The Second Taiwan Strait Crisis (also known as the 823 Artillery Battle) was a series of battles fought between 1958 and 1979 (the most intense period being between August 23 and October 5, 1958), which happened between the Matsu and Kinmen islands of Taiwan and the southeastern coast and islands of mainland China. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in mainland China and the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Republic of China in Taiwan primarily used artillery across the strait as their primary tactic, hence the term “823 Artillery Battle.”
After the 823 Artillery Battle, the standoff between mainland China and Taiwan on the front lines was severe. Mainland guards in Xiamen were always vulnerable to threats from Taiwanese frogmen (“water ghosts”). However, even during that period of heightened tension, a touching incident occurred, leaving one mainland resident with a deep sense of gratitude toward the kind-hearted Taiwanese “frogmen” years later.
According to the Taiwan Revelation, mainland artist Zheng Ruiyong, at the age of 15, was serving on Dadeng Island in Xiamen when he encountered “frogmen” sent by the NRA on Kinmen (Quemoy) twice. He dozed off while on guard duty at night, and when he woke up, he discovered his rifle was missing. Losing his rifle was a serious matter and could result in punishment by his superiors.
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