Kinmen National Park is the first national park dedicated to maintaining historical and cultural assets and war history and memorials while preserving nature and providing recreation and research.

There are traces of human habitation dating back 5,000-6,000 years, as evidenced from excavations of gravesites at Fuguodun, Jinguei Hill(金龜山) and Pubien, etc. From historical records people began coming here from China's central plains over 1600 years ago to escape war and disasters and to clear the land for cultivation. This long history, combined with strong local interest in culture, has created a rich cultural heritage. Most of the early inhabitants came from the Zhangzhou and Quanzhou areas of Fujian Province. The architectural style of the dwellings and local customs follow in the old traditions. Forty years of military control have slowed the pace of Kinmen's urbanization, enabling its historical heritage to be preserved.

Thus, it can be said that Kinmen National Park possesses a rich culture and history, expressed in historical sites and traditional architecture. Inside the park are 11 registered historical monuments. Traditional villages and architecture are the richest cultural assets of Kinmen National Park. The seven representative traditional settlements of Oucuo, Jhushan, Shueitou, Cyonglin, Shanhou, Nanshan and Beishan have mostly retained their southern Fujian architecture in the Zhangzhou and Quanzhou styles. Among such buildings, the materials, decorations and layout reveal the local style and artistic vitality. In addition, there are many so-called “Western-style” houses, which are the combination of Western and Chinese architecture. These houses, built by local merchants who traded overseas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, add to the diversity of Kinmen's architecture.

Architecture

For more than 40 years, due to reasons of military security, construction has been forbidden within 500 meters of the coast. In addition, buildings cannot be more than 3 stories in height. Urbanization has been slow, thus most of the traditional architecture has been preserved, creating a unique cultural landscape.

Most of Kinmen's traditional civilian residences are in the Quanzhou or Zhangzhou style brought over from Fujian Province. Some were built with Western-style architecture introduced by the early merchants, and some were built with a mixture of styles. Residents of Kinmen placed great importance on ancestral shrines. Most of Kinmen's traditional settlements were built radiating out from a centrally located ancestral shrine. In addition, each settlement has numerous “spirit lion” statues to scare away evil spirits. And, these statues have become unique landmarks. Below is an introduction to the traditional settlements located within Kinmen National Park.

If you want to know more information about Kinmen National Park, please click HERE http://www.kmnp.gov.tw/english/main.htm

Derived and adopted from Tourism Bureau Taiwan