Chihkan Lou (The Chamber of Red Hill)

Chihkan Lou, or the Tainan Chihkan Tower, was first built by the Dutch in 1653 as a defense hub. It was named Fort Provintia, with "provintia" meaning "province" in English. When Cheng Cheng-kung expelled the Dutch, he took up residence in the tower for nine months. After Taiwan was included in the Qing empire, various stone tablets that recorded the achievements of local government officials were stored in the tower. Today, these stone tablets rank among Taiwan's most majestic and distinctive.

During the Japanese colonial occupation of Taiwan (1895-1945), Chihkan Lao became an army garrison hospital. After the restoration of Taiwan in 1945, the building underwent many restorations that gradually changed the original wooden structure to a steel and concrete one. Many Chinese-styled buildings were added to the original Dutch ones. The south-facing front gate was also changed, so that it now faces south.

In 1971, Chihkan Lou was designated as a first grade historic site. In front of the building, there are nine sets of stone turtles carrying the aforementioned tablets. The base of these stone turtles is made of granite. Legend has it that the stone turtle is one of the dragon's nine sons who likes to carry heavy objects on its back. Meanwhile, in front of Chihkan Lou there is also a stone horse with broken legs. According to local legend, the stone horse's legs were broken by force because it turned into a monster at night and harassed the nearby residents.