Two special concerts were staged in an underground waterway in Kinmen yesterday to mark the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Kuningtou (古寧頭戰役), in which the Nationalist forces fought off invading People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to maintain control of the island.
The first-ever concerts on the waterway in the Zhaishan Tunnel (翟山坑道) featured performances by five musicians who wanted to convey their hopes for lasting peace in the Taiwan Strait and an end to war around the globe.
Cellist Chang Cheng-chieh (張正傑), soprano Lin Hui-chen (林惠珍), flutist Wu Chung-hsien (吳宗憲), violinist Chiang Chih-yi (姜智譯) and harpist Hung Chi-mei (洪綺鎂) either performed solo or presented famous classics together on a floating stage that moved around the A-shaped waterway.
Each of the two concerts drew an audience of about 250 people packed onto a walkway.
“I feel so lucky to be able to enjoy music in this special setting. I believe it is the first time in the world that a concert has taken place in such an underground tunnel,” one excited audience member said.
Chang, who performed on his 319-year-old Ruggieri cello, said he was amazed by the marvelous acoustics during the concerts, which he described as “much, much better” than he had expected.
“I have only one word —terrific — to portray today’s concerts,” Chang said, adding that he was determined to give another concert at the venue next year.
Yesterday’s repertoire focused on gentle, sentimental pieces, as Chang said he wanted to turn the Zhaishan Tunnel into a romantic, Venice-like heaven.
The Zhaishan Tunnel, which is about 100m long, 6m wide and 3.5m high is connected to the Taiwan Strait.
The Battle of Kuningtou took place from Oct. 25 to Oct. 27, 1949, when nearly 10,000 PLA troops in 200 ships invaded Kinmen. The invaders were routed, however, losing nearly 4,000 soldiers, with another 5,200 captured. The defeat brought a 10-year halt to Beijing’s attempts to take Kinmen, and consequently Taiwan, by force.
In 1958, Beijing began a protracted bombardment of Kinmen, but again failed to seize any part of the island.
With cross-strait relations improving, the number of Taiwanese troops stationed in Kinmen has been reduced and the island has gradually been transformed into a tourist stronghold, with Cold War-era sites becoming major attractions.
RSS