Kinmen was originally a military reserve , which eventually led to the tragedy of 1987 Lieyu massacre . The island was returned to the civilian government in the mid-1990s , after which travel to and from it was allowed . Direct travel between mainland China and Kinmen re-opened in January 2001 under the mini Three Links , and there has been extensive tourism development on the island in anticipation of mainland tourists . Direct travel was suspended in 2003 as a result of the SARS outbreak , but has since resumed
1987 Lieyu massacre
1987 Lieyu massacre
Kinmen