2-1. Geology of Tamsui

Located on the northwest end of New Taipei City, Tamsui District is shielded by Datun Mountain and is separated from Bali District by Tamsui River. The region was formed with lava from Datun Mountain and a series of sloping hills were carved by the outbursts of molten rock, giving rise to Five Tigers Hill.

Holding the high ground, these five main veins resemble the marks of a tiger’s claws that ripped the mountain from the top to the riverbanks. On the bottom of the mountain, only a narrow strip of land lined the river, so human settlements became nested in the valleys. From Han-style streets and western churches to schools, a colorful port village thrived on elevated land next to Tamsui River.

2-2. Ecology of Tamsui

A classic intertidalecosystem flourishes from Zhuwei to the mouth of Tamsui River, offering habitat to mangrove seedlings, mudskippers, fiddler crabs, and waterfowls. Of all the species housed by the mangrove biome, crabs are the most unique. There are over 30 species of crabs dwelling in the mangrove forests of Zhuwei, and fiddler crabs account for the majority of the population.

The odd-looking mudskippers also awe visitors with their frog-like heads and swamp eel-like bodies. These amphibians can swim under water, crawl on mud, jump in the air, and climb trees. Above them are water birds such as egrets and sandpipers that migrate in spring or winter. They rest, prowl, and live in this region during springtime, and some species choose to stay and weather out the winter in Tamsui.

Because of the periodic change in the water’ssaline levels, a particular salt-tolerant mangrove species, known as Kandelia obovata, makes up the majority of the vegetation in the intertidal ecosystem of Tamsui. As part of the Kandelia genus under the Rhizophoraceae family, the K. obovata mangrove develops shallow butress roots to prop itself above the water while sprouting additional aerial roots for structural support.

The viviparious tree helps to stablize the coastline by retaining ground soil, reducing erosion, and offering protection from tides and storms. The resourceful species is able to survive in difficult conditions, thriving to become the world’s largest homogenous K. obovata forest along Zhuwei marshlands. Today, the Zhuwei intertidal region serves as a living classroom on biodiversity, offering sightings of crabs, water fowls, and mudskippers.

2-3. Buildings of Tamsui

The Tamsui heritage site encompasses 33 historic sites and buildings, 28 of which are located within the 1km-range between the Tamsui MRT Station and Huwei Fort.

The coastal area includes customspiers, foreign trading companies and warehouses known as hongs, defensive wharves, and a water aerodrome, namely Tamsui Customs Wharf, Former British Merchant Warehouse (of Lapraik, Cass & Co.), and Tamsui Water Airport.

On the hillside are defensive outfits such asHuwei Fort and Fort San Domingo, the latter of which includes a former British Consulate, as well as memorial sites such as Tamsui Customs Officer’s Residence (also known as Little White House) and the former residence of the late Reverend Dr. Leslie Mackay.

At even higher elevation stand academic institutions such as Oxford College of Aletheia University, Tamsui Girls’ School, and Tamsui Women’s School. Altogether, the distribution of these 33 sites reflect the diverse foreign powers in play during Taiwan’s colonial era.

2-3-1. Fort San Domingo

After the Dutch colonists ousted the Spanish traders in 1642, Fort San Domingo was rebuilt in the image of a European defensive castle. The inner layer of the wall was made with bricks, while the outer layer was fortified by stone blocks to withstand artillery fire. The Fort was also outfitted with extremely small doors and windows, which were features that reflect the enclosed design of fortified castles.

A Western-style building fashioned with red bricks and arcades stands to the east of the Fort. Designed by the British and constructed by Chinese craftsmen with bricks imported from Xiamen, it once served as a British Consulate. The arcade with its Indian roots was a classic example of “colonial architecture,” in which 19th-century architecture incorporated elements from colonial realms.

The Consulate was built to withstand the hot and humid weather of Tamsui, while offering ample comfort and a beautiful view of Guanyin Mountain and Tamsui River.

2-3-2. Tamsui Customs Officer’s Residence (Little White House)

After Tamsui Port began operations, merchant ships from around the world began to travel to Taiwan, andQing authorities sent civil servant Ou Tien-min to establish a customhouse in Tamsui in 1861.

Now located in front of Tamsui Junior High School, the western-style white building once served as the personal residence of the office holder. Built in 1875 and renovated in 1930, the independent structure is encircled by arcades in Spanish cloister style. It also enjoys an elevated foundation, a slanted rooftop, and ground-levelair vents. Constructed predominantly with red bricks and slathered in lime to give it its characteristic whiteness, the building is nicknamed “Little White House” by Tamsui residents.

2-3-3. Tamsui Customs Wharf

Located downhill from Fort San Domingo, Tamsui Customs Wharf can be found at No. 259 Chongcheng Rd. Its location commands a panoramic view of Tamsui’s finest sights, including Guangdu Bridge and the mouth of Tamsui River.

The historic Wharf that played an important role in recent Taiwan history was crafted with meticulously overlaid rocks chiseled from Guanyin Mountain. Flanked by two customs warehouses from the same era, the 200-meter-deep shallow Wharf and its surrounding buildings stand testament to Tamsui’s time as a bustling international port city.

2-3-4. Mackay Hospital

Canadian missionary George Leslie Mackay was born in 1844 in Oxford County, Ontario. Via a ferry to Tamsui, the 27-year-old arrived in northern Taiwan in 1872 and began his lifelong missionary work. Using his rented apartment as a makeshift clinic, Dr. Mackay provided treatment and medicine to patients, and his popularity grew when his liquid quinine proved to be effective in curing the rampant malaria.

He rented a second building in 1873 and used it to establish Huwei Hospital. Six years later, a widow whose seafaring husband also bore the last name Mackay bequeathed US$2,500 to the good doctor. To commemorate her kindness, Dr. Mackay built a new clinic and named it Mackay Hospital after the late captain.

The hospital still stands in modern-day Mackay Street of Tamsui District, showcasing a mix of eastern and western architectural elements such as Chinese-style Minan roof tiles and western arches and windows. It has been designated as a historic site by the New Taipei City government, and it is widely seen as the harbinger of western medicine in Taiwan.

2-3-5. Oxford College, Aletheia University

Dr. Mackay returned to Canada at the end of 1880 and traveled across the country, giving speeches on his missionary work in Taiwan. When he proposed to establish a school in Tamsui to cultivate individuals who could help the church and Taiwanese society, Oxford residents embraced the idea and generously donated funds to help Dr. Mackay start his school.

Dr. Mackay returned to Taiwan and purchase a plot of land that stands west to the modern-day Tamsui Junior High School. He personally supervised the construction from start to completion, from importing roof tiles from Fujian Province to unveiling the red-brick building in July 1882. It was given the English name “Oxford College” in gratitude for the donations made by his hometown.

Its architectural merits reflect a combination of western and eastern styles, making Oxford College of Aletheia University a microcosmof the social influences of that era. Today, it falls under government protection as a national heritage site.

2-3-6. TamKang Senior High School

Established in 1914 by the Presbyterian Church, TamKang Senior High School is renowned for colonial-style buildings that retain their original design from a century ago. The campus includes the original Tamsui Girl’s School from 1884, Tamsui Women’s School from 1910, the Octagonal Tower designed by Canadian missionary Kenneth W. Dowie, Dr. Mackay’s final resting place, and a cemetery for foreigners.

Featuring local materials such as red bricks, Taiwan-style tiles, and handmade glazed tiles, the Octagonal Tower from 1925 is one of the most famous sites on campus. The tower itself resembles sanheyuan, a traditional three-section residential compound, and western and eastern elements are combined to create one of the most spectacular architectural designs by foreign missionaries during the Japanese colonial era.

2-4. History of Tamsui

The advantages of Tamsui’s geographical location is reflected in the well-kept conditions of Fort San Domingo and surrounding historic buildings. Unlike the fast-eroding Baroque churches in the Philippines, Tamsui’s buildings are shielded from seasonal northeast monsoons by Datun Mountain. Slower wind speeds also make for easier docking of ships, and Tamsui’s position next to a river-cut cliff offers deeper waters that could accommodate larger vessels. These characteristics made Tamsui a very desirable military foothold.

When the European maritime nations came to power in the 17th century and began to establish overseas colonies, Dutch ships first came and occupied Tainan in southern Taiwan while Spanish ships followed suit and took Tamsui in northern Taiwan.

In 1629, Spanish authorities built Fort San Domingo to protect its interests in Tamsui as a way station for maritime transportation and a colony for scavenging local resources. The military stronghold became the Spanish center for ruling Taiwanese plains aborigines and Han locals. Spain also sought to spread the Catholic doctrine and built several churches in Tamsui. The Spanish port fortress ruled northern Taiwan for 12 years before meeting its defeat at the hands of Dutch troops.

To strength its control over the region, Dutch authorities renovated Fort San Domingo in the style of European fortified castles and rechristened it “Fort Antonio.” Tamsui became an important port that delivered Taiwanese resources and products to the Netherlands.

Taiwan fell to Qing rule in 1683 but the Qing dynasty grew weak by the 19th century, and upon its defeat in the Second Opium War, had to open Tamsui Port to international trade. The slew of foreign merchant ships paved the way for wharves, shops, churches, schools, consular residences, and western-style buildings in the stretch of land between the riverside and mountain slopes, reflecting an unprecedented era of prosperity and the long-lasting influence of western culture on that region.

Given Tamsui’s past vitality and its role in Taiwan history, the region’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage is worthy of preservation and promotion.

2-5. Comparison to World Heritage Sites

The Baroque Churches of the Philippines refer to four Spanish-era churches in the Filipino cities of Paoay, Santa Maria, Manila, and Miagao that won inclusion to the UNESCO world heritage register in 1993.

The Philippines were colonized by Spain for 300 years, and Spanish legacy had a great influence on Filipino culture. However, churches there did not take after Spanish architecture. The Baroque Churches, which are rectangular constructions without side corridors or crisscrossing arcades and supported by reinforced buttresses and naves with low ceilings, are unique to the Philippines.

The Church of San Agustin at Paoay on Ilocos Norte is equipped with 1.7m-thick walls made of bricks and coral stone blocks that are further reinforced by giant buttresses measuring 5 meters taller than the church’s exterior walls. The church, which is topped off with a small tower, embodies architectural elements from both Spain and the Philippines. This is similar to the historic buildings in Tamsui, which used local materials and adopted local elements instead of borrowing entirely from Spanish or Dutch architecture.

The advantage of such buildings lie in their reflection of the region’s complete colonial history. Fort San Domingo and surrounding historic buildings tell the stories of Tamsui’s occupation by Dutch colonists, the land development and dispersion of Han people, the opening of Tamsui Port, and Taiwan’s colonialization by Japan. The history embodied by Tamsui is equally – if not more – deserving to be included in the UNESCO heritage register alongside the Baroque Churches of the Philippines.

River port cities are of great importance to Taiwan’s urban development. Geographers have grouped human settlements in accordance to their locations, giving rise to the categories of port towns, inland towns, and hillside towns. As hubs for social interaction and trade, riverside settlements were closely connected to urban development during the Qing dynasty. Tamsui, in particular, was transformed by its proximity to water transportation. Therefore, the spatial and urban development of early human settlements in Taiwan can be researched by studying the history of Tamsui.

Tamsui, formerly known as Huwei, is located on the north shore of Tamsui River. It is shielded by Datun Mountain and has the characteristics of both a mountain and a riverside settlement. Tamsui contains a diverse range of architectural styles and buildings dot the stretch of land from the riverbanks to the mountains.

Han-style villages and traditional temples occupy the riverbank area, whereas foreign shops, churches, and schools are founded on elevated mountain land. Even higher up are Japanese-style dormitories constructed during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. After the introduction of the railway in 1945, a business district sprung up between the train station and Tamkang University. The diverse architecture reflects the range of foreign powers that once controlled this region.

3-1. Prehistoric Tamsui

Prehistoric humans settled downstream of Tamsui River and around the river mouth, where natural resources were abundant. Human settlement of the Tamsui region dates back to 7,000 years ago, as the region offered plains and tablelands ideal for human habitation. There were at least three distinct groups of prehistoric humans that settled in Tamsui and each culture was characterized by a different time, distribution, and lifestyle.

3-1-1. The Dapenkeng Culture

Dapenkeng villages were concentrated on a red clay tableland at the southern bank of Kungsutien Creek. Such villages were usually very small and comprised 30 to 50 households. Dapenkeng people migrated from the Chinese coastal regions of Fujian and Guangdong and settled in northern Taiwan about 7,000 years ago. They used simple stone axes and hoes to cultivate root vegetables and forayed for food by the sea. They also made clay vessels decorated with impressed cord marks and incised linear designs, which were then used to cook food, carry water, and store provisions.

3-1-2. The Laopengshan Culture

Traces of the Laopengshan Culture were found near Gangtzuping, Fort San Domingo, and a modern-day weather station in Tamsui. As descendants of the Dapenkeng people, they lived between 4,500 to 2,500 years ago in a way that was very similar to their ancestors.

3-1-3. The Shihsanhang Culture

The people of Shihsanhang Culture lived about 2,000 years ago during the late Iron Age of prehistoric Taiwan. Their remains were only found near the Mackay Medicine, Nursing and Management College in Tamsui and the Guandu Archeological Site that borders Taipei City. The Shihsanhang people were equipped with advanced iron-smelting skills and enjoyed a bountiful life bolstered by hunting, fishing, and the farming of grains.

3-2. Colonial History of Tamsui

New seafaring routes were discovered in the 16th century, leading the Netherlands and Spain to seek further trade opportunities with Asia. They landed separately in Taiwan during the early 17th century, and to solidify their power, they chose to use ports as their strongholds and built fortified castles to tighten defense. More than 300 years later, only a handful of damaged castles remain relatively intact. Fort San Domingo on the hills north of Tamsui Port remains the most wholesome site from that era, and it stands as key witness to the history of Spanish and Dutch colonization of Tamsui.

Western colonial powers began to invade northern Taiwan during the early 17th century. Spain captured Huwei (which was later renamed Tamsui) in 1629 and Fort San Domingo was built next to the mouth of Tamsui River to strengthen their rule. In 1641, Dutch colonists based in Tainan went on a northern expedition to conquer the Spanish foothold and took over the fort. They rebuilt the fort with red bricks, a common construction material in West Europe, and imported a substantial amount of lime from Southeast Asia.

The Dutch fort became a fortified castle built on a deep foundation, housing soldiers and heavy artillery such as cannons. Since many of the Dutch colonists sported red hair, early Han settlers referred to them as “red-haired savages” and nicknamed the fort “Hong Mao Cheng” ―meaning “Red Haired Fortress.”

On the onset of the Sino-French War in 1884, France’s Far East Squadron defeated the Qing Nanyang Fleet at the mouth of Min River in Fujian Province and marched onto Taiwan, but soldiers and civilians alike fought valiantly and overpowered the French invasion in Tamsui.

Following the Sino-French War, Governor Liu Ming-chuan strengthened Taiwan’s defense capabilities by building modern forts in Keeling and Tamsui. The Huwei Fort in Tamsui was equipped with the most advanced cannons of that era and the structure itself was fortified with imported cement at a high cost.

In 1894, the First Sino-Japanese War led to the Qing dynasty’s defeat within a year. In signing the Treaty of Shimonoseki, Qing officials formally ceded the island of Taiwan to Japan.

In response, the Republic of Formosa was formed and President Tang Ching-sung led the rebellion against Japanese rule. The Japanese fleet had planned to invade Taipei by landing at Tamsui, but heavy artillery along the Tamsui coast forced the fleet to land in Aodi instead. Japan soon captured Keelung and Taipei, putting an end to the civilian uprising.

When Japanese rule of Taiwan began in 1895, Tamsui slowly lost its place as an important trading hub. Instead, Japanese authorities built electricity networks and telecommunication facilities, expanded public infrastructure, and established administrative offices, transforming Tamsui into the administrative center of the region.

After the retrocession of Taiwan in 1945, Tamsui reverted back to a simple fishing town, supported by a dwindling fishing industry hampered by river pollution. In recent years however, Tamsui has made its comeback as an important cultural and tourist destination on the north coast, made prosperous once more by the economic development of the greater Taipei area.

Criteron II:

Tamsui, the original hometown of the indigenous Ketagalan tribe, was urbanized by Han settlers and transformed into a port town. The port expanded and eventually became the main channel for Taiwan to meet and interact with foreign cultures. Western religion, architecture, medicine, and education all took root in Tamsui before being adopted by the rest ofthe island.

Tamsui was exceptionally shaped by western architectural influences and the interchange of foreign activities and human values. The distinct urban distribution of Tamsui is arranged in three tiers – commercial and transportation infrastructure along the river, administrative and defensive units on elevated land, and educational and religious institutions on the upper side of the mountain. This unique town-planning design meets the second criterion of the UNESCO selection criteria.

Criterion VI:

Tamsui is inseparable from the forces that shaped Taiwan history – from western missionaries and doctors to educators, diplomats, and traders, colonial influences gave rise to the diverse architecture of the region today. Its urban landscape is dotted with schools, fortified castles, consulates, mansions, and trade outposts, and its strategic location attracted various world powers to its shores.

From Tamsui, colonial authorities gave many world-changing directives; within Tamsui, beliefs, religions, and traditions were irrevocably altered. The difference in lifestyles and concerns were also reflected in the urban planning by western and local sectors. Such tangible heritage is of universal value and thereby matches the sixth criterion of the UNESCO selection criteria.

The importance of Fort San Domingo and Surrounding Historic Buildings, Tamsui can be summarized as:

1. New seafaring routes were discovered in the 16th century, leading the Netherlands and Spain to seek further trade opportunities with Asia. They landed separately in Taiwan during the early 17th century, and to solidify their power, they chose to use ports as their strongholds and built fortified castles to tighten defense. More than 300 years later, only a handful of damaged castles remain relatively intact. Fort San Domingo on the hills north of Tamsui Port remains the most wholesome site from that era, and it stands as key witness to the history of Spanish and Dutch colonization of Tamsui.

2. River port cities are of great importance to Taiwan’s urban development. Geographers have grouped human settlements in accordance to their locations, giving rise to the categories of port towns, inland towns, and hillside towns. As hubs for social interaction and trade, riverside settlements were closely connected to urban development during the Qing dynasty. Tamsui, in particular, was transformed by its proximity to water transportation. Therefore, the spatial and urban development of early human settlements in Taiwan can be researched by studying the history of Tamsui.

3. Tamsui, formerly known as Huwei, is located on the north shore of Tamsui River. It is shielded by Datun Mountain and has the characteristics of both a mountain and a riverside settlement. Tamsui contains a diverse range of architectural styles and buildings dot the stretch of land from the riverbanks to the mountains.

Han-style villages and traditional temples occupy the riverbank area, whereas foreign shops, churches, and schools are founded on elevated mountain land. Even higher up are Japanese-style dormitories constructed during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. After the introduction of the railway in 1945, a business district sprung up between the train station and Tamkang University. The diverse architecture reflects the range of foreign powers that once controlled this region.