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The Wall Remains 400-year in Anping | Fort Zeelandia

Some of my travelogues were storytelling about Age of Discovery. Taiwan's civilized history was also aligned with the age of discovery since Dutch VOC constructed the Fort Zeelandia in 1624.

Last weekend, I felt so overwhelmed to stand in front of the remaining wall of Fort Zeelandia in Anping, Tainan. The guide, Oneday Chen, is also my old buddy from student time - he returned to hometown (Anping) 20 years ago and built a local team to revive the local community where was the Dutch trading settlement 400 years ago.

(Photo Credit | Chi Hsu)

The old-route walking tour in Fort and village of Zeelandia

A local team of place making curated the old photo exhibition and walking tour to recall the first well-planned streetscapes in Taiwan.

It is fascinated to know Dutch people designed the streetscapes with the name of wall street and broad street which are the same as the downtown of Manhattan in New York City.

What's the key aspects of Fort Zeelandia?

I learned from ChatGPT about the key aspects of Fort Zeelandia would represent the points below:

Dutch Colonization: The Dutch used Fort Zeelandia to control trade and assert their power over the region. Their goal was to establish a base for maritime trade and expand their influence in East Asia.
Architecture: Built on a sandbar off the coast, Fort Zeelandia was a well-fortified structure with three levels, stone walls, and cannons for defense. The design incorporated European-style fortification techniques that were unfamiliar to the local population.
Siege and Defeat: In 1661, Koxinga (鄭成功), a Chinese military leader loyal to the Ming Dynasty, laid siege to Fort Zeelandia with the intent of expelling the Dutch and establishing his own rule in Taiwan. After a nine-month siege, the Dutch surrendered in 1662, marking the end of their presence in Taiwan and the beginning of Koxinga’s rule.
Legacy and Historical Significance: Fort Zeelandia is a symbol of the European colonial era in Taiwan. Its fall to Koxinga shifted Taiwan’s governance and laid the groundwork for subsequent Chinese influence. The site holds cultural and historical significance as a point of cultural exchange and conflict between East and West.