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The history of Kinmen can be traced back to the first year of Jianwu during the reign of Emperor Yuan of the Jin Dynasty (AD 317). During the Ming Dynasty, the "Qianhu Suo City" was built to defend against pirate invasions and protect the residents living there at that time. During the period of the Zheng family's resistance against the Qing, Kinmen City was a major stronghold. In the 19th year of Kangxi's reign (AD 1680), General Chen Long moved the general's office to Houpu, and Kinmen City gradually declined. Kinmen City had four city gates, namely the East, South, West and North gates. There was an old saying, "To seek people, go to the East Gate; to seek wealth, go to the West Gate; to seek prosperity, go to the South Gate; to seek officialdom, go to the North Gate." In other words, the East Gate faces Gugang, which has a dense population, so people should go there. The West Gate faces Shuitou, where overseas merchants gather, so one should go there to make money. The South Gate faces the port, where commerce is flourishing. The North Gate faces Yanshan Mountain and the Yannan Academy, so those who wish to pursue officialdom and reputation should go there! Today, new city gates have been built at the four corners of Kinmen City, each with different designs. The South Gate is also the main entrance of the Kinmen Distillery. Next to the North Gate is the ancient stone-paved street, which is the famous Mingyilao Street, well worth a visit. More about Mingyilao Street >>