Fort Zeelandia
Fort Zeelandia
Fort Zeelandia (No. 82, Guosheng Rd, Anping District, Tainan City) – a.k.a. Fort Anping, this site (located 3 ½ hours, or 317 km south of Taipei) was built by the Dutch in 1627, as a stronghold for the Dutch army and navy. At that time, the Dutch (represented there by the Dutch East India Company) set up a colony in Taiwan in order to better enable them to trade with nearby Far Eastern countries, especially China. There are many remnants of the fort. The red brick stone walls are still intact and there are a few cannons placed around the leafy grounds. The fort’s upper level has been turned into a museum — highlighting some of the important events during the Dutch occupation. Visitors can see small weapons and uniforms of the soldiers at the time as well as sketches and paintings of ships and famous figures.
The museum showcases statues of two famous Taiwanese generals of the time: Zheng Zhilong (a former pirate who became a Taiwan admiral. He fought and defeated the Dutch in their attempts to tax all ships in 1626.). The other famed general was Koxinga (who led the Taiwanese navy in the final nine-month siege to oust the Dutch from Taiwan in 1662). Although the Dutch returned to North Taiwan soon after, they didn’t last and were soon driven out (reportedly to Java – the Dutch East Indies). Taiwan then became part of mainland China’s Qing Dynasty.
Admission: NT$50 (adult), NT$25 (seniors and children). Hours: 8:30 am – 5:30 pm (daily).