China may be rehearsing for an invasion of Taiwan — but on the potential front lines there's little panic

For a place squeezed up against a hostile adversary and that’s often referred to as the “front line of democracy,” the mood in Kinmen is notably chill.

Tourists from mainland China are the top visitors to this outpost of Taiwan, usually arriving by ferry from the Fujian city of Xiamen, just a few kilometres across the bay.

The top attractions here are former war sites and relics that collectively tell the history of these islands — located more than 300 kilometres west of the Taiwanese capital Taipei — which have been the site of conflict several times since the 1949 Chinese civil war between nationalist and communist forces.

“What you see from those military attractions are meant to let people remember the cruelty of war,” said Jerry Wu, a taxi driver and tour guide, who said the c