Kinmen villagers hold rites for war dead of Battle of Guningtou

金門村民為古寧頭戰役陣亡將士舉行祭祀儀式

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Residents of Jinning Township in Kinmen County held rites Thursday for those killed in the Battle of Guningtou, a pivotal 1949 battle that halted the continued advance of Communist forces.

Communist troops launched an amphibious assault on Kinmen on Oct. 25, 1949, landing along the coast of Guningtou Village and surrounding areas, per CNA. Nationalist forces emerged victorious after days of intense fighting.

Former Guningtou Village Chief Li Chao-chin (李朝金) said the battle caused heavy casualties on both sides. He said local residents decided to hold rites for the dead at the direction of the local guardian deity, Lord Guan, adding that roadside rites helped bring peace to the village.

After the Battle of Guningtou, villagers began holding rites inside the village and near the mouths of nearby rivers every July 8 on the lunar calendar. In addition to roadside rites, general temples scattered across northwestern Kinmen are also dedicated to fallen soldiers.

National Quemoy University scholar Wang Hong-nan (王宏男) said the general temple near the Beishan Broadcasting Wall was likely funded and built by local farmers who helped collect the remains of war dead. He said Kinmen has experienced numerous battles, resulting in many temples dedicated to wandering spirits who did not receive proper burials.

Wang explained that temples dedicated to you-ying spirits are generally associated with wandering souls, while Kinmen's general temples are specifically dedicated to soldiers. Temples dedicated to wandering spirits date back to the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), when the high mortality rate among Han settlers and hurried burials sometimes left remains exposed to the elements.

One notable example is a temple in Taichung's Dongshih District, where about 20,000 remains from the Lin Shuang-wen (林爽文) Rebellion surfaced after a local temple collapsed in an earthquake, per CNA. Lin's forces were driven into Indigenous territory by Qing forces, local militias, and Indigenous groups allied with the Qing, and were ultimately defeated in Dongshih District.