Remembering
"The people of Kueishan Island can't live without it!" Huang Chen yu, a 68-year-old Toucheng resident who moved off the island at age 33, says firmly. "I was reluctant to leave, but at that time there was no water or electricity, and there was some strange problem causing babies to die. So we had to move away for the good of our families. I've been living on mainland Taiwan for over three decades, but every night I dream about our life on Kueishan Island," says Huang emotionally.
"In 1974, we had to leave our home for the sake of our children's education. Who would have dreamed that the following year it would be re-zoned as a restricted military base. I couldn't go back to the island for 20 years," says Chien Ying-chun, the head of Kueishan Village. After complaining at length about government fisheries policies, when Kueishan Island is mentioned by some of the former residents, the 56-year-old Chien's stern expression relaxes into softness.
Many people moved out to provide a more secure future and better marriage prospects for the younger generation. Because the island lacked medical facilities, when someone was seriously ill and the weather was bad, it was impossible to get to the mainland, so there was nothing to be done for the patient. In addition, there was only an elementary school, so for high-school education and above, people had to leave home and cross the sea to Toucheng. This was a big financial burden. Some of the young women went to Toucheng to study, and then stayed to work and eventually to marry. As a result, the young men had little opportunity to meet women and begin a family. This was another reason why the whole village moved out.