Waian Fish Trap Introduction
Located in the western highlands of Wai'an at "Xipuding," it was built during the Japanese colonial period and has been preserved to this day. According to the "Guidelines for the Fortification Construction of Penghu Island" from the 9th year of Taisho (1920), there was an original plan to establish a battery at Wai'an Village to defend against potential naval attacks from the west and south of Magong Harbor. The plan included the installation of two 35 cm caliber cannons in a turret form, along with the provision of 200 rounds of ammunition, which were intended to serve as large coastal defense cannons at that time. However, after construction began in 1921, the signing of the "Washington Naval Treaty" in 1922 by the five major naval powers (the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, and Italy), which imposed restrictions on the increase of new fortifications and coastal defenses, led to the suspension of the Wai'an battery project. Nevertheless, in 1923, the Japanese Army Ministry ordered the Army Fortress Construction Division to build a dummy turret at the original site and designated the surrounding area as a fortress zone, aiming to mislead the public into believing that this was a completed defensive position before the treaty's restrictions, with the intention of later replacing the dummy with a real turret when the opportunity arose. However, with the rapid development of military aviation across nations, the fixed turret, susceptible to air attacks, became an outdated design, and subsequent coastal defense artillery in Penghu Island transitioned to the deployment of multiple mobile artillery guns. Consequently, the dummy turret here was never "realized." During World War II, it was not prioritized as a bombing target by the U.S. Army and Navy, inadvertently allowing it to be preserved to this day, becoming one of the symbols that witness the military history of Penghu. Sources: Penghu Travel, Modern Fortification History of Our Country, Volume 2, Part 10, Fortification History of Penghu Island "Guidelines for the Fortification Construction of Penghu Island (August 19, 1920, General Staff Headquarters)," Penghu County Government Cultural Bureau Quarterly "Lao Gu Shi" Issue 93, "Decoy - The Long Misunderstood Wai'an Dummy Cannon and Wude Dummy Cannon in Penghu." [Recommended Visit Duration] 0.5 hours.
Observation Deck Overlooking Wai'an Fishing Pier
