Tainan

 

Eternal Golden Castle was originally called Anping Great Fort or Twice Fish Length Fort and it was built to resist the Japanese troops who invaded Taiwan during the Peony Suffix Event. When Shern Bao-Tzen first arrived in Anping in 1874, he believed that Great Forts should be built to protect the city, and the first western style fort was finally completed in 1876, as designed by French engineers. It was the first port equipped with British Armstrong Cannons in Taiwan, which was a great step toward modernization of the Taiwanese coastguard military defence. The fort became neglected and ruined. During the major reconstruction the shape and the materials were changed but the original scale can generally be seen.

Eternal Golden Castle is a huge square shape western diamond type castle, with its four protruding corners and indented centre. The centre of the fort was used as an exercising field protected by the large and small cannons and fosses around the fort. You can see its 2m high outer walls with overgrown fosses. The brick arched castle gate is 5m high, through which you can see a carpet of green grass. There are also memorial brass sculptures of Shern Bao-Tzen and an imitation ancient cannon.

Apping Fort - In 1624, the Dutch built the first fort in Anping, Taiwan, called "Fort Zeelandia", now known as Anping Fort, which had been the administrative centre of the Dutch regime and the hub for trading. The building was originally constructed as a square inner fortress with rectangle outer walls. In 1661, the fort was renamed as Anping to commemorate his home town when Guoxingye (Cheng Cheng-Kung) drove the Dutch out of Taiwan. Therefore, Fort Zeelandia was also known as "King's Fort" or "Taiwan Fort", and nicknamed Anping Fort.

 

In Kangxi Emperor's regime of Qing Dynasty, Taiwan was included in the empire and the political centre was transferred to Tainan City, causing the decline of the Fort. The red bricks of the Fort were taken for construction of Eternal Fortress. During the Japanese occupation, the Dutch style buildings in the inner fortress were completely destroyed. A square red-bricked step platform was constructed with a western style house on the platform to serve as the dormitory for Customs officials, and this is where the memorial hall is now located. It was named Anping Fort after the restoration of Taiwan and was registered as the first graded historical replica for tourists (over 300 years ago). The remaining 70m long south wall of the outer fort with worn-out red bricks, accompanied by the old banyan roots display some of its previous glory.

Chikanlou (The chamber of the Red Hill) was built by the Dutch in 1652 and was originally called Provintia, meaning eternity. The Chinese called the building Chikanlou, Fanzailou or Honmaolou. Although Chikanlou has gone through the Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty and the Japanese Colonization Period, it basically still maintains its original look. It was the administration centre from the Dutch's occupation period. In 1661, when the Chinese General Cheng Chengkung repelled the Dutch, Provintia was changed to be the Chentien Governor's mansion. In the early stage of tthe Qing Dynasty when the Taijiang River was still flowing, the tides could easily reach Chikanlou.

 

In front of Chikanlou there are nine sets of stone turtles carrying plates. There were made in the Qing Dynasty and were removed from elsewhere to be located here. The legend says that the stone turtle is one of the dragon's nine sons. It shifted into a turtle because it loved to endure heavy objects. There is also a stone horse with broken legs. The legend says that the stone horse's legs were broken by force because it shape-shifted into a monster at night and harassed the residents. Later, Chikanlou declined due to damage caused by civilian upheaval and lack of management. A Chinese style building was added to the original Dutch architectural body. For a time the place hosted the worship for the Guanshiyin Budda. During the Japanese colonization period, Chikanlou was changed to be an army hospital after which there was some restoration and repair. After Taiwan was returned to R.O.C., the wooden structure was changed into a steel concrete structure and the main entrance was changed, hence, the look of Chikanlou today.

Koxinga Shrine

The shrine is dedicated to the General Koxinga. In 1661, the Manchus overtook China and the Ming dynasty was overthrown. Koxinga (or Zheng Cheng Gong), a general of the Ming dynasty, fled to Taiwan with his troops in order to restock. Once he arrived in Taiwan, he was greeted by the Dutch who were trying to make their inroads into Taiwan. After nine months of battles and skirmishes, Koxinga was able to kick the Dutch out of Taiwan. Sadly, he did not live to see the mainland overtaken and died of malaria within a year of his arrival in Taiwan. Some 21 years later, Koxinga’s grandson, who was only 14 years old at the time, ceded the island to the Qing dynasty. There is a 300+ year old plum tree behind the shrine that had originally been planted elsewhere by Koxinga (or Zheng Cheng Gong) and moved to this site when the shrine was built.