A giant wall of loudspeakers sits on the island of Kinmen, aimed at mainland China, just a few kilometers away. Built in 1967, the Beishan Broadcasting Wall was a strategic military weapon. The 10-meter-tall structure, with 48 loudspeakers, transmitted propaganda across the narrow strait to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and further, with its sound ranging up to 24 kilometers. Broadcasters took shifts to play slogans and music with the aim of convincing PRC residents to defect and view Taiwan as a prosperous and free place (although its freedom was limited as it was under authoritarian rule at the time). Taiwanese pop music was also broadcast.
The skyscrapers of PRC are visible across the water, contrasting the rural surrounds of Kinmen Island. With the island being this close, it’s little surprise this has been central to escalating tensions throughout history.
The use of sonic weapons in war remains controversial, not least because of its indiscriminate impacts. The residents of Kinmen themselves complained of the 24-hour loud broadcast looping around the island. The broadcasts eventually ended in the 1980s. Instead, these speakers have been used, on occasion, to broadcast music from local artists as an art installation, and still occasionally play historical examples, albeit at a much lower volume.
