Lieyu Township (Liehyu) (;

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin, or simply pinyin, officially the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet, is the most common romanization system for Standard Chinese. ''Hanyu'' () literally means 'Han Chinese, Han language'—that is, the Chinese language—while ''pinyin' ...

: ''Lièyǔ Xiāng'';

Hokkien Hokkien ( , ) is a Varieties of Chinese, variety of the Southern Min group of Chinese language, Chinese languages. Native to and originating from the Minnan region in the southeastern part of Fujian in southeastern China, it is also referred ...

POJ: ''Lia̍t-sū-hiong'') is a rural township in

Kinmen County Kinmen, alternatively known as Quemoy, is a group of islands governed as a county by the Republic of China (Taiwan), only east from the city of Xiamen in Fujian, located at the southeastern coast of the People's Republic of China, from which ...

(Quemoy),

Fujian Province Fujian is a province in southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefecture city by population is Qua ...

Republic of China (Taiwan) Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

. It consists mainly of three

islands This is a list of the lists of islands in the world grouped by country, by continent, by body of water, and by other classifications. For rank-order lists, see the #Other lists of islands, other lists of islands below. Lists of islands by count ...

located to the west of Greater Kinmen and immediately to the east of Xiamen (Amoy) of the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

: Lesser Kinmen (; Pīnyīn: ''Xiǎojīnmén''), Dadan, and Erdan.

Name

According to tradition, Greater Kinmen/Kinmen Island and Lesser Kinmen/Lieyu were originally one island. Lieyu was split-off ( ''lie'') from Kinmen Island, hence the name Lieyu.

History

The first people arrived from the Central Plains of China during the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

and quickly developed the island. The population quickly multiplied. During the Tang dynasty, a horse

pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Types of pasture Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, c ...

was set up on the island. During the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

, a

salt works A salt evaporation pond is a shallow artificial salt pan designed to extract salts from sea water or other brines. The salt pans are shallow and expansive, allowing sunlight to penetrate and reach the seawater. Natural salt pans are formed throu ...

was constructed. During the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, a frontier command was constructed. During the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

, a garrison was sent to protect against

Japanese pirates ''Wokou'' ( zh, c=, p=Wōkòu; ; Hepburn: ; ; literal Chinese translation: "dwarf bandits"), which translates to "Japanese pirates", were pirates who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century to the 17th century.

On July 26, 1950, ROC forces on the

Dadan Island Dadan Island (Tatan, Taitan Island, Tae-tan/Taetan) ( zh, c=, poj=tōa-táⁿ tó, l=Island of Boldness, p=Dàdǎn Dǎo, originally ) is an island in Lieyu Township, Kinmen County, Fujian Province, Republic of China (Taiwan). The island is in ...

(Tatan), in total 298 soldiers, repulsed an attack ( 大擔島戰役) from a

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

force of 700 soldiers that landed on the island. In January 1985, eight Chinese fishermen from a stranded boat were executed on

Shi Islet Shi Islet ( zh, c=, poj=sai-sū, hp=Shī Yǔ, l=Lion Islet; also Shi Yu,, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Shih Yü,, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Shiyu, Shiyu Islet and Lion Islet) is an islet lo ...

by military orders. Donggang Bay, Lieyu Island, was the site of 1987 Lieyu Massacre, where nineteen or more Vietnamese refugees were killed on March 7, 1987 by the ROC armed force.

Geography

The island of Lesser Kinmen is situated outside the mouth of mainland China's

Jiulong River The Jiulong River, formerly known as the Longjiang or Zhangjiang, is the largest river in southern Fujian and the second largest in the province. It has a length of and a basin of . Like all Fujianese rivers but one, it flows into the Tai ...

and . The distance from mainland China at the closest point is only about and is located in a very strategic position. Lieyu Township includes numerous islands and islets. Some of the larger among those islands and islets include: *Lesser Kinmen (Hsiao Kinmen, Lieyu; ) *

( to the southwest of Lesser Kinmen) *

Erdan Island Erdan Island (Erhtan Island) (, also ) is an island in Lieyu Township, Kinmen County (Quemoy), Taiwan. The island has been called Seao-tan. Erdan Island is from Greater Kinmen Island and from Xiamen (Amoy) Island. History On February 21, 19 ...

( 二膽島) ( to the southwest of Lesser Kinmen) *Sandan, Sidan, and Wudan *

Fuxing Islet Fuxing Islet () (Fuhsing Islet, Hou-chai Hsü) is an islet located south of Lesser Kinmen (Lieyu) in Lieyu Township, Kinmen County (Quemoy), Fujian Province, Republic of China (Taiwan). The name of the islet was originally Phaktia (). History ...

(Fuhsing Islet; Phaktia) () *

Menghu Islet Menghu Islet () (Tiger Island) is an islet located southwest of Lesser Kinmen (Lieyu) in Lieyu Township, Kinmen County (Quemoy), Fujian Province, Republic of China (Taiwan). The islet was originally named Hu-tzu Hsü, United States National G ...

(Tiger Island) () *Shi Islet (Lion Islet) () * Binlang Islet ('

Areca Nut The areca nut ( or ) or betel nut () is the fruit of the areca palm (''Areca catechu''). The palm is originally native to the Philippines, but was carried widely through the tropics by the Austronesian migrations and trade since at least 15 ...

Islet') ()

Administrative divisions

Lieyu Township is divided into five rural villages: * Linhu Village () * Shangqi/Shangchi Village () * Xikou/Sikou Village () * Huangpu Village () * Shanglin Village ()

Politics

The

government of the People's Republic of China The government of the People's Republic of China is based on a system of people's congress within the parameters of a Unitary state, unitary communist state, in which the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) enacts its policies through people's ...

claims Kinmen County (Jinmen County in ''

'') as part of

Quanzhou Quanzhou is a prefecture-level city, prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, China, People's Republic of China. It is Fujian's largest most populous metropolitan region, wi ...

City in its own

Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...

province.

Infrastructure

* Xihu Reservoir

Tourist attractions

* Bada Tower *

Hujingtou Battle Museum The Hujingtou Battle Museum () is a museum in Kinmen National Park, Lieyu Township, Kinmen County, Taiwan. History During the Chief of the General Staff's visit to Lieyu on 19 August 1988, he found out that there was no battle museum on the isl ...

Jiugong Tunnel The Jiugong Tunnel () or Siwei Tunnel () is a tunnel in Lieyu Township, Kinmen County, Taiwan. It was used during the 1958 Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, when the island was heavily shelled by People's Republic of China. Supplies and equipment fro ...

* Landmine Museum *

Lieyu Township Culture Museum The Lieyu Township Culture Museum () is a museum in Lieyu Township, Kinmen County, Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formo ...

Lingshui Lake The Lingshui Lake () is a lake in Lieyu Township, Kinmen County, Taiwan. History The lake used to be a lowland area and dry lake since Yuan Dynasty. The production of the salt was discontinued in 1946. In 1963, the Republic of China Armed Forc ...

Transportation

Water

The township houses one ferry pier named

Jiugong Pier The Jiugong Pier () is a pier in Lieyu Township, Kinmen County, Taiwan. History The pier was built in 1974. In 1986, it was extended by 40.5 meters long and 7 meters wide. Destinations The pier serves for destination to Shuitou Pier in Jinchen ...

which sails to

Shuitou Pier The Shuitou Pier () is a pier in Jincheng, Kinmen, Jincheng Township, Kinmen County, Fujian Province, Republic of China, Fujian Province, Republic of China. History The pier area was originally a fishing harbor. On 30 October 2008, an inaugurati ...

Jincheng Township Jincheng is a prefecture-level city situated in the southeast of Shanxi province, China. It shares its border with Henan province to the south and southeast. The city is recognized as an industrial hub, with coal mining being one of its key indu ...

, Greater Kinmen Island.

Road

Since 2022, Lieyu Township is connected to

Jinning Township Jinning District () is one of seven districts of the prefecture-level city of Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, Southwest China. The formation of the district was approved on November 24, 2016, after the dissolution of the former ''Jinni ...

in Greater Kinmen Island by Kinmen Bridge.

References

External links

Kinmen County Government official website
{{Territorial disputes in East, South, and Southeast Asia