Dagou British Consulate Cultural Park Introduction
The British Consulate at Takow Cultural Park includes three main areas: the consulate residence on the hill, the consulate office below, and the ancient mountain trail. It is the first consulate built by the British government in Taiwan and is the only consulate site in Taiwan that has fully preserved both the residence and the office. In 2019, it was announced by the Ministry of Culture as a national historic site. The consulate residence at Takow was built in 1879 and is situated on a small hill overlooking the port, making it the oldest existing Western-style modern building in Taiwan. It was also the first consulate established by the British government in Taiwan. The office located below faces the port and is adjacent to the customs office, facilitating consular business and commercial trade, and features a police station and jail. The park preserves an intact ancient mountain trail that connects the residence and the consulate, with well-maintained stone steps allowing visitors to walk from the office below to the residence above. After the signing of the Treaty of Tientsin in 1858, Taiwan was compelled to gradually open commercial ports. The British established a consulate in Takow to expand their economic interests in Taiwan, which was completed and opened in 1879. The residence was designed by a British architect, featuring a rhythmic appearance highlighted by continuous semicircular arches, with smaller arches and larger columns at the corners for structural strength, along with bamboo-shaped downspouts that are characteristic of Western-style buildings from the late Qing Dynasty. The office below features a colonial veranda architectural style, clearly making up three distinct sections: the roof, the main body, and the base. The façade emphasizes symmetry, and the corridor is a significant feature, possibly influenced by colonial architecture in Shanghai. Running your fingers over each red brick of the consulate residence at Takow, you can feel the traces of time; history is in your hands, while beautiful views of Kaohsiung are at your feet, perfectly blending the mountains and sea. One of the Eight Sights of Kaohsiung, "Hsi Tzu Sunset," makes the best time to visit the consulate residence from the afternoon to evening. Looking east, you can enjoy a magnificent view of the entire Kaohsiung port area, with the Kaohsiung 85 Sky Tower and the Dream Mall Ferris wheel creating a vibrant modern painting. Looking south, you can see Cijin Fishing Port in the distance, with fishing boats and ferries in transit and the occasional sound of whistles, creating a peaceful and leisurely atmosphere. Looking west brings you to "Hsi Tzu Sunset," one of the Eight Sights of Kaohsiung, sometimes calm and occasionally grand and turbulent. Additionally, the park integrates leisure dining, allowing visitors to enjoy meals and tea, merging the ancient architecture with a new romantic flair.
