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Wind Rooster
Like Kinmen, Lieyu was constantly hit by strong winds, thus villagers in Lieyu place roosters made of clay in their village entrances and on rooftops. The roosters painted in white are also called the “White Rooster” or “Wind Rooster” which are believed to be able to suppress winds and ants and keep households safe.
North Wind God
The statue of the North Wind God is located on the road between the west-side community and Houchai Village in Lieyu. This black-faced statue with a sacred tower in its hand was raised for the purpose of suppressing the strong north wind, much like the Wind Rooster.
Coastal Sceneries
Islands of Little Kinmen are composed of granite gneiss, and most of the flat land is covered with red soil. Granite gneiss corroded by seawater and the golden sand beaches throughout Little Kinmen form extraordinary sceneries.
Lieyu Tourist Center
The building in military camouflage you see before entering the Jiugong Tunnel is the Lieyu Tourist Center.
The Tourist Center provides local information on ecology, geology, Fuchien buildings, culture, and history, as well as concise descriptions in texts and pictures.
Jiugong Dock
Jiugong Dock is an important port that connects Kinmen and Little Kinmen and the only hub that connects the island with the outside world. Built in 1974 and expanded in 1986, the dock has been extended by 40.5 meters and is 7 meters wide. This protruding dock has one landing stage that allows ships to dock.
It only takes 15 minutes to get from Shuitou Dock to Jiugong Dock in Little Kinmen via ferry, and along the way you can enjoy the sceneries of both islands. Leaving Jiugong Dock, you can see a white rooster on the right – the “Wind Rooster” that watches over Little Kinmen, and beautiful beaches and rocky coastlines on the other.
Jiugong Tunnel
Jiugong Tunnel is located southeast of Lieyu and between Luotsu and Jiugong. The twin-T shaped tunnel is 790 meters in length, 11.5 meters in height, and 15 meters in width. Larger than Di-shan Tunnel, this is the largest underground tunnel in Kinmen.
It is amazing to think such a grand tunnel can be dug out of hard granite. Realizing the importance of defensive structures after the 823 Cannon War in 1958, the National Defense dug a number of tunnels out from Kinmen’s hard granite, and Jiugong Tunnel is the most critical strategic location and base for the marines. It allows small boats to dock and protects cargos and personnel from artillery shells.
Victory Gate
Located by an intersection in Hu-hsia Village in Little Kinmen, this white arch was a monument of the 823 Cannon War in memory of the men-in-arms who defended Kinmen against more than 227,000 artillery shells.
Donglin Seaside Park
Donglin Seaside Park is located on the coastline southeast of Donglin Village and south of Dongtsu Wharf. Just walk through Jiugong Tunnel along Luotsu Wharf and the coastline and you will arrive in this park.
Kinmen has opened up as it is now free from military duties. Life is no longer about gathering food, and the seashores are no longer just a defense line or workplace of oyster farmers. Therefore, Donglin Seaside Park has been established where people can relax in this area where no large or dedicated recreational facilities have been established before.
Yangshan Park
Located south of Lieyu and north of Nan-tang Village, this Park is on a 69m tall hill and has a trail that leads to the top where the a calligraphy engraving in placed by the military in order to keep up the morale of the soldiers and people. There is also an elegant pavilion placed to celebrate Chiang’s 80th birthday. To the left is a vivid statue of Chiang Ching-Kuo, showing his trademark smile. The mountain top is a very relaxing place and is great for the whole family. There is a camping side in the foothill where people can camp and have barbeque.
Bada Tower
Bada Tower is situated by Hsi-chai Community in Lieyu. In 1933, the Japanese military raided KMT army in the Great Wall; acting as decoy, a platoon of KMT soldiers stayed behind in Bada Tower in order to cover their comrades. Although the mission was successful, all seven warriors were killed in action. In their memory, a tower that resembles Bada Tower was raised in front of Hsi-chai Community in 1966 with the statues of the seven heroes. The meters-tall Tower has the red letters of “Ancient North Intersection” written on the main gate, and a stairway inside the tower leads to the top. The statues of the seven warriors show the fighting spirit of Lieyu.
Hujingtou Lieyu War History Museum
Hujingtou is northwest of Lieyu, and this village used to be a base for psychological warfare against China. In order to safe-keep the wartime history and show the bravery of Kinmen, the Museum was established during the term of Po-tsun Hao.
The Museum stores material of past major battles such as Da-er-dan, 93, and 823. The history of men and women in Lieyu stood up against the enemy is preserved here in texts and pictures, along with the material on 823 Cannon War engraved on the walls of the Museum. The design of the Museum expresses the tough, fighting spirit as well as Lieyu’s tenacity.
Baosheng God Temple
Located on the Fushan Hill between Shangku and Nantang, this Temple houses the gods that were scattered around during the upheavals caused by Japanese pirates during the Ming Dynasty; the deities were worshipped in turns from every December 18th ~ 20th. Afterwards, the villagers worked together to raise funds and rebuilt the Temple in today’s location. Located from east to west, the building has a north and south section. The main temple is 19m tall; the frontal temple is 17m tall and 29.5m deep. The east and west wings are symmetrical and extremely magnificent and ornate. The vivid statue of Baosheng god is housed here, making the Temple not only the largest in Lieyu but also in the entire county. This place of religious and recreational qualities is a perfect place for followers and tourists.
Residence of Scholar Wu
The largest ancient house in Lieyu is the Residence of Scholar Wu in Shangku Village. Where scholar Wen-chang Wu (near the end of the Ching Dynasty) used to live in, this broad and magnificent building has statues of two guardian dragons and is encircled by external walls. Established in the Ching Dynasty, this building is about 160 years old.
Guosing Well
Legend has it that when Cheng-gung Cheng arrived in Taiwan, near Hujingtou, his men could not find a source of water. Cheng pointed his sword at today’s Guosing Well and ordered his men to dig, and water was found. The well was named “Guosing Well” (also known as “the Sword Well”) with calligraphy engravings written by Yu-ren Yu.
Lingshui Lake
Located southwest of Little Kinmen, Lingshui Lake extends from Yangtsu and Shangku Village from the east to Guishan area in the west, villages in Chingchi in the south, and Chung-dun beach in Shanglin in north. The lake is about 1km long, 1.5 km wide and 386 hectares large. Originally a lowland, it was excavated into a clear-water lake by the national forces in 1963 due to the flooding.
Lingshui Lake reinforces our national defense as well as facilitating agriculture and irrigation, and its beautiful sceneries make it a perfect scenic spot. From here, you can also look at Binlang Island, Gulang Island, and Baishipao in China. With its sceneries and clear water, it is also called the Little West Lake.
Lingshui Lake becomes very lively from November to the following March as it is filled with migratory birds such as Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Falcated Teal, Common Cormorants and Black Coots. Local bird species include Common Moorhen, White-breasted Waterhen, and Little Greb. Coastal mud beaches are home to snipe birds. With so many bird species, this place is a popular destination for birdwatchers.
Temple of Chaste Maiden
Among all the temples in Little Kinmen, the most popular one is the Temple of Chaste Maiden. Also known as the Temple of the Fairy, this temple is located on the southwest shoreline of Little Kinmen. Legend has it that the Fairy has shown herself and responded to her followers many times, making this place a popular tourist attraction.
The Temple is located in Guishan in Chingchi Village. Originally named the Shrine of Chaste, it was renamed to “Temple of Chaste Maiden” after rebuilt. The Temple worships Yu-lan Wang, a woman in Xiamen who, despite all her efforts to fight back, was found naked and dead in the sea after being assaulted by assailants when she was picking oysters in the afternoon of 1954/6/9. Her body was drifted to the shore of Guishan the next day and was found and properly buried by a soldier named Liu of the KMT army. Wang told Liu what happened to her in his dream, and the story was told to the villagers. The villagers gathered together to raise a shrine for Wang in 1956 and worshipped her as a deity. The beautiful Temple is not only a place of faith but also a popular tourist attraction.
Temple of Shanglin General
The Temple of General is located in Gaotsu of Shanglin Village. Constructed in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, it was last renovated in December of 1981. On July 13th of 1983, the birthday of General Li was celebrated here. The Temple houses General Li and few other deities. Legend has it that General Li was a warrior in the Yuan Dynasty and was a gentle, kind man who was both a scholar and a fighter. To thank him for getting rid of the pirates, the temple was raised in his honor.
Since Shanglin Beach is close to Xiamen and the flat terrain makes it prone to invasions, many defensive rails have been constructed here. Today, they have been removed as Kinmen is relieved of its military duties, but they are still popular tourist attractions. On the curvy, golden sand beach, the defensive rails can be seen between the tides, attracting many tourists.
General’s Fort
The General’s Fort was constructed as ordered by Ching-kuo Chiang as he and General Yuan-fen Ke visited Lieyu’s soldiers on 1958/10/21. This fort served as the place where Major General Po-tsun Hao consults his men and was a critical spot during the 823 Cannon War. After it was renovated in 1980, it was officially named the “General’s Fort,” which was later opened to public in 2004. This small military museum displays the weapons and photos of past warfare, and lets visitors experience how solders stayed vigilant in the tiny space.
Fort of the Brave
The Fort of the Brave (48 Highland) is located on the northeast hill of Lieyu. Taking up 14978 square meters, the fort has underground and surface sections. The surface section has batteries, Zhongshan Room, and living quarters; the underground section has 8 machine gun bunkers, one tank bunker, four ammunition depots, living quarters, and a fire-fighting water reservoir. There is also a 350m long, underground trench that joints all facilities, and it has five openings that lead to the ground.
Fort of the Iron Men
The Fort of the Iron Men is located on the northwest hill of Lieyu. The 4500 square meter facility has underground and surface sections. The surface section has batteries, Zhongshan Room, and ammunition depots. The underground section has five machine gun bunkers, one 75 artillery bunker, two living quarters, 2 ammunition depots, and a fire-fighting water reservoir. There is a 115m long underground trench that joints all facilities, and it has three openings that lead to the ground.
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