The guidebooks do not do Kinmen justice. Before I moved to Kinmen in August, I tried to gather as much information about Kinmen as I could, which turned out to be very little. If Kinmen is mentioned in a guidebook, it is brief and focuses on military historical sites. While I find the military and political history of Kinmen fascinating, it was hard to get a sense of what it would be like to live here. I feared that it would be a barren landscape, ravaged by years of conflict, where residents kept their distance from foreigners. When I arrived in Kinmen to see the beautiful landscape and to feel immediately welcomed into the community by the people, I was pleasantly surprised.
The Mid-Autumn Festival allowed me to experience Kinmen culture as a resident instead of as a passing tourist. People welcomed me into their homes for barbeques to enjoy conversation and local food. I also took part in the Kinmen dice game, held in Jincheng on September 15th. I knew nothing of the dice game, but the people at my table were very helpful and I finally understood the rules.
In America, we celebrate many holidays with outdoor barbeques, so I felt at home during the Moon Festival barbeques. However, there is no celebration or community activity like the dice game. I loved being a part of the dice game and sharing in the excitement at the possibility of becoming a winner. Although not a grand-prize winner, I did get to take home noodles and peanut candies. I was also lucky enough to meet Magistrate Li and was invited to play at his table during the second round of the game. That was a very memorable experience.
Kinmen! Thank you for welcoming this foreigner into your community. The guidebooks should include a section about the generosity and welcoming nature of the people in Kinmen. I am very happy to call Kinmen my new home.