Taiwan's Dadan Island Opens to Visitors as Pressure Builds Across the Strait

Four kilometers from Xiamen, a former garrison welcomes visitors

About 25,000 people have visited Taiwan's Dadan Island since its full reopening in 2024, walking through former military positions just four kilometers from the Chinese city of Xiamen. The small, rocky island repelled a People's Liberation Army assault in 1950. Today, its tunnels, artillery positions and watch posts form the setting for tightly controlled tours that combine military history with a message about preserving peace.

Dadan belongs to Kinmen, the island group administered by Taiwan near China's Fujian coast. For decades, it was a sealed military zone, with defenses carved into granite. Its opening to visitors has changed who can enter, while leaving security central to how the island operates. Small groups, geared mainly toward Taiwan citizens, follow guided routes rather than exploring freely.

A red slogan stretching 20 meters across a cliff faces Xiamen: "Reunify China with the Three Principles of the People." The words, together with the bunkers and the view across the water, make the unresolved politics of the Taiwan Strait visible in a compact space. On clear days, visitors can see the towers of Xiamen from an island still tied to Taiwan's defense planning.

As of October 23, 2025, Dadan's tourism effort is unfolding alongside regular appearances by Chinese coast guard vessels in waters off Kinmen. Local officials present the island as a place to learn from hardship and value peace, while keeping access cautious enough to avoid steps that could increase friction with Beijing.

The experience is closer to visiting a military history museum than a resort. Dadan offers raw scenery and physical traces of garrison life, with basic facilities and rules shaped by its location. Its opening supports Kinmen's tourism economy while bringing civilians into a place long associated with the possibility of conflict.

How a battlefield became a place to visit

Dadan's modern story sits within the history of Taiwan's islands near the Chinese mainland. After the Chinese civil war ended in 1949, the Republic of China government retreated to Taipei but retained Kinmen and Matsu. Both island groups remain administered by Taiwan and lie only a short boat ride from Fujian.

Kinmen endured repeated bombardment during the Cold War. Direct shelling ended in 1979, but martial law on the islands continued until 1992. For residents, the transition from military restrictions to civilian life took place over decades, leaving defenses and memories that now form part of the area's tourism appeal.

Dadan's defenders pushed back the People's Liberation Army in 1950, a battle that remains central to the local account of endurance. Its underground bunkers and tunnels recall a period when artillery duels and infiltration at night were practical concerns. The island is tiny, yet its position at a strategic choke point gave it importance beyond its size.

Dadan first admitted tourists in 2019. Pandemic restrictions interrupted that opening, and the island fully reopened in 2024. Most of the roughly 25,000 visitors since then have arrived on guided trips arranged through Kinmen. The sequence shows how recent, and how carefully managed, civilian access remains.

• 1949: The Republic of China government retained Kinmen and Matsu as it retreated to Taipei after the Chinese civil war.
• 1950: Dadan's defenders repelled a People's Liberation Army assault.
• 1979: Direct shelling of Kinmen ended.
• 1992: Martial law on the islands ended.
• 2019: Dadan opened to tourists, before pandemic restrictions halted visits.
• 2024: Dadan fully reopened, while Chinese coast guard activity near Kinmen increased from early in the year.
• 2025: The television drama Zero Day Attack brought fresh attention to Dadan.

What the slogan facing China means

Dadan's cliff slogan comes from an era when both governments claimed to represent all of China. Its reference to the Three Principles of the People draws on the political philosophy of Sun Yat-sen, regarded as the founder of modern China. The principles are commonly translated as nationalism, democracy and people's livelihood.

The slogan remains one of the island's most photographed landmarks. Its position facing Xiamen recalls how political messages accompanied military defenses across the strait. Guides use it to explain a time when propaganda mattered alongside artillery, with each side seeking to persuade as well as defend.

Tour planners now place that message within a different account of the island's purpose. The focus is on remembering hardship, avoiding conflict and helping younger generations understand the cost of armed standoffs. The slogan is presented as a historical artifact within a tour centered on peace.

Taiwan's movement from martial law to democracy helps explain that change in tone. Dadan's defenses and political messages remain in place, while their presentation to visitors reflects a society that has changed since they were built. Remembering the past and protecting quiet seas are the themes Kinmen's authorities want visitors to take away.

What visitors encounter on the island

Visitors usually leave Kinmen on a boat operated under official oversight, then follow a fixed route with guides and clear rules. Trips are structured and brief. Dadan's appeal lies in its landscape and the chance to see military history at close range, rather than in extensive tourist facilities.

Paths pass restored guard posts and observation points. Corridors cut through rock connect gun positions, giving visitors a physical sense of how the island's defenses worked. Signs explain the military purpose of the installations and the human experience of living in an isolated garrison.

The view toward Xiamen is part of the experience. China's coastline and, in clear weather, its towers are visible from Dadan's beaches and cliffs. The short distance across the water makes geography an immediate part of the visit, rather than a detail on a map. It also helps explain why security planning and tourism policy remain closely connected.

Beaches are closed to swimming, although photography is allowed at designated points. The marked tour route keeps visitors on safe ground. Some installations retain security value, so photography rules and restrictions on access remain part of the visit.

Dadan has no resorts, and facilities are modest. Tourists come to inspect bunkers, follow passages and understand how people lived on a frontier island. The setting offers a tangible account of endurance in a place that continues to matter to Taiwan's administration and defense.

Why coast guard patrols complicate the opening

Chinese coast guard vessels have increased their activity near Kinmen since early 2024. Their presence adds pressure to Taiwan's responses and makes routine operations, including ferry routes and patrols, more complicated. Around Dadan, the opening to tourists takes place within that wider maritime setting.

Beijing's use of coast guard patrols and other activity presented as law enforcement seeks to make a Chinese presence around Kinmen more routine. Defense analysts describe this broader pattern as coercion below the threshold of war. It applies persistent pressure while avoiding a direct military clash.

The term "grey zone" describes actions between ordinary peacetime activity and open conflict. Around Taiwan's outlying islands, the wider pattern can include repeated maritime incursions, selective detention of fishing boats, claims denying Taiwan's jurisdiction over nearby waters, and messages presenting those actions as routine law enforcement.

The pressure works partly by blurring civilian and military roles. A coast guard ship may be presented as enforcing rules while its presence also tests another government's control of the area. Repeated activity can seek to weaken confidence in Taiwan's ability to protect its islands without provoking an immediate crisis.

For Taipei, retaining Kinmen and nearby islets such as Dadan carries political weight as well as military value. They are visible examples of Taiwan's administration extending to the Fujian shore. Losing them would have consequences across Taiwanese society, which helps explain the government's support for a cautious civilian presence.

Managed visits serve several purposes at once. They help make a formerly closed military place more familiar, support Kinmen's economy and reinforce a message of peace. Small groups and controlled access also maintain a steady presence under Taiwanese administration without turning the island into a destination for large crowds.

Air routes and a nearby airport add another concern

Taiwan's aviation authorities say China announced new flight routes near Kinmen and Matsu without coordinating with Taipei. Taiwanese officials argue that routes so close to the islands reduce the time available to respond and increase risks for civilian aircraft serving Kinmen's airport.

The expected opening of a new international airport in Xiamen, only a few kilometers from Kinmen, adds to those concerns. Taiwanese officials worry that flight routes, radar coverage and airport operations could together narrow Taiwan's options during a crisis. No opening date for the airport was given.

For travelers, the issue reaches beyond military aircraft. Kinmen depends on civilian flights, and routes close to its airspace affect the setting in which those flights operate. Taiwan's concern is that nearby aviation changes require coordination while also affecting its ability to monitor and respond to activity around the islands.

Dadan's tours are therefore part of a broader transport and security picture. Boat trips operate close to waters where patrols are frequent, while nearby air travel faces its own disputes. Weather, sea conditions and security updates can all lead to changes in tour schedules.

Ferry ties and a proposed bridge pull Kinmen in different directions

Beijing has promoted a bridge between Xiamen and Kinmen and discussed closer economic integration with the islands in official plans. Taipei has not approved a bridge. It warns that infrastructure presented as an economic or humanitarian convenience could gradually weaken its practical control.

Kinmen's residents have relatives and business connections across the water. Regular ferry links operating since 2001 have made routine travel possible and helped local prosperity. For a community so close to Chinese coastal cities, those connections are part of everyday life as well as a political issue.

The same ties can become a means of increasing political and administrative pressure on Taipei's authority over the islands. A project that makes travel or commerce easier can also create new dependencies. That is why proposals for integration are debated in terms of control as well as convenience.

Kinmen and Matsu are both living communities and forward positions in Taiwan's security arrangements. Their heritage sites and local culture attract tourists, while their location keeps them within China's coastal economic orbit. Human contact across the water brings opportunities, alongside a continuing need to protect safety and sovereignty.

Dadan's tourism model reflects that balancing act. Officials are promoting a place connected to war as a destination for learning and reflection, with limits intended to keep tourism and security aligned. The emphasis on education and controlled access is a deliberate part of the opening.

A television drama brings Dadan into Taiwan's debate

Dadan gained a new audience in 2025 through Zero Day Attack, a Taiwanese television drama imagining the early days of a Chinese military move against Taiwan. Scenes set on the island include landings and skirmishes. The program uses Dadan to explore possible reactions among civilians, soldiers and officials.

Cheng Hsin-mei, the show's showrunner, has described the series as a warning about China's growing use of disinformation and grey zone warfare. Disinformation means false or misleading information spread to influence people. In the drama's framing, pressure on Taiwan involves messages and social strain alongside possible fighting.

Cheng says the production team consulted defense experts to develop plausible scenarios and aimed to portray how society copes under pressure, rather than demonize ordinary people across the strait. The series drew strong reactions because it connects entertainment, government policy and public messaging about the threat from China.

Opposition lawmaker Wang Hung-wei, known for challenging the ruling party's approach to relations across the strait, accused the program of spreading fear for political purposes. Wang used a Mandarin pun that has become Taiwanese slang for manufacturing anxiety:

selling dried mangoes

The expression describes stoking fear rather than selling fruit. Wang's criticism placed the drama within a national dispute about how Taiwan should discuss security risks and how political messages shape public reactions.

President Lai Ching-te has focused on Taiwan's existing status and the need to defend it without provocation. Lai's position is that Taiwan already has its own government, military and democracy. He said:

Taiwan is already sovereign and does not need to declare independence.

For Kinmen's authorities, the television debate brings fresh attention to Dadan's reopening. Their preferred message centers on remembering hardship, protecting communities and preserving peace. The island's history now reaches people through both guided visits and a fictional account of a possible conflict.

Planning a visit around safety and history

Travel to Dadan runs through Kinmen under county and central government oversight. Reservations are required, and operators use fixed routes and time windows to limit environmental impact and maintain safety. The tours are geared mainly toward Taiwan citizens, with small groups rather than unrestricted access.

Visitors should bring water, sun protection and sturdy shoes. Facilities are basic, and entry to particular areas can change with tides, weather or security conditions. Staying on marked paths is part of respecting both the site's history and its continuing connection to national defense.

Objects should remain where they are, and closed structures are off limits. Guides set the pace, while explanations along the route help visitors understand how the defenses were organized. Photography guidelines also matter because some installations retain security value.

Boat departures can be delayed or canceled when seas are rough, visibility is poor or authorities consider a change prudent. Tour managers aim to communicate updates promptly. Visitors need flexibility, although most find the distinctive setting and lessons in recent history worth the additional effort required to get there.

Dadan's opening offers a concrete way to understand the tension surrounding Taiwan's front line islands. It preserves evidence of conflict while making room for carefully managed civilian visits. The island remains a place where proximity to China shapes daily decisions, and where Kinmen's authorities want remembering war to support a preference for peace.

Key Points

• Dadan lies about four kilometers from Xiamen and forms part of Taiwan's Kinmen island group.
• Its defenders repelled a People's Liberation Army assault in 1950.
• Tourism began in 2019, stopped during the pandemic and fully resumed in 2024, with about 25,000 visitors since reopening.
• Small guided groups, mainly geared toward Taiwan citizens, visit tunnels, bunkers, guard posts and a 20 meter slogan facing China.
• Chinese coast guard activity near Kinmen has increased since early 2024, complicating the security setting for transport and tourism.
• New Chinese flight routes and the expected opening of a nearby Xiamen airport have prompted Taiwanese concerns about civilian aviation and crisis response.
• Beijing promotes a bridge to Kinmen, but Taipei has not approved it. Regular ferry links have operated since 2001.
• Zero Day Attack used Dadan as a setting in 2025 and prompted debate about security warnings and political fear.
• Reservations, fixed routes and photography rules apply, and weather, tides or security conditions can change access.
• Kinmen's authorities present the opening as a way to preserve history, support local tourism and promote peace.