Former British Consulate in Tamsui Introduction
The former British Consulate, located on the east side of Fort San Domingo, is a brick western-style building with arches, completely different from the castle style of Fort San Domingo. The brick construction of the consulate was designed by a British architect and built by Chinese craftsmen, utilizing Chinese materials. The red brick building, arched corridors, sloping roofs, and high steps successfully showcase the features of typical colonial architecture. The former British Consulate is a two-story red brick Western-style building built by the British. This type of house, constructed by the British in East Asia and Southeast Asia during the mid-19th century for trade or colonization, is generally referred to as "colonial architecture." The south gate serves as the main entrance, made of stone slabs from Guanyin Mountain, and the house is characterized by a large lawn in front, accompanied by the main two-story arched brick form, reflecting the popular "bungalow" style of British colonial architecture from the Victorian era. It is currently part of the Fort San Domingo historic site and is designated as a first-class historic site. There are 12 brick sculptures on the outer brick wall of the main entrance, including symbols of Britain such as roses, a "VR1891" pattern from the Victorian era, green-glazed vase railings with local Taiwanese styles, and ancient coin-patterned stone-carved windows near the base. Additionally, the edges of the brick columns have finely curved edges, and the designs of the column heads, shafts, and bases imitate Greek stone detailing, demonstrating high brickwork techniques. The 1860s marked an era of Taiwan's opening to the outside world, with foreign merchants and missionaries landing, leading to the construction of trading houses and consulates. These Western-style houses differed from European architecture, incorporating tropical design features such as arches for cooling. The arches surround the houses, becoming standard Western-style buildings from Singapore to Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and even Shanghai and Qingdao, symbolizing the arrival of Western powers. The former British Consulate was constructed in the 1860s to 1870s and is one of the few surviving early Western-style buildings in East Asia. The construction techniques of the consulate are exceptional, and the materials used are exquisite. It still retains the fire-resistant iron arch roofs from the late 19th century, which are precursors to reinforced concrete and hold significant academic research and appreciation value.
