The Study on the Qing Dynasty’s Navy and Coast Defense in Kinmen

The Study on the Qing Dynasty’s Navy and Coast Defense in Kinmen

From the Song Dynasty on, Kinmen (aka Jinmen or Quemoy) has played an important role on the Maritime Silk Road, and was also the starting point for sailing from Southern Fujian on old Chinese maritime maps. In 1387, the Kinmen Thousand-Household Fortress was built up to prevent pirate attacks. Since then, Kinmen has further shown its strategic importance in China’s southeast coastal area, and got the reputation as “the Key to Southern Fujian”.

Since the garrison and the set up of the Thousand-Household Fortress during the Ming Dynasty, the military significance of Kinmen has gradually increased. After the demise of the Ming Dynasty, Kinmen even became the base for those who resisted the Qing’s governance, and thus played a decisive role in the alteration of dynasties. In 1680, the Qing army once again occupied Kinmen, and then set up the Kinmen Military Division.

In 1683, Chen Long, the chief general of the Kinmen Military Division, led a squad of soldiers to follow the commander Shi Lang across the strait to encircle the Zheng Army in Taiwan. After the Battle of Penghu, the Southern-Ming anti-Qing forces had completely disintegrated, and the Qing court hence included Taiwan into its territory.

After that, the Kinmen Military Division changed its mission from eliminating the Zheng forces to destroying pirates. During the Qianlong and Jiaqing years, pirates rampanted in the southeast seas, attacking ships, killing people, or asking for protection money, and had become a major threat to the government and the society. The Kinmen troops took on the task of arresting pirates and keeping the waters calm.

On top of that, whenever Taiwan suffered from natural disasters or civil commotions, it was inevitable to request support from the mainland. All ships would be waiting for the monsoon in Liaoluo Bay of Kinmen, and then sailing eastward to Taiwan for disaster relief or suppression. This is a more sufficient evidence of Kinmen's significance on strategic position.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, foreign powers invaded China with new warships with fierce  guns. However, on the contrary, what the Qing’s navy had got at that time was still traditional small warships with weak powers. Facing frequent internal and external problems, what did the Kinmen Naval Troops respond and deploy to enhance the marine defense? Based on this topic, this essay is to explore the missions, the position, and the impact of the Kinmen Naval Troops in the context of Fujian and Taiwan's coastal defense in the Qing Dynasty.