform, and several underground tunnels.

Visitors along the combat-readiness trail from Houao Village to Mt. Dawo will be greeted by signs accompanied by decommissioned weapons, including military trucks, machine guns, self-propelled artillery, and combat vehicles, on both sides of the trail. 

The park combines battlefield landscape with simulated military positions to present Matsu’s military history and its role as an East Pacific defense line during the Cold War. The rich battlefield features and historic background embodied by the park will lead visitors to experience the chilling atmosphere of frontline battles. 

5-1-4. Three Beigan Reservoirs for Military Use

In addition to Banli Reservoir, there are three reservoirs for military use in BegianTownship – Chunghsing, Wusha and Qiaozai. Originally named Changpo Reservoir, Chunghsing Reservoir is located at the bottom of Bishan. It was constructed in 1973 with a total storage capacity of more than 16,000 tons of water in two dams for military use; however, following the construction of Banli Resrvoir, Chunghsing Reservoir was abolished because of serious pollution and eutrophication.  

Located at a hillside to the left of Wusha Port, Wusha Reservoir was completed in 1989 and its catchment area covers part of Qinshan and Bishan with a storage capacity of over 13,000 tons of water. It was mainly used by the military before being abandoned. 

Qiaozai Reservoir was built in 1973 for military use, and it became the main water source for Banli Reservoir as it is situated on an interception system line along the Northern Island Highway. With interception ditches embedded on the inner side of highways and pumping stations set in low-lying areas, the interception system plays its role in the rainy season and the abundant rainfall on the upwind side of Bishan is pumped to Banli Reservoir through pumping stations. 

5-1-5. Nangan Beihai Tunnel

The Nagna Beihai Tunnel was completed in 1968 after the Matsu Defense Command mobilized two divisions, three infantry battalions, one engineer battalion, and one dump truck unit to work ceaselessly in three shifts for 820 working days. With the less advanced engineering skills at the time, it was extremely difficult to dig tunnels through hard granite rocks by manpower and dynamites.

5-1-6. Dahan Stronghold in Nangan

The Dahan Stronghold sits on a headland protruding between Tieban Beach and Beihai Tunnel. Unlike other strongholds, the Dahan Stronghold has three layers of tunnels. The main tunnel on the first underground layer is 304 meters long, 1.5 meters wide, and some 2 meters tall. 

Visitors will be able to revisit history without the dangers of war inside these narrow, winding tunnels, and gain a better perspective of wartime hardships from the tunnel construction. The small firing outlets for machine guns and heavy artillery also provide illumination on a soldier’s life within these walls. 

5-1-7. Renai Iron Fort in Nangan

The Renai Iron Fort is situatedbelow a coastal road on the west of Renai Village that leads to Jinsha Village. The fort was originally an independent rock protruding out of the sea. The military hollowed it and covered the rock formation with cement to establish a new stronghold to serve strategic needs. 

The fort stands among turbulent waves and is surrounded by coastal rocks embellished with glass shards used to prevent Communist marines from sneaking ashore. Although it is no longer in military use, its stone basements, tunnels, firing outlets, artillery batteries, kitchens, toilets, rooms, and beds are in pristine condition. 

5-1-8. Shanhai House (East China Sea Force) in Xiju

In June 1950, when North Korea launched an offensive against South Korea with Soviet support, U.S. President Harry S. Truman decided to intervene and curb Soviet ambitions. The United Nations passed a U.S.-proposed resolution allowing American forces to join the war by the end of June.

The Chinese Communists were also in an alliance with North Korea, and the Soviet Union promised to help resolve the “Taiwan issue” after the Korean War. Thus the People’s Volunteer Army joined North Korea in October 1950, and Communist China temporarily set aside its planned invasion of Taiwan. 

At the same time, Western Enterprises Inc. and the U.S. Military Advisory Group both established offices in Taiwan. The R.O.C. Ministry of National Defense’s unit in charge of mainland affairs was tasked with liaison responsibilities and the collection of intelligence on Communist China for allied groups on the Korean Peninsula, while Western Enterprises provided insurgency weapons. 

According to the historic archives of the East China Sea Force, Western Enterprises stationed more than a dozen consultants on Matsu’s Xiju Island. The East China Sea Force built a new building for the American delegation, which was led by their chief advisor, as their office and lodgings in Qingfan Village. 

Built on the site of a military stronghold formerly known as“Shanhai House,” the building was equipped with comprehensive water, electricity, and sanitary facilities to process water from the mountains and the electricity supplied by generator units brought in by Western Enterprises. Amphibious aircrafts and speed boats were used to shuttle personnel back and forth between Taiwan and Xiju Island. Following the end of the Korean War, Western Enterprises also ended its Xiju operations. 

When the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty took effect in 1954, the U.S. Military Advisory Group sent personnel to the Matsu Islands to assist the Matsu Defense Command in combat training, logistics, and comprehensive defense. The American advisors also reported regularly on Matsu troops’ combat readiness to the army unit of the U.S. Military Advisory Group based in Taipei. During their stay in Taiwan, the commander and unit supervisors often carried out inspections in Matsu as well. 

As for the American troops stationed in Matsu, when they were off duty, they helped to organize a high school baseball team, screened Western movies to entertain soldiers and residents, and assisted with the construction of a baseball field to entertain American officers. 

U.S. military personnel were stationed in Matsu for over a decade, accompanying Matsu residents through long and arduous years. The quintessential image of American soldiers drinking Coke, eating beef jerky, chewing gum, and ambling down the street have left a deep impression on the Taiwanese public. 

Although historic records contain no emotions and former sites have since been stripped of their contents, it is still possible to replicate some touching memories from history. The Juguang Township Office is actively lobbying for the establishment of a museum on the joint history of the East China Sea Force and Western Enterprises. However, negotiations are still underway as land owners of Shanhai House have yet to reach an agreement. 

As for the former site of the U.S. Military Advisory Group in Matsu, it was briefly used as a restaurant by the Matsu electricity company before ownership was returned to the Ministry of National Defense. With the help of the Juguang Township Office and the Tieban Community Association, these two historic sites are expected to soon return to their former glory, represent local history, and promote tourism . 

5-2. Monuments and War Slogans 

5-2-1. Memorial Tower in Beigan

The collective of Matsu Islands was a military stronghold in Taiwan. Strict entry and exit controls were once imposed on the islands;only those serving in the army and military personnel were allowed to enter, and local residents could not easily travel to Taiwan proper. Even when soldiers were killed on duty, their family members could not go to Matsu to prepare their last rites. Thus, military authorities decided to construct a tower to commemorate those who died on the islands. 

Built in 1959 in Biyuan Park, the memorial tower is marked with two inscriptions by Matsu Defense Commander Gen. Tian Shu-zhang: “Forever Brave and Loyal” and “Long-lasting Righteousness.” The memorial tower was also inscribed with the name, age, rank, and deceased date of each soldier to commemorate their sacrifice.

In 1969, a Beigan defense commander turned Biyuan Park into a recreational area to boost morale. In addition to the Memorial Tower, there are small bridges and pavilions such as the Jingxin Pavilion and Mingchi Pavilion, which are inscribed with epithets such as “The meaning of life is to create a career, and the value of death is to serve the country.” 

Biyuan Park also contains three bridges – Dichen Bridge, Muchen Bridge, and Zhengchi Bridge. Visitors who wander into the former frontline stronghold will still be able to sense the strict military discipline that once ruled Matsu.  

5-2-2. Ten Martyrs Monument

During the Yellow Flower Mound Revolt against the Qing dynasty, otherwise known as the Second Guangzhou Uprising, only 72 out of close to a hundred killed revolutionaries were identified. Ten of the dead were from Lienchiang County, and the Ten Martyrs Monument was constructed in Matsu to commemorate their bravery. 

5-3. War Slogans

Wartime slogans embody the wisdom and contributions by soldiers and civilians alike, touching upon many poignant tales that evoke praise and tears. Such slogans have nourished the strength of the Matsu people, who in turn have helped make Matsu a strong military stronghold and a prosperous society. Efforts are being made to preserve these slogans so the history of Matsu will not be forgotten.