[3][4] The first people arrived from the Central Plains of China during the Tang dynasty and quickly developed the island.

[5][6] In January 1985, eight Chinese fishermen from a stranded boat were executed on Shi Islet by military orders.

[9][10] The island of Lesser Kinmen is situated outside the mouth of mainland China's Jiulong River and inside Xiamen's harbor[citation needed].

The distance from mainland China at the closest point is only about 5,000 m (16,000 ft) and is located in a very strategic position.

[11] Some of the larger among those islands and islets include:[12] Lieyu Township is divided into five rural villages:[2][14][15][16] The government of the People's Republic of China claims Kinmen County (Jinmen County in pinyin) as part of Quanzhou City in its own Fujian province.