Xiyu West Platform (XiTai Fortress) Introduction
After the end of the Sino-French War in 1885, Yang Changjun, the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, and Liu Mingchuan, the Governor of Taiwan, personally inspected the Penghu Islands and proposed that "the Penghu Islands are isolated and perilous, serving as a gateway to Fujian and Taiwan. It is necessary to build strong fortifications, purchase advanced artillery, and station elite troops to ensure defense." They repeatedly requested to strengthen the coastal defense of Penghu and suggested building a city in Magong. The Qing court accepted their proposal and appointed Wu Honglu as the first general of Penghu. After Wu Honglu arrived in Penghu, he was ordered to construct Magong City and built four new Armstrong gun emplacements: the North Fort, Jin Gui Tou Fort, East Tai on Xiyu, and West Tai on Xiyu. In 1895, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japanese troops landed at Longmenli on the east side of Penghu Island. Since the West Tai on Xiyu is located at the far west of the Penghu Islands, it could not provide fire support for the Gongbei Fort on the eastern side. After the Japanese troops breached the Gongbei Fort, they surged directly into Magong City. The West Tai on Xiyu was unable to exert its artillery power during several battles in Penghu. 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. Therefore, the fortifications on Penghu Island did not engage in direct artillery fire against U.S. warships, and the various emplacements of the Penghu fortifications were preserved without being destroyed. On December 28, 1983, the West Tai on Xiyu was designated as a national historic site. Source: National Cultural Heritage Database [Recommended stay time] 2 hours
Standing on the fortress looking at the old artillery station
