Xiyu West Platform (Xiyu Fort) Introduction
After the conclusion of the Sino-French War in 1885, Yang Changjun, the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, and Liu Mingchuan, the Viceroy of Taiwan, personally inspected the Penghu Islands and proposed that "the island of Penghu is isolated and dangerous, serving as a gateway to Fujian and Taiwan. It is essential to build strong fortifications, acquire effective cannons, and station elite troops to ensure its defense." They repeatedly requested to strengthen the maritime defense of Penghu and suggested building a city in Magong. The Qing court accepted their proposal and appointed Wu Honglu as the first governor-general of Penghu. Upon arriving in Penghu, Wu Honglu was ordered to construct Magong City and established four new Armstrong rifled artillery forts: the North Fort of the Great City, the Jin Gui Tou Fort, the Eastern Fort of Xiyu, and the Western Fort of Xiyu. In the 21st year of the Guangxu era (1895), during the Battle of Penghu, Japanese forces landed at the northeastern point of the main island of Penghu, in Huxi Longmenli. Because the Western Fort of Xiyu was located at the extreme west of the Penghu Islands, it could not provide fire support to the Eastern Fort of Gongbei. After the Japanese forces captured the Eastern Fort of Gongbei, they quickly advanced and occupied Magong City. The Western Fort of Xiyu was unable to exert its artillery power in multiple battles around Penghu. During World War II, the U.S. military, utilizing an island-hopping strategy, captured the Philippines and directly attacked Okinawa, bypassing Taiwan and Penghu. As a result, the fortifications on Penghu remained intact and were not subjected to direct bombardment by U.S. warships during the Pacific War. Therefore, the various forts on Penghu have survived to this day without being destroyed. On December 28, 1983, the Western Fort of Xiyu was designated as a national historic site. Source: National Cultural Heritage Database. [Recommended Stay Time] 2 hours.
Xiyu Xitai
