The Kinmen Islands are a Taiwanese outpost off the coast of China. Residents can stand on a beach and look across at the Chinese city of Xiamen.
Scenes From the Kinmen Islands
![A view of the sunset from Lieyu Island (also known as Little Kinmen) where the Chinese city of Xiamen can be seen across the water. (Elizabeth Lee/VOA)](https://gdb.voanews.com/01000000-0aff-0242-55f1-08dc42a56558_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A view of the sunset from Lieyu Island (also known as Little Kinmen) where the Chinese city of Xiamen can be seen across the water. (Elizabeth Lee/VOA)
![At low tide, an old tank is uncovered on a beach in Kinmen. (Elizabeth Lee/VOA)](https://gdb.voanews.com/01000000-0aff-0242-4164-08dc42a545e8_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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At low tide, an old tank is uncovered on a beach in Kinmen. (Elizabeth Lee/VOA)
![Statues of the Wind Lion God, as the guardian of Kinmen, can be found throughout the main island. This female Wind Lion God stands outside the Kinmen airport besides its male counterpart. (Elizabeth Lee/VOA)](https://gdb.voanews.com/01000000-0aff-0242-3dae-08dc42a545f6_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Statues of the Wind Lion God, as the guardian of Kinmen, can be found throughout the main island. This female Wind Lion God stands outside the Kinmen airport besides its male counterpart. (Elizabeth Lee/VOA)
![A blacksmith at Maestro Wu, a knife shop made famous by its use of the metal recovered from one of the many artillery shells China fired at Kinmen Island over the years. (Elizabeth Lee/VOA](https://gdb.voanews.com/01000000-0aff-0242-05e5-08dc42a545f4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A blacksmith at Maestro Wu, a knife shop made famous by its use of the metal recovered from one of the many artillery shells China fired at Kinmen Island over the years. (Elizabeth Lee/VOA