Living between two worlds on Taiwan’s Matsu Islands

A Cold War-era fortress on Xiju Island, part of the Taiwan-controlled Matsu archipelago near the Chinese mainland. Once a frontline outpost against China, the islands now balance their military legacy with tourism and everyday life. (All photos by David Frazier) Residents navigate history, identity and life just 9 kilometers from China TAIPEI — From his custom-designed home atop a rugged hilltop in Taiwan's Matsu island group, Chen Tzu-kai can look across a narrow stretch of the East China Sea to China's dramatic coastline. A 59-year-old retired school principal, Chen is a fourth-generation Matsu islander who now keeps busy renting rooms to tourists, drinking good tea and inkbrush painting.

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