An exhibition center in Kinmen that tells the story of how tens of thousands of land mines were cleared from the island group will soon be open to the public.
Kinmen National Park, which manages the facility — completed earlier this year — yesterday said it is still discussing with the Kinmen County Government and the Kinmen Defense Command when the center will be inaugurated.
The center features a video room showing a short film chronicling the military’s efforts to remove land mines on the outlying archipelago.
It also displays many historic photographs and documents aimed at giving visitors a deeper insight into the demining process. Protective gear, equipment and devices used to detect and remove mines are also exhibited.
A mock removal crew — dressed in such staff’s trademark orange uniforms and wearing protective gear — are stationed outside the center to show visitors step-by-step how the delicate procedure of removing mines is carried out.
Located within a military base on the main island of Kinmen, the center was unveiled in late March to commemorate the Kinmen Army Demining Division’s removal of the land mines planted decades ago to thwart a potential Chinese invasion.
Because the center is on a military base, only Taiwanese will be allowed entry. Visitors will be required to file an application with the county government a week in advance to gain admission, the park administration said.
After what was the military’s largest-ever demining operation came to a close, the division established in 2007 was disbanded on April 1.
However, about two dozen professional deminers remain in Kinmen as part of a new Demining Platoon to deal with any future discoveries of unexploded ordnance.
The mines are considered an integral part of the history of Kinmen, considered the nation’s front line of defense against Chinese aggression throughout the second half of the 20th century due to its proximity to China’s Fujian Province.
The military planted extensive minefields along the coast of Kinmen and Matsu in the 1950s and 1960s, when tensions with China were at a highpoint.
About 95,800 land mines and unexploded ordnance have been removed from Kinmen over the past several years.
The opening of the center follows a similar park located on the islet of Lieyu (烈嶼), also known as Little Kinmen.
Managed by the Lieyu Township Office, the park includes a tunnel that features inactive mines and warning signs from various countries, including Cambodia, to inform visitors of the area’s dangerous past.
However, unlike the new exhibition hall, there are no restrictions on who can visit the site.
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