Huwei Fort (New Taipei City Tamsui Historical Museum) Introduction
When talking about historical sites in Tamsui, you might only think of Fort San Domingo. However, just a 15-minute walk from Fort San Domingo, there is an ancient cannon fort. Built in 1886, this artillery fort, known as Huwei Fort, was constructed under the supervision of Liu Mingchuan, the first Governor of Taiwan at that time. It served as a military stronghold protecting Tamsui Harbor. While the large cannons are no longer visible today, the outer walls and remaining gun platform ruins still indicate its significant position a century ago. In 1985, it was officially designated as a National Second-Class Historic Site. With its elevated geographical location and solid materials, the grand fort stands as a remarkable military fortress of the 19th century and an important naval defense facility during the Qing Dynasty's modernization efforts in Taiwan. After the Sino-French War, the Qing court decided to enhance Taiwan's coastal defenses by building ten forts at five locations: Penghu, Keelung, Tamsui, Anping in Tainan, and Qihou in Kaohsiung. In 1886, Governor Liu Mingchuan hired German engineer Barns to oversee the construction of these ten Western-style forts, and Huwei Fort was one of them. Located at the first hill of Wuhugang in Tamsui, Huwei Fort offers a high vantage point that used to provide direct views of the Tamsui River estuary and Guandu Bridge, although now the view is obstructed by trees. Huwei Fort faces south, with the New Taipei City Martyrs' Shrine to the west, the Taiwan Golf Club to the east, and Cloud Gate Dance Theatre to the north.
