Tamsui Red Castle Introduction
The "Tamsui Red Castle" is named for its colonial-style red brick architecture, built in 1895 and completed in 1899. It has undergone several renovations and changed from the Red Castle to the Yellow Castle, but after renovations by the current owner in 2000, it has returned to its original red appearance and has been converted into the Red Castle Restaurant. Although it is not officially recognized as a historic site by the government, its construction and renovation history symbolize the prosperity of Tamsui during its golden age and witness a century of development in Tamsui. The Tamsui Red Castle features brick arched corridors on three sides, making it a beautiful building. At that time, the only building comparable in scale was the consulate residence of Fort San Domingo. One of the former owners was a well-known literary figure in Taiwan's early years, Hong Yi-nan, who named it "Daguan Lou" because from here, one can overlook Tamsui, from Guandu Port in the east to Fort San Domingo and Tamsui Harbor in the west. The wide view inspires a sense of optimism. Many photographs of ports and street scenes during the Japanese occupation were taken from this building. The Red Castle sits on a hillside along the old street, giving it a sense of paradise. The path from the old street to the Red Castle includes a narrow staircase alley that is only wide enough for two people to walk side by side, said to have a total of 106 steps. It might be worth checking the actual count on the way to explore the Red Castle.
