Sights of Nangan, Matsu Islands. (photo by Chuang Kung-ju)
photo by Chuang Kung-ju
Nangan is the political and economic center of the Matsu Islands. If you arrive by boat from Keelung across the Taiwan Strait, the first thing you see as you gently glide into Fu’ao Harbor is a ceremonial archway with four Chinese characters meaning “Fully prepared, waiting for battle.” When the garrison was at its height, tens of thousands of soldiers were stationed on Matsu, and the strongholds and artillery platforms built into the granite were the most forward positions defending peace in the Taiwan Strait.
The scenery in Matsu has undergone a clear change since the lifting of military administration. Soldiers have left their pillboxes and strongpoints, while bookstores and coffee shops have opened. One no longer sees platoons of soldiers running through the streets; they have been replaced by wave after wave of tourists. Matsu’s veil of mystery has been slowly lifted.
Nearly 40 years of preparation for war added many military installations to Matsu’s landscape. With the passage of time, these have become the most visible testaments to the islands’ history, and they constitute an important part of the record of the process of democratization in Taiwan.
