Military Trail to Reemerge. Three Armstrong breech-loading cannons from the Qing Dynasty were transported up Shoushan from the Shaochuantou Customs along the ancient trail at Dengshan Street Lane 60. Now, the Kaohsiung City Urban Development Bureau intends to recreate the historical scene through the Xingbin Project, studying environmental changes over various eras and restoring features one by one, including dry-stone walls, ancient trails, machine gun bunkers, and air-raid shelters. The project is expected to be completed and opened to the public by the end of this year.
According to the Urban Development Bureau’s historical account, Taiwan’s first governor, Liu Mingchuan, built the Dapingding Fort on Shoushan in 1886 to bolster the defenses of Takao Port. In 1889, he acquired 31 Armstrong breech-loading cannons from Britain, three of which were carried up the stone stairway ancient trail at Dengshan Street Lane 60 by manpower for installation.
During the Japanese colonial period, Japanese residents of Hamasen used this trail for hiking and enjoying the scenery. Crown Prince Hirohito also walked the trail to admire the harbor views and, in 1928, initiated the development of “Heart of Takao,” now known as Shoushan Memorial Park. The trail was then transformed into an “Observation Path,” serving as a vantage point overlooking the harbor and shifting from its original military transport function to recreational use.
This ancient trail, part of the land belonging to National Sun Yat-sen University, has been fenced off from the public for over five years — a great pity. After researching environmental changes from the Qing Dynasty, Japanese colonial period, and post-war eras, the Urban Development Bureau is now undertaking the restoration of the historical site. In addition to reconstructing features like dry-stone walls, ancient trails, machine gun bunkers, and air-raid shelters, the project will also revitalize natural landscapes such as sedge wetlands and mountain spring waterways, creating a new spot in Hamasen for historical interpretation and nature-based leisure.
Director Lee Yide stated that aerial survey photos taken by the U.S. military in 1944 show that the area around National Sun Yat-sen University’s dormitory complex and the platform below Dengshan Street Lane 60 served as port officials’ residences during World War II, with military relics such as air-raid shelters and machine gun bunkers still present today. The city government is collaborating with National Sun Yat-sen University to include the restoration of the trail and its surrounding areas in the “Xingbin Project,” hoping to revive hidden urban memories waiting to be rediscovered along the ancient trail.