Living in Kinmen

Jinning
Jinning is one of the townships on Kinmen, located really close to Jincheng. I usually tell people that if Jincheng is the "Manhattan" of Kinmen then Jinning is the "Brooklyn”. It feels a bit more residential to me, but it's still really close and easy to access all of Jincheng's amenities. There are two Fulbright apartments in the Jinning township. One of the apartments feels like it's more in Jincheng than Jinning and the other apartment is only a 5-minute scooter ride away from Jincheng. In Jinning there's a really beautiful 7/11 close to Jinding Elementary School, I would say it's a lot nicer than most 7's. There's a really good Thai restaurant, a more Western cafe, and a fusion-type restaurant called Ai yo Peng. You can visit Gunnintou village or the tunnels in Gunningtou, located by Gunningtou elementary school. Jinding and Jinning elementary schools are walkable from one of the Fulbright apartments in Jinning. Jinning is great because it's close to Starbucks, Sushi Express, and Carrefour, and depending on which apartment you're in, it's walkable to both. I really like living in Jinning because it's so easy to access all the different parts of the island.

leiyu
This township encompasses all of Little Kinmen, a 10-minute cross-sea bridge west of Big Kinmen. Instead of Wind Lions, you’ll see Wind Roosters all over the island. Little Kinmen has an even tighter-knit community than Big Kinmen. There are not many chain stores, only one 7-11 and one Family Mart, but there are many small family-owned restaurants including a pizza place! What Little Kinmen lacks in urban development, it makes up for in charm and natural beauty. There are lakes, temples, tunnels, and rocky hills to explore. Along the coast of the entire island is a cement bike path with old army posts that have been turned into educational memorials. On a clear day, you can see the windows of the skyscrapers in Xiamen sitting only 3 miles across the strait. Little Kinmen is famous for its many taro farms and in the Fall they host an annual Taro Festival. There is even a restaurant that serves Taro ice cream! Schools in Lieyu Township include Shang Chi Elementary School and XiKou Elementary School!

Jinsha
Jinsha Township is on the northeastern side of Kinmen Island. It is one of the most rural areas of the island, filled with Kaoliang and wheat fields, beautiful birds, and lots of cows grazing. Being the smallest town, Shamei is a beautiful, charming, and cozy village. The center of town has a 7/11, a grocery store, a pharmacy, and small breakfast places. Near the bus station, you can find a lovely morning market selling fresh produce, seafood, and meat.  Living in Jinsha means you might be neighbors with your students, or eat dinner in their family-run restaurant because the town is so small! There are only a few restaurants and they close early in the evening, so most ETAs living in Jinsha usually will eat in Shanwai or Jincheng, or cook their own food. There are beaches less than a 10-minute drive from the center of town, and a big lake with a bike and walking path around the perimeter. In Jinsha, you can find a famous village of the traditional style, called Shanhou Folk Village. You can also visit Mashan Observation Point, hike Taiwu Mountain or Wufu Mountain, and experience quiet farm life in Jinsha. Schools in Jinsha include Jinsha Elementary School, Shumei Elementary School, Jinsha Middle School, and Hepu Elementary School.

Jincheng
Jincheng Township is often considered the "hub" of Kinmen. An extremely small city-like feel where downtown is filled with yummy xialongbao stands, Vietnamese, Cantonese, and great beef noodle soup restaurants. In between food, you can also stop by the White Lion Square to catch a musical performance or just wander the streets of clothes and small, antique shops with a coffee from Island's in hand. The beach in Jincheng is just a few turns away and the view of Xiamen, China is one you can't miss. Many festivals, political events, Sports Days, and New Year Festivities are all celebrated in Jincheng.

To stay active and healthy, Jincheng is currently rebuilding its gym, located right near the middle school and about one minute from Jincheng High School. It's a great place to work and meet locals, PLUS it's practically free (when you terminate your membership you get your entire deposit back). On a typical weekday from 8-9 you can typically catch a Zumba group shredding their dance moves in the hallway of the Jincheng gym or you can join a game of pickup basketball, ping-pong, or badminton inside the gym's court.

Neighboring Jincheng are some really cool tourist spots with awesome views. Some include Juguang Tower; Oyster Island, an island you can only get to at low tide; Lake Ci, a beautiful run right near tanks on the beach; Guningtou Battlefield Museum, right by the Beishan Broadcasting Wall that was used to blast anti-communist propaganda; or the Jincheng Civil-military tunnel located right underneath the Jincheng Bus Station. With a majority of the restaurants in town and popular chains like Ba Fang Yunji dumplings or Coco bubble tea, a series of stationery stores, Physical Therapy, or doctor offices Jincheng has pretty much anything you could want and more.

Jinhu
Home to Shanwai, the second-largest town after Jincheng. Although it has only three main streets, it boasts some of the more famous restaurants on the island. Great danbing, fantuan, and douhua can be found here! Shanwai is also great for nature lovers, as Lake Tai (太湖) and the main entrance to Taiwu Mountain (太武山) are found here. Also found in Shanwai: Evverich luxury mall, the bank, scooter shop, and grocery stores.