Magong Old City (Shun Cheng Gate) Introduction
In the 12th year of the Guangxu period in the Qing Dynasty (1886), Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang Yang Changjun and Inspector of Taiwan Liu Mingchuan personally came to Penghu to survey the terrain. They decided to build Magong City for defense purposes, supervised by Penghu's military commander Wu Honglu. Construction began in December of the following year, the 13th year of Guangxu (1887), and after 1 year and 10 months, it was completed in October of the 15th year of Guangxu (1889). This was the last city wall built by the Qing Dynasty in Taiwan, integrating the military, economic, and administrative center of Penghu. Magong City, also known as "Penghu City" or "Guangxu City," is the latest official city built in Taiwan. During the Sino-French War, Penghu was easily captured by French forces, and after the peace talks, Governor Liu Mingchuan and Governor Yang Changjun discussed defense matters, recognizing the need for a military defensive city in Penghu. Thus, under the supervision of the then military commander Wu Honglu, it was completed in 1889. The scale of Magong Ancient City measures about 789.2 zhang, with 570 battlements. The wall height is about 1 zhang 8 chi, the foundation is 3 chi 5 cun thick, and 2 zhang 4 chi thick. Magong Ancient City has six gates: the East Gate called Chaoyang Gate, the Small West Gate called Shuncheng Gate, the South Gate called Jixu Gate, the North Gate called Gongchen Gate, the Small South Gate called Yingxun Gate, and there is no gate tower at the West Gate. Today, Shuncheng Gate is the Small West Gate, and unlike many city walls which have square holes reserved for observation and shooting, Shuncheng Gate's wall is built from locally produced volcanic rocks, topped with battlements made of ancient stones, with a layer of brick as decoration in between, and covered with oyster shell ash for protection. Currently, only Shuncheng Gate, Daxi Gate, and part of the western wall of Magong City remain, with Shuncheng Gate being the only preserved gate tower building among the ruins of Magong Ancient City, classified as a second-level historic site. [Recommended stay time] 0.5 hours
Magong Old Fortress (Shun Cheng Gate)
