Xiyu West Pavilion (Xiyu Ancient Fortress) Introduction
After the end of the Qing-French War in 1885, Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang Yang Changjun and Taiwan Prefect Liu Mingchuan personally conducted an inspection in Penghu and proposed that "the island of Penghu is isolated and dangerous, serving as a gateway to Fujian and Taiwan. It is necessary to construct solid fortifications, acquire powerful artillery, and station a strong troop presence to ensure its defense." They repeatedly petitioned to strengthen the maritime defense of Penghu and suggested building a city in Magong. The Qing court accepted their proposal and appointed Wu Hongluo as the first general of Penghu. Upon arriving in Penghu, Wu was ordered to construct Magong City and build new-style Armstrong coastal artillery forts at North Fort, Jin Gui Tou Fort, East Fort of Xiyu, and West Fort of Xiyu. In the 21st year of the Guangxu era (1895), during the Penghu Campaign of the First Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese army landed at the northeastern side of Penghu Island in Huxi Longmenli. Since the West Fort of Xiyu was located at the westernmost side of Penghu Island, it could not provide fire support to the Gongbei Fortress on the eastern side of the island. After the Japanese army breached the Gongbei Fortress, they rapidly occupied Magong City. The West Fort of Xiyu failed to exert its artillery power during the repeated battles on Penghu Island. During World War II, due to the U.S. military's island-hopping strategy, after conquering the Philippines, they bypassed Taiwan and Penghu to directly attack Okinawa, so the artillery forts on Penghu Island did not engage in direct bombardment against American ships, allowing them to remain intact until today. On December 28, 1983, the West Fort of Xiyu was designated as a national historic site. Source: National Cultural Heritage Database. [Recommended stay time] 2 hours.
View of the ancient fort from the watchtower.
