Kinmen, alternatively known as Quemoy, is a group of islands governed as a county by the Republic of China based on Taiwan, off the southeastern coast of mainland China. It lies roughly 10 km east of the city of Xiamen in Fujian, from which it is separated by Xiamen Bay. Kinmen is located 187 km west from the shoreline of the island of Taiwan across the Taiwan Strait.
The county consists of the major island of Kinmen along with several surrounding islets, as well as Wuqiu Township located 133 km to the northeast of the rest of the county. Kinmen is one of two counties that was part of the now-defunct Fujian Province, the other being Lienchiang county.
Kinmen's strategic location in the Taiwan Strait has led to numerous confrontations, making it a tangible embodiment of political change on Cross-Strait relations. In August 1958, Kinmen was heavily bombarded by the People's Liberation Army during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis. Travel restrictions between Kinmen and the main island of Taiwan were lifted in 1994 following the end of decades-long military administration over Kinmen.