Day Trip In Tamsui - Fort San Domingo - Little White House - Hobe Fort - Taiwan 2023

Tamsui District is a seaside district in New Taipei, Taiwan. It is named after the Tamsui River; the name means "fresh water". The town is popular as a site for viewing the sun setting into the Taiwan Strait. Though modest in size it has a large role in Taiwanese culture.

The Spanish arrived in the area of Tamsui in the 17th century. In the fall of 1629, the Spanish established the first major non-aboriginal settlement comprising the town and mission of Santo Domingo. The Spanish occupied northern Taiwan for the purpose of securing Spanish interests in the Philippines against the Dutch (who were already established in the South of Taiwan by then), the British and the Portuguese, as well as for facilitating trade with China and Japan.

The area has been seen changes since then as well as being controlled by different empires.

Following the completion of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui Line in 1997, the town experienced a sharp increase in tourist traffic, reflected in the completion of several riverside parks, the growth of open air markets specializing in traditional handicrafts and street stall snacks, the construction of a fisherman's wharf, and the increase in passenger ferries traversing across and along the river.

There are many things to see in this wonderful area including the following.

Fort Santo Domingo is a historical fortress in Tamsui District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. It was originally a wooden fort built in 1628 by the Spanish Empire, who named it "Fort Santo Domingo". However, the fort was then destroyed by the Spanish themselves, after losing the Second Battle of San Salvador to the Dutch Empire in 1642. After the battle, in 1644, the Dutch rebuilt a fort on the original site and renamed it "Fort Antonio".

The Tamsui Customs Officers' Residence. After Taiwan was forced to open foreign trade in early 1860s, foreigners soon came into the island. Qing Dynasty government soon established a customs office in Tamsui in 1870 after the opening of Tamsui Port. The residence is a white colored building built in a colonial style nicknamed Little White House.

Hobe Fort or Huwei Fort is a historical fort located near Fort Santo Domingo, in Tamsui District.

In the 1880s Imperial China (Qing dynasty) and France fought a war over an area that is today Vietnam. In October 1884 as part of the Keelung Campaign, the French fleet sailed to northern Taiwan where it blockaded the ports of Keelung and Tamsui, and then landed troops at both places. The Chinese managed to turn back the assault at Tamsui, though Keelung fell to the French. Following the war, the Chinese government decided to strengthen Taiwan's coastal defenses. Hobe Fort was finished in 1888 taking western forts as a reference in design. The fort never saw combat and it remains almost entirely intact.

The area is easy to access by the red BTS line and well worth a visit. There are many other things to see and do. A great day trip from the busy city to see another side of Taipei.

Enjoy the video!

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