Penghu, Kinmen & Matsu

Penghu was settled by fishermen from Fujian long before the main island, and it was a stepping stone for every power in the strait. The Dutch occupied it in the 1620s before moving to Tainan. In 1683 the Qing admiral Shi Lang defeated Koxinga's successors off Penghu, opening the way to taking Taiwan. France occupied the islands during the Sino-French War of 1884–85, and Japan took them in 1895.

Kinmen and Matsu have a different story. They were Fujianese coastal islands and were never part of the Japanese colony. When the Nationalists lost the mainland in 1949, their troops held on to them; Kinmen repelled a Communist landing at the Battle of Guningtou in October 1949. The People's Republic shelled Kinmen in the crises of 1954 and 1958, when heavy bombardments fell on the island, and propaganda shells continued on alternate days until 1979.

For decades both island groups were under military administration, with most civilians limited in movement and tens of thousands of troops garrisoned there. Military rule ended in 1992, the garrisons have shrunk, and the "Mini Three Links" ferries opened direct travel to Xiamen and Fuzhou in 2001. The islands are governed by the Republic of China as Kinmen and Lienchiang counties, while Beijing claims them as part of Fujian.

All three groups are culturally Fujianese. Penghu and Kinmen speak Hokkien, while Matsu speaks Eastern Min, the Fuzhou dialect, with its own words and accent. Temple life is central everywhere: Penghu's Mazu temple in Magong is among Taiwan's most revered, and Matsu takes its name from the goddess, whose body, by local legend, washed ashore on Nangan.

Kinmen's villages are known for wind-lion gods, stone guardians set up against the strong winds, and for yanglou, Western-style houses built with money sent home by emigrants to South-East Asia. The islands have large overseas communities in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Military heritage shapes identity: bunkers, tunnels, slogans painted on cliffs and knife-makers who forge blades from old artillery shells. Penghu's people voted against allowing casinos in 2009, and the fireworks festival in Magong has become Penghu's best-known event.

Penghu has about 105,000 people, more than half of them in Magong, and lives on fishing, tourism and government jobs. Kinmen's registered population is about 140,000, though far fewer live there full time; many register for its benefits. Matsu has about 14,000, spread across Nangan, Beigan, Juguang and Dongyin.

Kinmen's economy leans on kaoliang liquor, tourism and trade with nearby Xiamen, and a bridge to Lieyu opened in 2022. Matsu depends on the military, fishing and public services, and relies on water and power supplies that are constant local concerns.

Life follows the weather: winter winds empty Penghu's streets, summer brings crowds, and fog can cut off Matsu for days. Young people often leave for Taiwan, and the islands' ageing is a pressing issue.

Penghu is known for seafood, including sea urchin. Heitang gao, brown sugar cake, is a local souvenir, and prickly-pear cactus fruit is made into bright pink shaved ice.

Kinmen's kaoliang is a strong sorghum spirit produced by the county's distillery and served at banquets across Taiwan; it takes about three-quarters of Taiwan's kaoliang market and is the backbone of the county's economy. Kinmen's mian xian noodles are a local speciality, and gongtang, peanut brittle, is sold everywhere.

Matsu's food follows Fuzhou traditions: laojiu, an aged rice wine, is a local speciality, and yumian, noodles made with fish, and jiguang bing, a round bread with a hole in the centre, are local favourites. Steamed yellow croaker, mussels and sweet-potato dumplings are other Matsu specialities, and hongzao, red yeast rice lees, is a local product.

Penghu's archipelago of about 90 islands has columnar basalt on Tongpan and the protected islets of the south, the Twin Hearts Stone Weir on Qimei, the sandbar of Jibei, and beaches such as Shanshui and Aimen. Magong has the Tianhou Temple, the old street and the Four Eyes Well, and the Penghu Great Bridge links Baisha and Xiyu.

Kinmen National Park preserves the island's Fujianese villages, including Shanhou's row of houses and the Deyue Tower at Shuitou, alongside Cold War sites: the Zhaishan boat tunnel, the Guningtou battle museum, Juguang Tower and bunkers along the coast.

Matsu's islands have Qinbi's granite village on Beigan, the Beihai boat tunnel and the Mazu religious park on Nangan, and the Dongyin lighthouse. The blue tears glow in the harbours in spring, and the old military posts and tunnels are open to visitors.