Kinmen - The Taiwanese Island With Strong Links To China

KINMEN, TAIWAN - FEBRUARY 02: A view of the South China Sea between the city of Xiamen in China, in the far distance, and the islands of Kinmen in Taiwan, in the foreground, on February 02, 2021 as seen from the airspace above Kinmen, Taiwan. Kinmen, an island in the Taiwan strait that is part of Taiwan's territory, is so close to China that the deep-water port of Xiamen, one of China's biggest, lies less than three miles away across the water. It is one of the few areas of Taiwan that mainland Chinese tourists can visit without visas or permits, and has deep ties with the adjacent Fujian province of China; locals have seen a boost to their incomes from Chinese tourism in pre-pandemic times. Wartime anti-tank barricades litter the beach and also features the Zhaishan tunnel, which Taiwanese forces still reserve the right to use in wartime and for military exercises. (Photo by An Rong Xu/Getty Images)