Meet the Beishan Broadcast Wall, a popular tourist attraction today. Built in 1967 on Kinmen Islands, it is a three-story concrete structure with 48 loudspeakers built into it. Its sound reportedly travelled as far as 25 kilometers.
This broadcast wall is one of the four built during the 1950s, as Amusing Planet reported:
“Two major conflicts took place during the 1950s as China and Taiwan jostled to take control of the handful of islands in the Taiwan Strait. The Kinmen Islands in particular saw heavy shelling. After the loss of about a thousand lives, China announced it would bomb the islands only on odd-numbered days, with shells containing propaganda leaflets instead of explosives. Taiwan began to do likewise on even days of the week. This odd arrangement continued until China normalized relations with the US in 1979.”
“ During the same period, four broadcast stations were built in the Kinmen Islands that broadcast propaganda messages and music at ear-splitting decibels across the water towards mainland China. One of them was the Beishan Broadcast Wall … “
This broadcast wall has released varying propaganda content:
Many broadcasts from the Taiwan side attacked Mao and the Communist Party, while others depicted the rich and happy life of the Chinese on the island of Taiwan. Broadcasts from the mainland side urged national unity and encouraged Taiwanese soldiers and officers to return home to the mainland. Sometimes Taiwan would broadcast songs of Teresa Teng, a Taiwanese singer known for her sweet voice to win the hearts of those on the mainland.
image credit: Amusing Planet