Matsu repurposing old military installations in bid to develop local tourism industry

Five years ago, County residents voted in a referendum to allow casinos on the outlying island of Matsu. But the economic promise of the gambling industry has yet to be fulfilled. Instead, authorities are pushing for locals to take over Matsu''s old military bases and run them as tourist destinations. Their hope is to encourage Matsu''s many youngsters, who moved away for work, to return home. Our Sunday special report. Lienchiang County, which encompasses the whole of the Matsu archipelago, became Taiwan’s first administrative district in 2012 to legalize gambling through a referendum. But while the measure passed with 57 percent of votes in favor, there has so far been little evidence of casino development on Matsu.Wang Chang-mingFmr. Lienchiang County Councilor (Pro-Gambling)Today, thinking back on it again four years later, everyone feels pretty disappointed. I think the government has been cheating Matsu residents. After it passed the referendum, it should have been implemented, but even though it passed, it still had to be put into law by the nation’s lawmakers. US development group Weidner Resorts, which initially said it would come to Matsu to build a casino, an airport, and a new oversea bridge, later pulled out of its planned investments, and its planning office was turned into a breakfast shop. But despite the legal complications which muddled implementation of the referendum, the vote nevertheless brought certain benefits to Matsu. Having come back home to rally against the referendum, a number of young anti-gambling advocates decided to remain in Matsu and redirect their efforts to the archipelago’s development.Li Chen-yuenNo. 55 Hostel Co-FounderAfter visiting many other countries, and having worked in Taiwan, I found that I prefer to live in my own hometown.Having returned to Matsu, Li Chen-yuen and his business partner Liu Tseng-ya started up a backpackers’ hostel in what had been an old army base. Liu Tseng-yaNo. 55 Hostel Co-FounderWhy is it called No. 55 Hostel? Nangan Island had many bases, and each base had its own number code. Base 55 meant that it was the fifty-fifth base on Nangan, which had more than 90 bases altogether. Aside from the camp and fortifications preserved from when the base was used as a military facility, the backpackers’ hostel also boasts stunning ocean views. It’s a feature shared by Matsu’s many bases, all of which required unobstructed lines of sight to defend against potential enemy attacks.Liu Tseng-yaNo. 55 Hostel Co-FounderThe small wood hut that we see used to be a sentry post for sea patrols in Matsu. We might turn it into a private room as part of our dining area.Starting in 1997, Taiwan’s military moved to significantly streamline its operations under a new plan for a leaner, more modern force. The initiative left many bases without the staff needed to sustain defensive operations. That prompted the Lienchiang County government to lobby the military for permission to turn Matsu’s bases over to civilians for development as tourist sites.Liu Tseng-yingLienchiang County Commissioner The military bases are first transferred over to our Cultural Affairs Department, after which we develop each one according to its particular qualities. Some might be preserved as historical battlefields, while others might be turned into unique bed and breakfasts, and others could be developed into restaurants or coffee shops.The privately operated former bases on Matsu range from hostels like No. 55, to others like the one at Nangan’s former Base No. 12, which combines a bookshop and a coffee bar for a more cultural experience.Tsao Yi-hsiungStronghold No. 12 FounderMatsu has more than 200 pillboxes and tunnels. If we find a way to use them effectively, I think they could be a very alluring and charming part of our environment. The bases are integrated into the natural landscape, so they don’t stick out much, and actually blend into their surroundings. I think that these relics left over from a period of conflict can be given a new lease on life.Wu Hsiao-yunLienchiang County Cultural Affairs Dept.For Matsu to be able to develop tourism over the long term, it needs to build on its cultural foundation to have a chance of getting those from outside to understand the local culture and have it generate tourism benefits.Matsu’s push to open up more of the archipelago’s formerly restricted military bases to tourists is attracting another type of visitor – the soldiers who served tours on the islands.Wu Hsiao-yunLienchiang County Cultural Affairs Dept.We call them “interested parties,” because while they’re not Matsu residents perse, they will always be interested in Matsu. (For them,) it’s a place of memories created when they were still living in the halcyon days of youth.Matsu residents have largely given up on their dream of casino-driven development, but the passions and opposition ...