Huwei Fort (Tamsui Historical Museum, New Taipei City) Introduction
When it comes to Tamsui's historical sites, do you only think of Fort San Domingo? In fact, about a 15-minute walk from Fort San Domingo, there is an ancient fort. This artillery fort, constructed in 1886, is the Huwei Fort (in Mandarin: 礮臺, pronounced as "pà"), which was directed by Liu Ming-chuan, the first governor of Taiwan. It used to be a military stronghold guarding Tamsui Harbor. Although the large cannons are no longer visible, the outer walls and remnants of the cannon platform still indicate its significant status over a century ago. It was officially designated as a national second-class historical site in 1985. With its elevated geographical location and sturdy materials, the grand fort serves as an excellent military fortress for warfare and garrisoning in the 19th century, as well as an important coastal defense facility during the modernization of Taiwan in the Qing Dynasty. After the Sino-French War, the Qing government decided to strengthen Taiwan's coastal defense by constructing ten forts in five coastal areas: Penghu, Keelung, Tamsui, Tainan Anping, and Kaohsiung Qihou. In 1886, Governor Liu Ming-chuan hired the German engineer Bärns to oversee the construction of these ten forts based on Western-style designs, and Huwei Fort was one of them. Huwei Fort is located at the first ridge of Wuhugang in Tamsui, situated at a high elevation, allowing for a direct view of the Tamsui River estuary and the Guandu Bridge in the past, though it is now obscured by trees. Huwei Fort faces south, with the Zhonglie Shrine in New Taipei City on its west side, the Taiwan Golf Course on its east side, and the Cloud Gate Theater to the north.
