For several decades, the two islets just a few kilometers off China’s southeastern coastline were the “frontline of the front line” of Taiwan’s defenses. Even now, only military personnel live on Dadan (大膽) and Erdan (二膽), both part of Kinmen County .
However, the longstanding mists blocking these islets from civilians are now receding. Administration of the islets — with an area of 0.79km2 and 0.28km2 respectively — has been transferred from the military to the Kinmen County Government to prepare for their opening to the public next summer.
The Republic of China (ROC) military’s presence on Dadan and Erdan dates back to 1949, when the government relocated to Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War.
The military forces on the islands continued for years to fight artillery battles against the communist army, which wanted to take Taiwan and its islands, starting with Kinmen.
Located just over 4km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, Dadan and Erdan are three times closer to China than they are to the main island of Kinmen.
One of the fiercest battles the islets saw occurred on July 26, 1950, when communist forces fired a volley of shells before landing troops on the beaches.
Faced with a 700-man strong invasion force, 298 ROC soldiers and officers on Dadan fought for more than 10 bloody hours to emerge victorious the next day. About 200 communist soldiers were captured.
The 39 ROC soldiers posted on neighboring Erdan also defended the islet from incoming Chinese forces. Their success in securing the islands illustrated their importance in defending the nation.
For many years, they continued to bear the brunt of the exchanges of fire across the Taiwan Strait, including the Aug. 23 Artillery Battle of 1958, when more than 100,000 shells fired from China crashed into the tiny islets.
For decades, communist forces kept firing in sporadic attacks, but China had given up its attempts to launch amphibious assaults after the 1950 defeat.
“[Dadan] is the front line of the front line,” which plays an important role in the defense of Taiwan because of its strategic location, Dadan garrison head Lieutenant Colonel Lin Chia-ju said.
Erdan, a few hundred meters to the southwest, also played a big role despite its small size.
One of the most fascinating military relics on Dadan are giant Chinese characters that show the ROC’s goal at the time: “Unite China under the three principles of the people.”
The three principles — nationality, democracy and people’s welfare — refer to the political philosophy of the republic’s founding father, Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙).
The red letters mounted on a white wall were designed in 1986 as psychological warfare advocating unification under a system of democracy and market economy. A few kilometers across the water in Xiamen, it is faced with a counter-offer: “Unite China under ‘One Country, Two Systems,’” the framework suggested by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平).
It is not all political, though. One unique sight on Dadan is the “gods’ spring” (shen quan jing), where legend has it that Ming Dynasty loyalist Cheng Cheng-kung (鄭成功), also known as Koxinga, thrust his sword into a small pool that miraculously widened to provide enough freshwater to quench his soldiers’ thirst.
Starting in July next year, Dadan is to be opened to research and education groups and retired military personnel who previously served on either of the two islets.
In the initial stage, only ROC nationals will be allowed on the islets, but the county government is set to review the possibility of opening to tourists in July 2017.
Despite their history, future visitors to Dadan and Erdan will find the military presence has been greatly reduced, down to about 100 soldiers since the islets were handed over to civilian management. Police and coast guard officers are set to join them to ensure safety and security.
The military holds a largely positive view of the changes.
“This will help promote all-out defense education,” Lin said.
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