Kinmen 金門, Jinmen
A long-standing reminder of the Chinese Civil War, Kinmen is an offshore island located less than 2 kilometers away from the city of Xiamen in Fujian Province.
By Air:
The most convenient way to reach Kinmen is to fly domestic from Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA) in Taipei City. There are multiple flights daily as this is the most busy domestic route, and most flights are within the NT$1,150 to NT$1,950 range each way.
By Ferry from Taiwan:
Ferry services are operational between Keelung and Kinmen, however schedules and fares vary, and services may have been changed from Kinmen directly to Xiamen as relations between the ROC and PRC have improved. It is best to directly contact the operator, although flying is still recommended.
By Ferry to and from mainland China:
Ferry services between Kinmen and Fujian Province in mainland China are operational with multiple trips daily between both Kinmen and Xiamen and Kinmen and Quanzhou. At this time, only PRC and ROC nationals are allowed to travel along the Quanzhou route, while all nationalities are allowed to travel to Xiamen Dongdu (东渡) port. Please be sure to have a PRC (mainland China) visa in your passport before you travel (Singapore, Brunei, and Japan passport can travel to China visa free for 15 days). This route is known as Xiao Santong, and is a very affordable way to travel between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland.
Images for this article were sourced from the Taiwan Tourism Bureau.