Dadan (大膽), a small island that is part of Taiwan’s outlying Kinmen County, is to reopen to tourists on a trial basis from Saturday next week to Oct. 31 after a two-year hiatus.
About 12km southwest of Kinmen Island and 4.4km from Xiamen in China’s Fujian Province, the 0.79km2 Dadan Island was on the front lines of the military standoff between Taiwan and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army during the Cold War.
It is the largest of a small group of islets that also includes Erdan Island (二膽), Sandan Island (三擔) and a few others.
Photo: CNA
Dadan was opened to the public on a trial basis for the first time from July 26 to Oct. 31, 2018. In March 2019, it was officially opened as a tourist destination.
It was closed off during the COVID-19 pandemic, but briefly reopened to visitors for a two-and-a-half-month period in 2022.
The Kinmen County Government, which has collaborated with private-sector operators, said the Dadan reopening would incorporate the county’s “blue highway” sea cruises.
In December last year, the Kinmen government invited ferry operators to submit proposals for tour-related services to Dadan, and two businesses were granted permits to operate tours to the island during trial period.
Aside from visiting Dadan, visitors would also be able to experience the sea cruises, Kinmen’s Department of Tourism said, adding that it hopes the reopening of Dadan can boost Kinmen’s tourism sector by helping attract more visitors.
Kinmen County Commissioner Chen Fu-hai (陳福海) said much thought was put into the reopening of Dadan, including arranging for tour guides to return for training to ensure visitors gain an in-depth understanding of the island’s history and natural ecology.
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