Jinmen City Introduction
The history of Kinmen can be traced back to the first year of Jianwu in the Jin Dynasty (317 AD). During the Ming Dynasty, the "Qianhuo City" was built to deter pirate invasions and protect the residents living there at that time. During the Ming-Zheng resistance against the Qing Dynasty, Kinmen City was a major stronghold. In the 19th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign (1680 AD), the governor Chen Long moved the provincial office to Houpu, leading to the gradual decline of Kinmen City. Kinmen City has four city gates: southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest. Since ancient times, there has been a saying, "To the east, one can find the prosperous Gugang; to the west, merchants gather in Shuitou to make money; to the south, there's the flourishing commercial port; and to the north, one can go to Yan-Nan Mountain and Yan-Nan Academy to seek fame and an official career!" Nowadays, new gate towers have been built at the four corners of Kinmen City, each with a unique design. Among them, the South Gate also serves as the entrance to the Kinmen Distillery, while the quaint stone-paved street next to the North Gate is the famous Mingyi Old Street, which is well worth a visit. Learn more about Mingyi Old Street.
