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Lincuo Village

Shell-scarred old houses recording the real impact of Cold War artillery on Kinmen's civilian homes
📍 Kinmen · Jinning Township · Lincuo⛩️ Historic Sites & Temples🔖 Wartime Old Houses · Artillery Damage · Minnan Village

Lincuo Village is one of three Li-surname settlements in the Guningtou area of Kinmen — along with Nanshan and Beishan, they are collectively known as Guningtou — and was struck by both the 1949 Battle of Guningtou and the 1958 August 23 Artillery Battle, leaving some Minnan-style old houses with shell scars still visible on their walls today.

Lincuo, together with Nanshan and Beishan, forms the traditional settlement cluster known as Guningtou, whose residents are predominantly surnamed Li. The area was struck first by the 1949 Battle of Guningtou and then by the 1958 August 23 (823) Artillery Battle, in which the PLA fired more than 30,000 shells in the first 85 minutes alone, with total shelling exceeding 400,000 rounds by January 1959; many Guningtou-area homes were damaged, and shell scars remain clearly visible on some old houses today.

Highlights of Lincuo Village

Lincuo Village is located in Jinning Township. The village layout maintains the alley configuration of a traditional Minnan settlement, with multiple old houses built in traditional brick-and-stone construction. The Battle of 823 in 1958 and the sporadic shelling that continued for nearly two decades afterward caused widespread damage to Kinmen's settlements. Some buildings in Lincuo still clearly show their shell scars today — a concrete imprint of that history on residential architecture.

Some buildings have been renovated and repurposed as exhibition or guesthouse spaces, both preserving the traditional architectural form and giving visitors a chance to examine the structural details of Minnan-style houses up close. The overall atmosphere of the village is relatively quiet, contrasting with Kinmen's more heavily touristed attractions and offering a sense of what everyday village life on Kinmen is like.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Visit

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Look for Patterns in the Distribution of Shell HolesThe shell holes on building facades vary in size and depth. Cross-referencing the directions and ranges of shelling recorded in histories of the Kinmen bombardments, you can try to read the circumstances in which each hole was formed.
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Observe the Structure of Minnan HousesRenovated buildings allow a close look at the swallow-tail ridge, the horseback gable walls, and the brick-laying techniques, helping you understand the spatial logic and defensive design of Minnan vernacular architecture.
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Feel the Village's Sense of TimeLincuo retains more of its un-touristed everyday character. Strolling slowly through the alleys gives you a feel for the spatial scale of a traditional Kinmen village, a different experience from more thoroughly restored settlements.
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Ask Before Photographing Damaged BuildingsSome buildings with residents are still private homes. Be mindful of residents' privacy before taking photographs. Building facades along the public alleys of the village are generally acceptable to photograph.

Practical Information

Getting There & Hours

  • Lincuo Village is in Jinning Township, near Cihu and Guningtou. Driving or renting a vehicle is most convenient. It is best included as part of a half-day route in the Guningtou area.
  • The village is an open space that visitors can walk freely; there are no specific opening hours, but daytime visits are recommended.

Nearby Connections

  • Cihu Wetland and the Guningtou Battle Museum are both nearby and can be combined into a half-day nature-and-culture route in Jinning Township.
  • Beishan Western Mansion is also in Jinning Township and shares the same theme of wartime shell damage, making it a natural thematic pairing.

Sources: Kinmen County Cultural Affairs Bureau; related materials from the Wikipedia entry on Jinning Township. Photos pending replacement with Dio's own shots.

Frequently Asked Questions

What larger settlement cluster does Lincuo belong to?

Lincuo, Nanshan, and Beishan together make up the Guningtou settlement cluster, where most residents share the surname Li, and it is also where the Battle of Guningtou took place.

Which battles caused the shell scars in Lincuo?

Lincuo was affected by both the 1949 Battle of Guningtou and the 1958 August 23 Artillery Battle, and most of the surviving shell marks relate to these two events.

How intense was the shelling during the 823 Artillery Battle?

On August 23, 1958, the PLA fired more than 30,000 shells in just 85 minutes, and total shelling exceeded 400,000 rounds by January 1959.

Sources

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