A Unique Light Travel Experience: Following George Leslie Mackay’s Footsteps in Tamsui and Listening to Historic Sites Tell Their Stories

A Gothic-style Towering Western Church – Tamsui Presbyterian Church

Next to the Mackay Clinic is a unique Western-style church called “Tamsui Presbyterian Church.” In the melody of the classic Hokkien song “Tamsui Dusk,” the lyrics describe “Tamsui dusk full of poetry, night fog shrouding all sides, the church bell echoing emptily across to the other side…” — referring to the bells of this very church.

The Tamsui Presbyterian Church was reconstructed from the former doctor’s dormitory of the Mackay Clinic. It features a Gothic-style tower, buttresses, and column capitals decorated with small spike-shaped ornaments. The exterior walls are made of plain red brick, while the interior uses reinforced concrete columns and floors. The roof is supported by large-span steel frames, topped with wooden ceiling panels, and the left side holds a tall bell tower.

Mackay’s Final Resting Place – Tamkang High School

Walking along the road, you’ll soon see a sign marking Mackay’s former rental residence not far ahead on the right—it’s where Mackay stayed upon arriving in Tamsui. After climbing a slope, crossing a footbridge, and following the signs, you’ll arrive at Tamkang High School. The school was founded by Mackay’s eldest son, and after Mackay passed away, he was buried on the campus. His grave is not only recognized as a historic site by the government but is also considered a sacred place for churches in northern Taiwan, attracting many visitors paying tribute.Aside from Mackay’s grave, Tamkang High School also features attractions such as the Octagonal Building, the Women’s School, the Girls’ School, and the Tamkang History Museum. The Octagonal Building remains a spiritual symbol throughout the school’s history. Additionally, Tamkang High School was the filming location for director Jay Chou’s movie “Secret.”

A Fusion of Eastern and Western Architectural Beauty – Oxford College

▲ Oxford College boasts stunning architecture with meticulous details, featuring a traditional Taiwanese red-tiled sloping roof and Western-style dormer windows. (Photo provided by the Tamsui Historic Sites Museum, New Taipei City)

Exiting Tamkang High School, the building across the street is the back of Mackay’s former residence—though it is not open to the public now. Continuing along Zhennli Street, you’ll enter Aletheia University and see the first Western-style college in Taiwan—the “Hall of Science and Literature,” also known as “Oxford College,” now designated as a national second-class historic site.Oxford College features stunning architecture with meticulous details, including a traditional Taiwanese red-tiled sloping roof, Western-style dormer windows, a Chinese-style quadrangle with two side wings, Western-style arched doors and windows, and louvers. It is considered a perfect example of East-meets-West design. Going further down, you’ll reach the Tamsui Fort San Domingo, where Dr. Mackay married Ms. Chang Congming.

Leaving the bustling Tamsui Old Street on holidays, follow the trail to uncover Mackay’s footsteps in Tamsui. Visit every site related to Dr. Mackay and listen to his past stories, as if walking through a corridor of time, reading through the pages of Tamsui’s development history over the past hundred years. Plan a different kind of trip to Tamsui next time.

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