Shihchuanling Fort

Shihchuanling Fort

Shihchuanling Fort

Shihchuanling is located south of downtown Keelung, above the Daye Tunnel on the highway, connecting Hutou Mountain and Keelung Mountain. Though the ridge is only 155 meters high, it commands a commanding view over the entire city of Keelung.

In the 9th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1883), Liu Mingchuan hired British engineers to build a fort here. During the Sino-French War the following year, it successfully halted the French army’s advance southward and forced them to retreat to Penghu. After the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki and the cession of Taiwan, Shihchuanling’s treacherous terrain also compelled the Japanese to land instead in areas such as Aodi and Yenliao. It is a famous historical battlefield in Keelung, and the remnants of the fort on the ridge are now designated as a third-class historic site.

Over time, the cannons of Shihchuanling Fort have been lost, leaving only a stone command post and a fan-shaped gun emplacement for visitors to reflect upon.

Transportation guide: Take Keelung City Bus No. 201, 202, or 205 from in front of Keelung Railway Station, get off at Renwu Road Station, then walk uphill along Chenggong 1st Road and Shihchuan Road for about 1.8 kilometers to reach the site.