Huwei Fort (New Taipei City Tamsui Historical Museum) Introduction
When talking about historical sites in Tamsui, do you only think of Fort San Domingo? In fact, a short 15-minute walk from Fort San Domingo leads you to an ancient artillery fort built in 1886. This fort, known as the Huwei Battery, was constructed under the leadership of Liu Mingchuan, the first governor of Taiwan. At that time, it was a military stronghold guarding Tamsui Harbor. Although the large cannons are no longer visible today, the outer walls and the remnants of the gun positions still reveal its significant importance over a century ago. It was officially designated as a National Second-Class Historic Site in 1985. With its elevated location and sturdy materials, this grand battery served as an excellent military fortress for warfare and garrisoning in the 19th century, as well as a crucial coastal defense facility during the modernization of Taiwan in the Qing Dynasty. After the Sino-French War, the Qing court decided to strengthen Taiwan's coastal defenses by constructing ten batteries at five coastal sites: Penghu, Keelung, Tamsui, Tainan Anping, and Kaohsiung Qihou. In 1886, Governor Liu Mingchuan hired German engineer Franz to oversee the construction of these ten batteries based on Western designs, and Huwei Battery was one of them. Located at the first peak of Wuhugang in Tamsui, Huwei Battery once offered a direct view of the Tamsui River estuary and Guandu Bridge, but unfortunately, it is now obscured by trees. Huwei Battery faces south, with the New Taipei City Martyrs' Shrine to the west, the Taiwan Golf Club to the east, and the Cloud Gate Theater to the north.
