History
Also known as Tamshui, the long and storied history of this once-important fishing village has been shaped primarily by its geographical position at a place where the Danshui River meets the Taiwan Straits. Danshui was initially settled by the Ketagalan tribe, then at various times by the Spanish, Dutch, Japanese and of course, the Han Chinese. By the mid-19th century Danshui was a bustling port city thanks to its natural harbour, and it boasted a sizable foreign population and even a British embassy.
By the end of the 19th century, Danshui’s importance as a port had waned, and once Taiwan reverted to Chinese control after WWII, the town slowly settled into a comfortable position as farthest suburb of a major metropolis. With the opening of the Danshui line of the Taipei MRT in 1998, Danshui suddenly found itself a popular weekend travel destination.
