Dongding Island

{{Short description|Island west of Taiwan}} {{Infobox islands | name = Dongding Island | native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|zh-tw|東碇島 / 東椗島}}}} | native_name_link = | native_name_lang = zh-tw | sobriquet =  | image_name = | image_size = 250px | image_caption = | image_alt = | image_map = | map_alt = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_label = | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_relief = | pushpin_map_caption = | coordinates =  | etymology = | location = In the Taiwan Strait, Jinhu Township, Kinmen County (Quemoy), Fujian, Republic of China (Taiwan)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.land.moi.gov.tw/ngis/chhtml/main.asp?area=WA01&type=byArea|script-title=zh:金門縣土地段名代碼表|publisher=Department of Land Administration|date=2 March 2018|access-date=10 August 2019|language=zh-tw|quote={{lang|zh-tw|地政事務所名稱(代碼) 金門(WA) 鄉鎮市區名稱(代碼) 金湖鎮(01){...}段小段代碼備註{...}東碇 0257 調整}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kinmen.gov.tw/en/cp.aspx?n=22D15C7FFDA4350D|title=kinmen awareness|quote= In addition to the main island, Kinmen covers another 12 islets, such as Dadan, Erdan, Dongding, Beiding, and the like. These islands are scattered around Kinmen proper like the stars surrounding the moon.|access-date=15 June 2019|date=8 December 2017|publisher=Kinmen County Government}}</ref><ref name="govkm">{{cite web|url=https://land.kinmen.gov.tw/mobile/About/about_more?id=8fc4f649c0fe49d0a0d25bcc36a1ffba|website=基隆市中正區公所|script-title=zh:轄區介紹|access-date=12 June 2019|date=23 June 2017|quote=服務轄區包括：金城鎮、金湖鎮、金沙鎮、金寧鄉、烈嶼鄉、烏坵鄉等六個鄉鎮，以及金門本島（大金門）、烈嶼（小金門）、大膽、二膽、獅嶼、猛虎嶼、草嶼、後嶼、東碇島、復興嶼等十二個大小島嶼，{...}|language=zh-tw}}</ref><ref name="kmnp"/><ref name="nfa"/> | GridReference =  | archipelago = | waterbody = | total_islands = | major_islands = | area_km2 = 0.0160 | area_footnotes = <ref name="tjyb"/> | rank = | length_km =  | length_footnotes = | width_km =  | width_footnotes = | coastline_km =  | coastline_footnotes = | elevation_m = | elevation_footnotes = | highest_mount = | country = Republic of China (Taiwan) | country_admin_divisions_title = Province | country_admin_divisions = Fujian | country_admin_divisions_title_1 = County | country_admin_divisions_1 = Kinmen (Quemoy) | country_admin_divisions_title_2 = Urban Township | country_admin_divisions_2 = Jinhu | country_capital_type = | country_capital = | country_largest_city_type = | country_largest_city = | country_capital_and_largest_city = | country_largest_city_population = | country_leader_title = | country_leader_name = | country_area_km2 =  | country_1 = | country_1_admin_divisions_title = | country_1_admin_divisions = | country_1_admin_divisions_title_1 = | country_1_admin_divisions_1 = | country_1_capital_type = | country_1_capital = | country_1_largest_city_type = | country_1_largest_city = | country_1_capital_and_largest_city = | country_1_largest_city_population = | country_1_leader_title = | country_1_leader_name = | country_1_area_km2 =  | demonym = | population = | population_as_of = | population_footnotes = | population_rank = | population_rank_max = | density_km2 = | density_rank = | density_footnotes = | languages = | ethnic_groups = | timezone1 = National Standard Time | utc_offset1 = +8 | timezone1_DST = | utc_offset1_DST = | website = | additional_info = | footnotes = }}

{{Location map |Taiwan |label=Dongding Island |lat_deg=24|lat_min=9|lat_sec=6 |lon_deg=118|lon_min=13|lon_sec=48 |position=right |width=220 |float=right |relief=yes |caption=Location of Dongding Island }}

'''Dongding Island'''<ref name="mapb">{{cite web|url=https://file.motcmpb.gov.tw/home/FileConversion?filename=files/201604/00659277-f1c8-4466-b09e-308e1f8b9c43.pdf&nfix=&name=Maritime+and+Port+Bureau%2C+MOTC+Special+Edition+fCelebration+of+the+Second+Anniversary+120dpi.pdf|title=Special Edition for the Celebration of the 2 Anniversary|publisher=Maritime and Port Bureau, MOTC|quote=Dongding Island{...}35 Dongding Island Lighthouse 1871 This is the farthest lighthouse to the west of the nation and located in a military control zone.|page=78,79}}</ref><ref>{{cite map|url=http://motclaw.motc.gov.tw/wfrmDownload.aspx?ID=3209&type=soid|script-title=zh:澎湖地區離島通航航道公告圖|language=zh-tw|date=14 April 2017|access-date=9 February 2020|quote={{lang|zh-tw|東碇島{...} Dongding Island{...}|}}}}</ref> ({{zh|c={{linktext|東碇|島}}<ref>{{cite book|last1=|first1= |title= |script-title=zh:{{lang|zh-hant|臺灣歷史地圖增訂版}}. |trans-title=Taiwan Historical Maps, Expanded and Revised Edition|date=February 2018|publisher=National Museum of Taiwan History|isbn=978-986-05-5274-4|page=39|location=Taipei|quote={{lang|zh-tw|東碇島}}}}</ref> / {{linktext|lang=zh-tw|東椗|島}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://transport-curation.nat.gov.tw/lighthouse-museum/lighthouse_16.html|script-title=zh:東椗島燈塔|access-date=15 June 2019|language=zh-tw}}</ref><ref name="kmnews"/>|p=Dōngdìng Dǎo|poj=Tang-tiāⁿ}}) is a 0.0160 square kilometer<ref name="tjyb"/> island in the Taiwan Strait in Jinhu Township, Kinmen County (Quemoy), Fujian Province, Republic of China (Taiwan). The island is the southernmost point of Kinmen County.<ref name="kmnews">{{cite web|url=https://www.kinmen.gov.tw/News_Content2.aspx?n=98E3CA7358C89100&sms=BF7D6D478B935644&s=8DB0A0B65BBCC97B|script-title=zh:守護燈塔照亮烏坵|date=15 July 2017|access-date=12 June 2019|language=zh-tw|quote={{lang|zh-tw|目前臺灣地區所轄管之福建沿海燈塔者由北至南分別為馬祖之東引（東湧）燈塔、東莒（東犬）燈塔，金門的烏坵燈塔、北碇（北椗）島燈塔及東碇（東椗）島燈塔五座。{...}而值得一提的是，除烏坵燈塔外，金門的東碇與北碇島燈塔，目前均無文化資產身份，其中東碇島燈塔興建於1871年乃福建沿海五座燈塔中最古老者，}}}}</ref><ref name="tjyb">{{cite web|url=https://ws.kinmen.gov.tw/Download.ashx?u=LzAwMS9VcGxvYWQvMzExL3JlbGZpbGUvMTAwMTAvNjIxNDEyLzFmN2MwNjc4LTRlNGMtNDNmNC04NWQzLWJlOTVhYWY4NTRkMC5wZGY%3D&n=MTLmnIjku73ntbHoqIjmnIjloLEucGRm|script-title=zh:金門縣統計月報中華民國一Ο六年十二月份|publisher={{lang|zh-tw|金門縣政府主計處}}|date=|access-date=12 June 2019|quote={{lang|zh-tw|極南東碇東經 118 13 48 北經 24 9 6{...}區域別面積 ( 平方公里 ) 佔總面積百分比(%){...} 外圍東碇 0.0160 0.01}}|language=zh-tw|pages=5, 6}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://localdoc.ncl.edu.tw/tmld/browse_map.jsp?map=2400|script-title=zh:金門縣概況|language=zh-tw|access-date=12 June 2019|quote={{lang|zh-tw|極南為東碇，東經118度13秒8分，北緯24度9秒48分；}}|date=1 October 2012}}</ref> It is located near Longhai City, Zhangzhou, Fujian, China.

==Name== Dongding Island has been known by a variety of names including: '''Dongding''',<ref name="nfa">{{cite web|url=https://www.nfa.gov.tw/eng/index.php?code=list&ids=1203|title=Kinmen Shueitou Harbor District|website=National Fire Agency, Ministry of the Interior|access-date=14 July 2019|quote=Kinmen is located in Xiamen Bay on the southeast of Fujian Province at the exit of Jiulong River; the area for the entire county is 150.145 square kilometers (134.25 square kilometers for the island itself, and 12 other islands including Shangxia Lieyu, Dadan, Erdan, Wuqiu, Dongyin, Dongding and Beiding etc.)}}</ref> '''Tangtia''',<ref>{{cite book|title=Britannica World Atlas International|page=58|date=1967|quote=Tangtia}}</ref> '''Tungting Tao''', '''Tungting Hsu''', '''Chapel Island''',<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/mapofchinashan/page/6|title=Index to Map of China|page=6|quote=Chapel Island ... ... 朝坡島 ... Fukien ... ... 24.10N 118.12E|date=1915|publisher=Far Eastern Geographical Establishment|edition=2|location=Shanghai}}</ref><ref name="ibiblio">{{Cite rowlett|mat|date=8 October 2018|access-date=12 June 2019}}</ref> '''Tung Ting Island''',<ref>{{cite web|author=Associate-Tim-Bigelow |url=https://archive.org/details/journalofnorthch49roya/page/30 |title=Journal of the North-China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society for the year: Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. North-China Branch |date= |access-date=2019-06-19}}</ref> '''Dong Ding''',<ref name="kmnp">{{cite web|url=http://www.kmnp.gov.tw/en/KinmenHistory.aspx?cid=2&chk=58a82533-1717-449f-8c94-683ae1b51138|title= Geographic environment|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028081129/http://wwww.kmnp.gov.tw/en/KinmenHistory.aspx?cid=2&chk=58a82533-1717-449f-8c94-683ae1b51138|archive-date=28 October 2018|publisher=Kinmen National Park|access-date=15 June 2019|website=Kinmen National Park|quote=Territory The 12 islands and islets comprising Kinmen mainland, Lieyu (small Kinmen), Da Dan, Er Dan, Dong Ding, Beiding, Cao islet, Hou islet, Jiangong islet, Fuxing islet, Menghu islet, Shi islet occupy an area of 150 square meters in total.|date= 2014-06-11}}</ref> '''Tung-Ting''',<ref name="1958 crisis"/> '''Tung-ting-seu''',<ref>{{cite book|title=The India directory, or, Directions for sailing to and from the East Indies, China, Australia, and the interjacent ports of Africa and South America: comp. chiefly from original journals of the honorable company's ships, and from observations and remarks, resulting from the experience of twenty-one years in the navigation of those seas|url=https://archive.org/details/indiadirectoryor02hors/page/426|date=1841}}</ref> '''Tungting Island''',<ref name="caldwell"/> '''Dongding Islet''',<ref name="lighthouses">{{cite web|url=https://file.motcmpb.gov.tw/home/FileConversion?filename=files/201701/169726f7-4f24-4399-8a07-155d831ad60d.pdf&nfix=&name=%E8%88%AA%E6%B8%AF%E5%B1%80_%E8%87%BA%E7%81%A3%E7%87%88%E5%A1%94%E9%A2%A8%E6%83%85%E5%B0%88%E6%9B%B8_%E9%9B%BB%E5%AD%90%E6%9B%B8.pdf|title=The Lighthouses of Taiwan|pages=154–157}}</ref> '''Dongdingdao''',<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.un.org/Depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/CHN_1996_Declaration.pdf |title= Declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China on the baselines of the territorial sea |date= 15 May 1996 |publisher= UN |series= Law of the Sea (LOS) |work= Legislation and Treaties|page=1}}</ref> '''Dongdingdao Island''',<ref name="kinmenmap2007">{{cite map|script-title=zh:金門縣行政區域圖|trans-title=Kinmen County|language=zh-tw,en|date=September 2007|publisher=Ministry of the Interior and Kinmen County Government|ISBN=978-986-01-0742-5|quote={{lang|zh-tw|東碇島}} Dongdingdao Island}}</ref> and '''Tung-ting Tao'''.

==History== thumb|I. Tangtia (colored pink) on a map of Fujian (1600s)|left The island's mountains were sighted during the Ming treasure voyages on the evening of June 26, 1433.<ref>{{cite book | last=Mills | first=J. V. G. | title=Ying-yai Sheng-lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' [1433] | year=1970 | publisher=Cambridge University Press | location=Cambridge | isbn=0-521-01032-2 |pages=17–18}}</ref>

In January 1867, Sir Robert Hart, 1st Baronet wrote, "It is proposed to put a Light on Chapel Island, the sea mark for vessels bound to Amoy. This light will also be useful to casting vessels generally, as it will remind them of the proximity of the Meriope shoal."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.206919/page/n223|pages=206–207|title=Documents illustrative of the Origin, Development, and Activities of the Chinese Customs Service. Volume I: Inspector General's Circulars, 1861-1892|date=1937}}</ref>

According to a plaque affixed to the lighthouse, the lighthouse was designed by David Marr Henderson ({{lang|zh-tw|韓得善}})<ref name="lighthouses"/> and built by A. M. Bisbee in 1871.<ref name="caldwell"/><ref name="tt"/> The lighthouse is round and painted black.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924071164986/page/n214|title=The China Sea directory|date=1879}}</ref> The lighthouse was referred to as the Chapel Island Light.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/reportsontradea00shugoog/page/n120|title=Reports on Trade at the Treaty Ports|date=1880|pages=120–121|quote=Table 110.-LIST of CHINESE LIGHTHOUSES, LIGHT-VESSELS, BUOYS, and BEACONS, erected under the Foreign Inspectorate General of Customs, in the different Customs Districts. LIGHTS. {...}9 Amoy.........Chapel Island ........................ F. & Fl. {Fixed & Flashing}{...}Chapel Id Lt}}</ref> In good weather, the light was expected to be visible from twenty-two miles away.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/chinaseadirecto00offigoog/page/n186|title=The China Sea directory: Comprising the coasts of China from Hong Kong to the Korea Vol. III|date=1874|publisher=Hydrographic Off.}}</ref> The lighthouse was renovated in 1913 and 1927.<ref name="NKUAS">{{cite web|url=http://wshnt.kuas.edu.tw/sundayasp2/g4/new_page_33.htm|script-title=zh:東椗島燈塔|access-date=15 June 2019|language=zh-tw|quote={{lang|zh-tw|民前四十一年〈一八七一年〉初設，嗣經民國二年及民國十六年之整修，塔身為圓形磚造，原裝一等石油燈因金門砲戰時損燬。}}}}</ref>

In September 1954, it was noted in top secret American intelligence documents declassified in August 2000 that Nationalist guerrillas from Quemoy had gone to Tungting Island.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/CIA-RDP80R01443R000300050003-2/page/n1|date=12 September 1954|title=Notes on NSC Meeting of 12 September 1954 held at Denver, Colorado. Mr. Dulles took the attached material to this meeting|quote=guerrillas from Quemoy have also gone to Tungting island south of the Quemoys.}}</ref>

When an American journalist visited the island in the early 1950s, the Nationalists kept the light dark so that it would be difficult for ships to enter enemy ports. The lighthouse's color was white at that time. During this period, officers on duty on the island were ideally supposed to be rotated out every six months and guerrillas every two months with supply ship visits once a week. These periodic visits and changes were often delayed by weather and enemy activity. Fifty men were stationed on the island at that time under the command of Captain Chang Yi Ming. According to Captain Chang, attempted landings on the island by communist forces had been fended off by throwing grenades over the cliff.<ref name="caldwell">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/stillthericegrow002137mbp|title=Still The Rice Grows Green|author=John C.Caldwell|date=1955|pages=[https://archive.org/details/stillthericegrow002137mbp/page/n21 8]-[https://archive.org/details/stillthericegrow002137mbp/page/n28 15]|via=Internet Archive|publisher=Henry Regnery Company}}</ref>

On August 24 and 25, 1958 during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, Chinese Communist and Chinese Nationalist forces clashed in the vicinity of the island. The action was seen as an attempt by the communists to land on the island.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/CIA-RDP79-01048A000100030002-3|title=TAIWAN STRAITS|date=27 August 1958|publisher=CIA|quote=Nationalists{...}claim to have driven off "invasion fleet" headed for Tungting Island.}}</ref><ref name="1958 crisis">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/The1958TaiwanStraitsCrisisADocumentedHistory/page/n183|title=The 1958 Taiwan Straits Crisis_ A Documented History|date=1975}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/DTIC_ADA234362/page/n21|title=DTIC ADA234362: Use of Naval Force in Crises: A Theory of Stratified Crisis Interaction. Volume 2|date=December 1988}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/1958Awake/page/n603|title=1958 Awake|date=8 October 1958}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234362.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407071806/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a234362.pdf|url-status=live|archive-date=April 7, 2019|title=USE OF NAVAL FORCE IN CRISES: A THEORY OF STRATIFIED CRISIS INTERACTION|volume=2|author=Joseph Frederick Bouchard|author-link=Joseph Bouchard|date=December 1988|page=435|via=Defense Technical Information Center Online}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.org/details/explorationdisco0000unse|title=REDS LOSE 2 JETS IN QUEMOY CLASH; SHELLING GOES ON|newspaper=New York Times|volume=107|issue=36739|quote='''Red Landing Repulsed''' Earlier, the Defense Ministry declared the Chinese Reds had tried unsuccessfully Sunday night to land on tiny Tungting Island, eighteen miles southwest of Quemoy. A communiqué said Nationalist warships intercept- ed and drove off a Communist naval unit in a gun duel.|via=Internet Archive|page=[https://archive.org/details/explorationdisco0000unse/page/217 1]|date=26 August 1958}}</ref> The action has also been seen as an attempt to draw Nationalist forces away from other areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ettoday.net/news/20180822/1240861.htm|script-title=zh:八二三砲戰60週年（四）824海戰東碇島曾開火|date=22 August 2018}}</ref>

{{blockquote|(...) on the 24th two night naval engagements took place near Quemoy. The clashes resulted from a Chinese Communist attempt at landing on the small island of Tung-Ting in the Quemoy complex. The first attack involved four Chinese Communist gunboats and six small landing craft while the second involved five Chinese Communist gunboats and thirty motorized junks. According to the GRC Ministry of National Defense, several enemy ships were sunk and the attack was driven off by seven Chinese Nationalist Patrol craft. The GRC lost one LSM (landing craft, mechanized) and had one LST (landing ship, tank) damaged. Prior to September 3, when they were advised of U. S. escort plans, the Nationalists made five attempts to land an LST with troop replacements and several ships. These efforts were turned back by Chinese Communist PT boats and artillery fire.<ref name="1958 crisis"/>}}

{{wikisource|Declaration on Territorial Sea}}{{wikisource|zh:中华人民共和国政府关于领海的声明|中华人民共和国政府关于领海的声明}} In September 1958, the island was included in an official statement on the delineation of the territorial waters of China.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/DTIC_ADA268214|title=Maritime Claims Reference Manual|via=Internet Archive|date=12 July 1990|author=PJ Battin|page=[https://archive.org/details/DTIC_ADA268214/page/n126 2-103]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/PDF/IOP-2014-U-008435.pdf|title=Philippine Claims in the South China Sea: A Legal Analysis|date=August 2014|access-date=17 May 2020|website=CNA|author=Mark E. Rosen|page=26}}</ref> thumb|left|Tung-ting Hsü (Dongding Island) "The Nationalist-held islands off the Chinese mainland are nominally a part of Fukien Province, but are presently under military administration." (1962) The lighthouse was repaired in 1964 after being damaged by artillery bombardment from the mainland.<ref name="ibiblio"/><ref name="NKUAS"/>

In 1968, Chen Ching-Hu ({{lang|zh-tw|陳慶虎}}), then 17, was given the job of lighthouse keeper on the island. Later, he would go back and forth between Dongding Island and Beiding Island maintaining the lighthouses at both places. He retired in 2016 at age 65 and lives on Kinmen Island.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cna.com.tw/topic/newstopic/996/201802160067.aspx|script-title=zh:守護燈塔近半世紀陳慶虎回歸農家樂|date=16 February 2018|editor={{lang|zh-tw|孫承武}}}}</ref>

On September 8, 1978, a butchers group from Jinhu visited Dongding Island and Beiding Island to bring gifts to the soldiers there. They wished the soldiers a happy upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kinhu.kinmen.gov.tw/cp.aspx?n=21A753E0D82259F4|script-title=zh:五十七年~六十七年|date=28 July 2017|access-date=10 August 2019|website={{lang|zh-tw|金門縣金湖鎮公所}} Jinhu Township Administration, Kinmen County|language=zh-tw|quote={{lang|zh-tw|【民國六十二年】{...}九月八日金湖屠宰小組於中秋節前夕，前往東碇、北碇兩離島敬軍勞軍，提前向國軍弟兄賀節。}}}}</ref>

In March 1996, during the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis, Dongding Island was assessed as one of the targets of the CPLA's military harassment or seizure.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-NxRmUJUYckC|title=Taiwan's Security in the Post-Deng Xiaoping Era|date=2000 |author=Martin L. Lasater |author2=Peter Kien-hong Yu |author3=Kuang-ming Hsu |author4=Robyn Lim |publisher=Frank Cass|page=141|isbn=0-7146-5083-8|via=Google Books}}</ref>

In May 1996, Dongding Island was included as a basepoint in the Baselines of the Chinese territorial sea.

In 2005, after being completely off-limits to civilians for five decades, the island was to be transferred from military control to the administration of Kinmen County government.<ref name="tt">{{cite web|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/10/18/2003207386|title=Kinmen seeks to develop six demilitarized islets|publisher=Taipei Times|date=18 October 2004|quote=the county government will only take over the jurisdiction of the six islets -- Tatan, Ertan, Tungting, Peiting, Shihyu and Menghuyu -- but will not be responsible for defending them. After the transfer of the six islets, probably on Jan. 1,{....}the six islets have been purely military for more than five decades.{...}The Tungting lighthouse was built in 1871|access-date=14 June 2019}}</ref> [[File:Txu-oclc-10552568-ng50-15.jpg|thumb|Map including the lighthouse on Dongding Island (labeled as 'Light') (AMS, 1954)]] [[File:Txu-oclc-6654394-ng-50-7th-ed.jpg|thumb|Map including the lighthouse on Dongding Island (labeled as (LIGHT)) (AMS, 1954)]] On June 10, 2013, Pan Chia-Yu ({{lang|zh-tw|潘家宇}}), the leader of the ROC Kinmen Defense Command, visited the soldiers on Dongding Island ahead of Dragon Boat Festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kmdn.gov.tw/1117/1271/1272/225062/|script-title=zh:潘家宇指揮官赴東碇勞軍|date=11 June 2013|access-date=17 May 2020|quote={{lang|zh-tw|金門防衛指揮部指揮官潘家宇中將昨天到東碇島實施端節慰問，}}|language=zh-tw|website=Kinmen Daily News|author=Chang Chien-Teng {{lang|zh-tw|張建騰}}}}</ref>

On July 18, 2019, Ho Cheng (賀政), the new leader of the ROC Army Kinmen Defense Command (陸軍金門防衛指揮部), visited the soldiers on Dongding Island.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kmdn.gov.tw/1117/1271/1272/308505|script-title=zh:金防部指揮官走訪各離島探視官兵|date=24 July 2019|access-date=17 May 2020|quote={{lang|zh-tw|接續於18日走訪東碇島，視導守備部隊戰備與生活情形後，金防部指揮官賀政中將，}}|language=zh-tw|website=Kinmen Daily News|author=Chen Li-Yu {{lang|zh-tw|陳麗妤}}}}</ref>

On the night of May 24, 2020, Chinese sand mining ship ''Haishunda'' 069 ({{lang|zh-hant|海順達069號}}) overturned and sank in or near the restricted waters south of Dongding Island.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20200525001001-260402|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605202648/https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20200525001001-260402|archive-date=5 June 2020|url-status=live|script-title=zh:金門東碇島南方陸抽砂船翻覆 10人落海遭救起|language=zh-tw|website=China Times|date=25 May 2020|access-date=4 October 2020|author=Tai Chih-Yang 戴志揚}}</ref>

==Geography==

Dongding Island is about {{convert|13|km|mi|abbr=on}} off the mainland coast and {{convert|25|km|mi|abbr=on}} south-southwest of Kinmen.<ref name="ibiblio"/>

The island has been described as "a bare rock, miles from any land".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/b2439838x/page/7|page=7|author=Patrick Manson, M.D.|title=Epidemic of Continued Fever|date=1880}}</ref> It is 55 meters high with steep cliffs. The top of the island is grassy. The south end of the island is linked to the rest of the island by a small strip of land. Nearby shipwrecks are unmarked and treacherous to navigation.<ref>{{cite book|title=Prostar Sailing Directions 2004 Korea & China Enroute|date=2004}}</ref>

There are no trees, and sheer cliffs surround the island. There were rabbits on the island in the early 1950s. A zig-zagging stairway leads from a small concrete jetty to the summit area. The island has machine gun nests and rifle pits. There is a courtyard next to the lighthouse and old light-keeper's house. There is a basketball court and there are buildings that were built for the soldiers.<ref name="caldwell"/>

The Dongding Island Lighthouse is the westernmost lighthouse in Taiwan (ROC).<ref name="mapb"/>

==See also== * List of islands of Taiwan

==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links== {{wiktionary|Dongding|Tungting}} * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh2RU6_jmNA 【歷史上的今天】199805010010037_金門東碇島島小人不孤] ('Kinmen Dongding: The Island is Small, but the People aren't Lonely') {{in lang|zh}}

Category:Islands of Fujian, Republic of China Category:Landforms of Kinmen County