Historic Site sights in Taiwan
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A
British Consulate Residence at Takou (Dagou)
The handsome red-brick consulate residence was built in 1865 by a British trading company. Sitting about 70m above the mouth of Kaohsiung harbour, the location is perfect for watching giant container ships sail through the tiny mouth of the harbour. There's also an interesting clash of cultures to observe on the steps as mainland Chinese tourists react in bewilderment to the open presence of Falun Gong posters and protesters decrying the Beijing government.
While in the area, check out a tiny temple to the left of the larger temple beside the consulate. It's the only shrine in Taiwan to deify 17th-century Dutch naval commanders, much in the way old Chinese generals have…
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B
Koxinga's Shrine
When the Ming dynasty was overthrown by the Manchus in 1661, Koxinga (Cheng Cheng-kung) led his army to Taiwan with plans to restock supplies and then retake the mainland. He found the Dutch already here, but after nine months' battle they surrendered and departed Taiwan.
Koxinga did much to improve conditions on the island. But, like the KMT of modern times, he did not live to see the mainland retaken. He died after only a year in Taiwan, and his grandson surrendered to the Manchus in 1683.
There's a certain atmosphere of dignity surrounding Koxinga's Shrine, even though most of it is of rather recent origin: the original southern-style temple was rebuilt in a northern…
reviewed
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C
Chihkan Towers
This old fort is one of the best preserved, or perhaps we should say reconstructed, historical sights in Tainan. It's a splendid place in which to roam around, or even to enjoy an outdoor concert on the weekends.
Chihkan has gone through many masters – Ming, Qing and Japanese, and the Kuomintang (KMT; China's Nationalist Party) – since the foundations were first laid by the Dutch in 1653. At that time the seashore reached the fort's outer walls. Our favourite features are the nine stone turtles with tablets on their backs. These stelae hail from the Qing dynasty and if you check the backs you can see where the carver made a mistake on one and, rather than starting over…
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D
Eternal Golden Castle
Like many famous sights around Tainan, this fort goes by different names: Erkunshen Cannon Fort, Anping Big Cannon Fort and Eternal Golden Castle. The fortress was built in 1876 to shore up Taiwan's defences against the Japanese threat.
Not much remains of the original fortress; oddly, though, the intact arched front gate was built with bricks pilfered from Anping Fort. The reconstructed fort and the cannons make for good photo ops. It's possible now, and recommended, to walk to the castle from the other sights in Anping.
City buses 2 and 14 stop at the castle, as does tour bus 88. You can walk from Anping St along the harbour in about 30 minutes.
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E
Great South Gate
The garrison commander in you will love the martial feel of this old city gate, the only one in Tainan that still has much of its defensive wall intact. The inner grounds feature several cannons and a section of the old wall that is marvellously overgrown with thick roots. As with the Confucius Temple, the trees here are an attraction in themselves.
At the far end of the park look for a collection of handsome stelae that commemorate centuries of battles, bridge buildings, official promotions and anything else thought worthy of a large slab of engraved rock.
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Remains of the 13 Levels
Further towards the sea from the Golden Waterfall, the remains are a massive copper-smelting refinery (十三層; Shísān- céng). The refinery inspires such a heavy, dystopian industrial awe that it has been used as a background for music videos. There are signs in English to direct you here from the park.
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Minchuan Old Street
Sansia's name (Three Gorges) reflects the fact that it sits at the confluence of three rivers. Once an important transport hub for charcoal, camphor and indigo dye, the town's prosperity is evident in the old block of red-brick merchant houses and residences dating from the end of the Qing dynasty to the early years of the Japanese colonial era. Closed for two years for restoration work, the street now looks much like it did 100 years ago, and on weekends there's a lively market atmosphere as the little shops operating from behind dark-wood doors sell speciality snacks, tea, and souvenirs. Street performers also work the area, making this a fun venue to take in after the…
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F
Anping Fort
The fort was a stronghold of Dutch power until captured by Koxinga in 1661 after a nine-month battle. Though most of the structure has been reconstructed, it's still an impressive site. A small museum on the grounds highlights the history of the Dutch occupation of Taiwan.
The fort sits behind the Matsu temple.
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