Anping Fort Introduction
In the early 17th century, the Dutch, combining military and commercial forces, occupied present-day Anping in 1624 and built Fort Zeelandia as their defensive stronghold, with all construction completed by 1634. After Zheng Chenggong captured the Dutch fort in 1662, it was renamed Anping Town, and the inner city was referred to as the Royal City by the Taiwanese. During the Qing Dynasty, as the Taijiang Inner Sea gradually silted and lost its significance, and with the Qing army's destruction of Fort Zeelandia to build Fort Anping, it fell into neglect. It was rebuilt during the Japanese occupation and post-World War II, it became known as "Anping Fort." Currently, the only remaining relics from the Dutch period are the brick walls of the southern rampart in front of the fort. The ancient banyan tree, with its vast roots, witnesses nearly 400 years of history in Taijiang.
