Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The development of Matsu began in the 1400s with the arrival of Fujianese mainlanders
escaping political turmoil in their homeland. The migrant waves of the 1600s from main-
land China to Taiwan saw an increase in Matsu's population as boatloads of Fujianese
fishermen arrived on the island. They brought with them the language, food, architecture
and religious beliefs of their ancestors, much of which is still around today.
Throughout the 1700s and 1800s piracy plagued the islands, causing residents at vari-
ous times to temporarily abandon their homes to seek shelter elsewhere. Matsu was
largely politically insignificant until the Nationalists fled to Taiwan in 1949 and estab-
lished Matsu, along with Kinmen, as a front-line defence against the communists. The
quiet islands were transformed into battlefields and the Mainland bombed Matsu inter-
mittently until the deployment of the US 7th Fleet in 1958 prevented any further escala-
tion.
Martial law was lifted from Matsu in 1992, a number of years after it was lifted over in
'mainland' Taiwan. In 2001, when the 'Three Small Links' policy was instituted, Matsu
(along with Kinmen) became an early stepping stone in cross-Strait travel, permitting
direct trade and travel between ROC- and PRC-controlled territories. Cross-Strait direct
flights were started in 2008, and the government is now set on transforming this military
zone into a major tourist destination.
In 2012 the residents of Matsu approved gambling on their island in a referendum, and
a draft bill governing casino operations was railroaded in 2013. However, few people be-
lieve that a casino is ever going to be built as the bad weather often shuts down transport,
making access to Matsu unreliable. The government has also said that the casinos will
not open until 2019 at the earliest. Many speculate that this was just a trial run for what
would be much more controversial referendums to introduce casinos to Kinmen and,
eventually, Penghu.
Dangers & Annoyances
Travellers in Matsu, especially Nangan, should be mindful of the fact that live-firing ex-
ercises are conducted regularly. Warning signs should be obeyed and straying too far off
marked roads is a bad idea.
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Nangan
The largest island in Matsu, Nangan (Nángān, Nankan) is a veritable hive of activity
compared with the rest of the archipelago. Nangan's biggest settlement is
Jieshou Vil-
