Matsu pins its future on preserving its past

Matsu, once a nightmare assignment for military conscripts, may soon become a tourist haven even though it lacks a key necessity of everyday life in Taiwan -- a chain convenience store.

No longer dominated by the stringent wartime atmosphere that prevailed even after the end of martial law and the withdrawal of most troops from the islands in 1992, Matsu is hoping to spark an economic revival through tourism.

The central government has long been accused of ignoring Matsu's development. Those complaints escalated after two fatal air crashes at the Peikan Airport, one in 1996 and the other in 1997.

The seaside airport had long been considered one of the country worst-designed airports. Mountains encircled it on three sides and two mountains narrowly flanked the lone runway. Both crashes occurred because the planes bumped into a mountain during taking off.

However, not only do the offending mountains no longer exist, there is now a second airport.

As part of the government's bid to boost tourism, the mountains were removed and a new runway was built at the Peikan Airport.

A second airport -- the Nankan Airport -- was opened this week and Premier Yu Shyi-kun has said the revamped facility is a sign of the government's efforts to improve the lives of Matsu's residents.

Both the government and travel agencies say the new airport on Matsu's largest island will help open a new chapter of economic development.

The islands that make up Matsu are scattered around the mouth of China's Min River. There are four main islands -- Nankan, Peikan, Tungyin and Chukuang.

Matsu and Kinmen are Taiwan's closest points to China. Martial law remained in force in both areas for 43 years, which also helped ensure that both were estranged from the main island of Taiwan.

However, that isolation also helped Matsu preserve many of its unique features -- its architecture, traditional cuisine, ecological sites and natural landscape.

Matsu is governed by the Liengjiang County Government of Fujian Province -- Taiwan's Fujian of course, not China's.

The dialect spoken by its people is closer to the dialects to be heard in Fujian in China and are nearly incomprehensible to other Taiwanese.

That linguistic link helps now that Matsu residents can travel directly to China. Following the implementation of the small three links, it only takes about 20 minutes to travel by boat to China. Matsu now imports 80 percent of its vegetables, fruits and groceries from China.

"The bond between residents in Matsu and Fujian [Province] is strong because many of them are relatives," said army Colonel Chen Chang-hua (陳長華), who is currently serving on Matsu.

"As many people in Matsu and Fujian are relatives, they are able to settle many matters which the government regards as tricky to handle," Chen said.

"There is no hostility between Matsu and China at all," he said.

According to Chen, one of the differences between Kinmen and Matsu is that most of the islands in Kinmen are flat, whereas most of Matsu is mountainous.

He said Matsu's mountainous terrain offer many advantages in defending the islands from a Chinese invasion.

But all those mountains make for some very curvy roads and Matsu's frontline position has forced authorities to adopt an unusual road-building technique.

"There are no straight roads in Matsu at all," a taxi driver said.