Anping Fort (Fort Zeelandia)

Anping Fort is also known as Fort Zeelandia. It was first built by the Dutch in 1624 as their administrative and trading center as well as military headquarters. The fort initially consisted of a square inner fortress and rectangle outer walls. When Cheng Cheng-kung (Koxinga) expelled the Dutch in 1661, the fort was renamed Anping. Because of this, Anping Fort is also known as King's Fort or Taiwan Fort.

After Cheng Cheng-kung died, Taiwan was included in the Qing empire. The island's political center was transferred to Tainan City, and Anping Fort began to decline. Many of the fort's red bricks were taken for construction of the Eternal Fortress in Tainan City. During the Japanese colonial occupation of Taiwan (1895-1945), the Dutch-styled buildings in the fort's inner fortress were completely destroyed.

After the Restoration of Taiwan in 1945, Anping Fort gained its present name and was registered as a first-grade historical site. Today, what remains is the south side of the outer walls, which is more than 70 meters long and with worn-out bricks, and some old banyan roots.

In the case of the fortress, the long and narrow wall on its west extends from south to north. The fortress has a cannon base, which is made of granite and pebbles. The base has glazed floorings and was originally equipped with British BP cannons (which use 9-pound cannon balls). The cannons there today are replicas of the original ones. Meanwhile, on the south, north and west sides of the fortress, there are six brick battlements. The battlement in the north is made of stones and cement.

What local and international visitors see today is the reconstruction of Anping Fort, with an observation tower. However, the aforementioned original relics still remind visitors of the majestic buildings once stood here.