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)

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)

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

Spikes built to keep the Communist forces from landing on the island still protrude out on beaches throughout Kinmen and are especially visible at low tide. (Elizabeth Lee/VOA)

A nighttime view of the Chinese city of Xiamen, which can be easily seen across the water from the Kinmen Islands. (Elizabeth Lee/VOA)