Tamsui Red Castle Introduction
"Tamsui Red Castle" is named for its colonial-style brick architecture. Construction began in 1895 and was completed in 1899. It has undergone several renovations and was transformed from a red building to a yellow building, but after renovations by the current owner in 2000, it returned to its red appearance and was changed into Red Castle Restaurant. Although it is not officially recognized as a heritage site by the government, its architectural history reflects the prosperity of Tamsui during its golden age and witnesses the development of Tamsui over the past century. Tamsui Red Castle features brick arch corridors on three sides, making it a very beautiful building. At that time, only the consular residence of Fort San Domingo could match its scale. One of its owners was a well-known early Taiwanese literati, Hong Yi-nan, who named it "Daguang Lou," because from here, one can overlook Tamsui, from Guandu Port in the east to Fort San Domingo and Tamsui Harbor in the west, with views so expansive that it gives a sense of tranquility. Many photographs of the ports and street scenes taken during the Japanese occupation period were captured from this building. The Red Castle stands on the hillside of the old street, giving people a sense of paradise. The path from the old street to the Red Castle features a narrow staircase alley that is only wide enough for two people to walk side by side, reportedly with a total of 106 steps. On the way to explore the Red Castle, it might be worth checking this out for yourself.
