Taiwan’s Dadan Island Balances Tourism and Tension in the Taiwan Strait

A remote island opens its gates, steps from China

Four kilometers from the Chinese city of Xiamen, Taiwan’s Dadan Island sits on the edge of the Taiwan Strait with a history that still echoes in the wind. The rocky outcrop repelled a People’s Liberation Army attack in 1950. For decades it was a sealed military zone of tunnels, artillery positions and watch posts carved into granite. Today, Dadan is cautiously open to visitors. The island welcomes small, tightly managed tour groups that are geared mainly to Taiwan citizens. It is a controlled opening, more museum than resort, designed to present a story of resilience while avoiding steps that could heighten friction with Beijing.

Dadan’s symbolism is hard to miss. The island faces the Chinese coast with a 20 meter red slogan painted on a cliff, a relic of Cold War messaging that reads “Reunify China with the Three Principles of the People.” The phrase draws on the political philosophy of Sun Yat-sen, regarded as the founder of modern China, whose three principles are often translated as nationalism, democracy and people’s livelihood. For visitors, the slogan, the bunkers and the sea mist combine into a visceral lesson in the unresolved nature of cross strait politics.

Dadan first opened to tourists in 2019 after decades as a closed garrison. Pandemic restrictions halted visits, then the island fully reopened in 2024. Since then, around 25,000 people have come, mostly through guided trips arranged via Kinmen, the nearby island group administered by Taiwan that includes Dadan. The welcome remains careful, in part because Chinese coast guard ships regularly appear in the waters off Kinmen. Those patrols reflect a wider pattern of pressure around Taiwan’s outlying islands, even as Kinmen’s officials promote Dadan as a space to learn from history and to value peace.

Why Dadan matters in cross strait relations

Kinmen and Matsu, both administered by Taiwan, are only a short boat ride from China’s Fujian coast. After the Chinese civil war ended in 1949, the Republic of China government kept hold of these near shore islands even as it retreated to Taipei. Kinmen endured repeated bombardment during the Cold War. Direct shelling ended in 1979, and martial law on the islands lasted until 1992. Geography, memory and politics combine here in a way that is unique in East Asia.

Dadan is tiny, but it sits at a strategic choke point. The island’s tunnels and underground bunkers speak to an era when artillery duels and nighttime infiltration were real possibilities. The 1950 battle, in which Taiwanese defenders pushed back the People’s Liberation Army, is part of the local narrative of endurance. From the beaches and cliffs, the towers of Xiamen are in view. That proximity is constant, and it shapes daily life, security planning and tourism policy.

In recent years, Beijing has used coast guard patrols and other quasi law enforcement activity to normalize a presence around Kinmen. This playbook fits a wider pattern described by defense analysts as a short of war coercion campaign. The aim is to apply constant pressure that avoids a direct military clash. The mix can include repeated maritime incursions, selective detentions of fishing boats, legal claims that deny Taiwan’s jurisdiction in surrounding waters, and messaging operations that cast these moves as routine law enforcement. The approach seeks to erode confidence in Taiwan’s ability to protect its islands without triggering a crisis.

For Taipei, holding Kinmen and nearby islets, including Dadan, is about more than lines on a map. The islands are visible proof of Taiwan’s administration extending to the Fujian shore, and their loss would reverberate through Taiwanese society. That is one reason the government backs cautious tourism. Visits help demystify a place that has long been associated with military risk. They also support Kinmen’s local economy while reinforcing a narrative of peace that stands in contrast to coercive pressure from the other side of the strait.

What visitors can see on Dadan

Trips to Dadan are structured and brief. Visitors typically depart from Kinmen on a boat operated under official oversight, then follow a set route with guides and clear rules. Facilities are basic. The island’s draw is the raw landscape and a chance to walk through living history. Paths lead past restored guard posts and observation points. Corridors cut into rock connect gun positions. Signs explain both the military purpose and the human reality of garrison life on an isolated island.

The most photographed sight is the red slogan facing Xiamen. Nearby, visitors can look back across the water to see China’s coastline. On clear days the view underscores how compressed this space is. Beaches are off limits for swimming but open for photography at designated points, and the tour track keeps people on safe ground. It is not a beach holiday. The value lies in context and the tangible evidence of endurance on a frontier that still matters.

What does the Three Principles slogan mean today

The slogan dates to an era when both governments claimed to represent all of China. Its presence on Dadan functions as a historical artifact. Guides use it to explain why propaganda once mattered as much as artillery in the strait. Tour planners now frame the site within a peace message. The focus is on remembering hardship, avoiding conflict and passing down an appreciation for what armed standoffs cost. That change in tone reflects Taiwan’s broader shift from martial law to democracy, without erasing the past that made these islands what they are.

Tourism meets tactics, managing risk on the water and in the air

The opening of Dadan has unfolded against a background of persistent pressure. Chinese coast guard vessels have increased their activity near Kinmen since early 2024. Their presence tests Taiwan’s responses, blurs lines between civilian and military spheres and complicates routine operations like ferry routes and patrols. Analysts describe these moves as part of grey zone tactics, actions that fall below the threshold of open conflict while still creating strategic effects.

Airspace has also become a point of friction. New flight routes established near Kinmen and Matsu were announced by China without coordination with Taipei, according to Taiwan’s aviation authorities. Taiwanese officials argue that routes so close to the islands shorten their response time and increase risks for civilian flights serving Kinmen’s airport. The expected opening of a new international airport in Xiamen, a few kilometers from Kinmen, adds to those concerns. The fear is that routes, radar coverage and airport operations could combine to squeeze Taiwan’s options in a crisis.

Infrastructure projects feed into this landscape. Beijing has promoted a bridge from Xiamen to Kinmen and has discussed deeper economic integration with the islands in official plans. Taipei has not approved a bridge and warns that such projects could chip away at practical control, especially if they are framed as humanitarian or economic conveniences. For Kinmen’s residents, the pull is complicated. Many have relatives and business ties across the water, and since 2001 regular ferry links have made day to day travel possible. Those ties help local prosperity, yet they can also be leveraged to increase political and administrative pressure on Taipei’s authority over the islands.

Within this mix, Dadan’s tours proceed with caution. Schedules can shift with weather, sea conditions and security updates. The decision to emphasize education and controlled access is intentional. It avoids large crowds while maintaining a consistent presence on the island under Taiwanese administration. The hope in Kinmen is that steady, sober tourism can anchor the island’s identity as a place that remembers conflict and prefers quiet seas.

Media spotlight and a national debate

Dadan reentered popular culture in 2025 through Zero Day Attack, a Taiwanese television drama that imagines the early days of a Chinese military move against Taiwan. The show places scenes on Dadan, including landings and skirmishes, and uses the island as a stage for exploring how civilians, soldiers and officials might react. The series drew strong reactions because it sits at the intersection of art, policy and public messaging.

Showrunner Cheng Hsin-mei has described the program as a warning about modern tactics used against Taiwan, including disinformation and pressure below the level of open war. Cheng says the team consulted defense experts for plausible scenarios and sought to portray how society copes under strain, not to demonize ordinary people across the strait.

Cheng Hsin-mei, the showrunner of Zero Day Attack, said the series is a warning about China’s increasing use of disinformation and grey zone warfare.

Opposition politicians criticized the show’s tone. Wang Hung-wei, a lawmaker known for challenging the ruling party’s approach to cross strait issues, accused the series of spreading fear for political goals. He used a phrase that has entered Taiwanese slang to describe the tactic of stoking anxiety.

Opposition lawmaker Wang Hung-wei called the program “selling dried mangoes,” a pun in Mandarin that refers to manufacturing fear.

President Lai Ching-te has tried to keep the focus on Taiwan’s existing status and its need for defense without provocation. Lai has said Taiwan does not need to declare formal independence because it is already a sovereign state with its own government, military and democracy.

President Lai Ching-te said “Taiwan is already sovereign and does not need to declare independence.”

For Kinmen’s authorities, the media debate adds fresh attention to Dadan’s reopening. The island’s planners promote a message that emphasizes hardship remembered, communities protected and peace preserved. That theme aims to keep tourism and security aligned rather than at odds.

Planning a visit without losing the thread of history

Travel to Dadan runs through Kinmen under county and central government oversight. Reservations are required, and tour operators follow fixed routes and time windows to limit environmental impact and maintain safety. Visitors should expect modest infrastructure. Bring water, sun protection and sturdy shoes. There are no resorts, and access to certain areas can change with tides, weather or security conditions.

Etiquette matters on a site where people once lived under strict discipline. Stay on marked paths. Do not remove objects or stray into closed structures. Follow photography guidelines, since some installations retain security value. Let guides set the pace, and use on site explanations to understand how the island’s defenses were organized. The goal is to balance curiosity with respect for a place still tied to national defense planning.

Flexibility is part of the experience. Boat departures can be delayed or canceled if seas are rough, visibility is poor or authorities deem a change prudent. Tour managers aim to communicate updates promptly. Patience helps, and most visitors find that the unique setting and lessons in recent history are worth the extra effort required to reach the island.

What Dadan says about Taiwan’s front line islands

Kinmen and Matsu occupy a distinctive space. They are living communities that carry the weight of history and continue to sit inside China’s coastal economic orbit. They welcome tourists for their heritage sites and local culture, while serving as forward positions in Taiwan’s security architecture. That dual identity creates both opportunity and risk. It encourages human connection across the water, and it demands constant attention to safety and sovereignty.

Dadan’s reopening fits a deliberate pattern. Taiwan is using carefully managed tourism to tell a story about peace grounded in hard experience. The approach does not solve the strategic dilemmas around the strait. It does give visitors a clear sense of what conflict looks like at close range and why quiet days are worth protecting. On a clear afternoon, as ferries cross to and from Kinmen and the skyline of Xiamen sharpens on the horizon, Dadan shows how proximity can be both a challenge and a teacher.

Key Points

• Dadan Island, part of Taiwan’s Kinmen group, sits about 4 km from China’s Xiamen and repelled a People’s Liberation Army assault in 1950.
• The island opened for controlled tourism in 2019, paused during the pandemic, then fully reopened in 2024, drawing about 25,000 visitors.
• Tours are tightly managed, geared mainly to Taiwan citizens, and focus on history, peace and restraint rather than leisure.
• Landmarks include underground bunkers and a 20 meter cliff slogan citing Sun Yat-sen’s Three Principles of the People.
• Chinese coast guard patrols around Kinmen have increased since early 2024, part of grey zone pressure below the threshold of open conflict.
• Airspace and infrastructure add tension, with new routes near Kinmen and Matsu, a new Xiamen airport close by, and Beijing promoting a bridge to Kinmen.
• Kinmen has deep ties to nearby Chinese cities, with regular ferries since 2001, which support the local economy while creating political sensitivities.
• A Taiwanese TV drama, Zero Day Attack, used Dadan as a setting and sparked debate about public messaging on the China threat.
• Officials in Kinmen frame Dadan’s opening as a peace message that preserves history and deters conflict through awareness.
• Visits remain subject to weather and security conditions, with simple facilities and guided routes that prioritize safety and conservation.