Xiyu West Taikoo (Xiyu Fort) Introduction
After the conclusion of the Sino-French War in 1885, Governor Yang Changjun of Fujian-Zhejiang and the Taiwan Provincial Governor Liu Mingchuan personally inspected the Penghu Islands and proposed that "the Penghu Islands are isolated and perilous, serving as a gateway to Fujian and Taiwan, thus it is essential to build sturdy fortresses, procure effective artillery, and station elite troops for defense." They repeatedly petitioned to strengthen the maritime defense of Penghu and suggested constructing a city at Magong. The Qing court adopted their proposal and appointed Wu Honglu as the first general in charge of Penghu. Upon his arrival, Wu was ordered to build Magong City and constructed four new-style Armstrong breech-loading artillery fortifications: 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 Battle of Penghu between Qing and Japanese forces, the Japanese army landed on the eastern side of the main island at Longmenli. Because the West Fort of Xiyu was located on the westernmost side of the Penghu Islands, it could not provide fire support to the eastern Gungbei Fort. After the Japanese breached Gungbei Fort, they quickly advanced to occupy Magong City, and the West Fort of Xiyu was unable to exert its designated firepower during several battles in Penghu. During World War II, the U.S. military adopted an island-hopping strategy and, after capturing the Philippines, went past Taiwan and Penghu directly to attack Okinawa, so the fortifications on Penghu did not engage in direct artillery fire against U.S. warships, allowing the fortifications to remain intact until today. On December 28, 1983, the West Fort of Xiyu was designated as a national historic monument. Source: National Cultural Heritage Database [Recommended Stay Duration] 2 hours
Standing on the fortress, overlooking the ancient artillery battery.
