Fort Zeelandia

Fort Zeelandia

Introduction: The Erkunshen Fort, formerly known as the Anping Grand Fort, derived its name in contrast to the nearby Anping Small Fort. It is also commonly known as Fort Zeelandia because above the entrance gate is an inscription by Shen Baozhen reading “Fort Zeelandia” (literally “Fort of Eternal Peace”). The Erkunshen Fort was constructed starting in September of the 13th year of the Tongzhi reign (1874 AD) during the Qing Dynasty and was completed in August of the 2nd year of the Guangxu reign (1876 AD), taking just one year and ten months to build. In the 10th year of the Tongzhi reign (1871 AD), Ryukyuan fishermen were drift-driven by a storm to southern Taiwan, where most were killed by the indigenous people of the Botan Tribe. The surviving fishermen were sent via Fengshan County to the provincial capital, then transferred to Fuzhou, where after receiving relief and compensation from the governor-general, they were sent back to Ryukyu. With ulterior motives, Japan falsely claimed Ryukyu as its protectorate and used the excuse of suppressing indigenous tribes to invade Taiwan. At that time, the Qing government lodged a strong protest with Japan and dispatched Shen Baozhen, Superintendent of the Fuzhou Shipyard, as an imperial commissioner in charge of coastal defense in Taiwan and surrounding areas to actively defend the island. After arriving in Taiwan, Shen Baozhen assessed the strategic terrain of Anping, decided to construct a Western-style fort, and invited the French engineer Poiret to design it in order to guard the harbor and repel Japanese forces. The Erkunshen Fort was built in the form of a square bastion fortress based on Western geometric fortification principles, featuring protruding angles and a recessed center. The protruding bastions were equipped with cannons for long-range attacks, while the inward-sloped walls were lined with rifle squads to prevent close assaults. Later, to meet practical needs, five Armstrong muzzle-loading cannons were installed facing the sea, with four 20-pound and four 40-pound small cannons placed on the other sides. The fort was manned by 272 artillery soldiers along with rifle squads. During the Japanese colonial period, the fort suffered damage and was once abandoned, but it was later designated as one of the scenic spots of the provincial capital and placed under protection. After the retrocession, extensive renovations were carried out, and it is now a first-class historical site, presenting the appearance seen today.

Tainan City, Taiwan