Kinmen City Introduction
The history of Kinmen dates back to the first year of Jianwu in the Jin Dynasty (317 AD). During the Ming Dynasty, to resist pirate invasions and protect the residents living there, the "Qianhusuocheng" (Thousand Households Fort) was built. During the Ming-Zheng resistance against the Qing, Kinmen City was a major stronghold. In the 19th year of the Kangxi era (1680 AD), General Chen Long moved the general headquarters to Houpu, leading to the gradual decline of Kinmen City. Kinmen City has four gates—East, South, West, and North. There is an old saying: "Want to engage in agriculture, go east; want to get rich, go west; want to prosper, go south; want to be an official, go north," implying that the east leads to the populous ancient Gang, the west to the commercial water head, the south to the prosperous port for trade, and the north to the Yan Nan Mountain, where Yan Nan Academy is located for gaining fame and official title. Today, new gate towers have been built in each corner of Kinmen City, each with different styles. The South Gate is also the entrance to the Kinmen Distillery, while the rustic stone-paved street beside the North Gate is the famous Ming Yi Old Street, both of which are quite worth a visit. More about Ming Yi Old Street.
