War scarred bunkers on Quemoy reflect the islands’ frontline role in Taiwan Strait tension

The tiny Quemoy archipelago, also known as Kinmen, is only about 3.2km (2 miles) from the coast of mainland China, but is controlled by the self-ruled island of Taiwan. From 1958 until the late 1970s, Quemoy was frequently shelled by the People’s Liberation Army. Veteran soldiers still on the islands recall attacks from the mainland that killed a number of people before they stopped in 1978. That was the year the US formally switched Washington’s diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China in Taipei to the People’s Republic of China in Beijing.