金門這座島嶼，由於其重要的戰略位置成為兵家常爭之地。1937 年金門曾為日軍所佔，二次大戰後由中華民國收回，1949 年爆發古寧頭戰役後進入軍管時期，1958 年爆發八二三砲戰，一直到1992 年才解除戒嚴。 作為國共內戰時期堅守台灣的重要防線，經歷四十多年漫長的戒嚴時期，和三十六年的戰地政務實驗。島上特殊的軍事遺跡和景觀因而被完整保留至今，成為過往戰亂歷史的見證。
在金門島上共計有一百多棟洋樓，當時的居民因謀生困難，漂流異鄉至南洋的列強殖民地工作，在經商致富後匯錢返鄉，建造於僑居地所見的洋樓，並將漢人文化和地方特色混合融入建築當中。然而隨著戰爭爆發，許多洋樓先被日軍，而後又被國軍所佔領。洋樓的主人走避異鄉，不少人未曾有機會返回居住。而今當時為象徵地位、財富和見識所建的洋樓，最終的命運是荒廢於野草之間，被大自然逐漸侵蝕覆蓋。這些破敗傾頹的洋樓作為戰爭歷史的隱喻和承載物，反映不斷顛沛流離的精神、和動盪的政權更迭，猶如被時代所遺忘的無名紀念碑，將時空封存在這些已無人棲居的建築當中。
Kinmen Island often becomes a war target and conflict zone due to its strategic importance. It was occupied by the Japanese in 1937, and returned to the Republic of China after World War II. It entered the Military control period after the outbreak of the Guningtou Battle in 1949, and the 823 Artillery Bombardment took place in 1958. Not until 1992 the martial law period was lifted. As the critical frontier of defending Taiwan during the civil war period, it has suffered from more than 40 years of long martial law period, and 36 years of battle field administrative experiments. Therefore the unique military heritages and landscapes of the Island are preserved and become the witness of its previous war history.
There are more than a hundred western-style buildings in total on Kinmen Island. The residents used to have difficult lives, therefore they moved to foreign lands of the colonial Southeast Asia. After became rich from successful business, these wealthy expatriates contributed money to their hometowns and built western-style buildings based on what they’ve seen in Southeast Asia. Additionally, Han Chinese culture and local characters are integrated in these architectures. Nonetheless, with the outbreak of war, many of these western-style buildings were occupied by the Japanese and the KMT Army in sequence. The owners of these buildings fled to the foreign lands, and many of them never had the chance to come back. However, the ultimate fate of these western-style buildings who represent status, wealth and knowledge, is to be desolated in the bushes, and gradually eroded and swallowed by the nature. These dilapidated western-style buildings are served as the metaphor and bearer of war history, reflecting the constantly restlessness and turbulent regime changes. They are like the nameless monuments forgotten by the era, while time and space are sealed into these uninhabited buildings.