Hobe Fort (New Taipei City Tamsui Historical Museum)

When it comes to Tamsui's historical sites, do you only think of Fort San Domingo? Actually, not far from Fort San Domingo, about a 15-minute walk away, lies an ancient fort. This artillery fort, built in 1886, is Hobe Fort, which was spearheaded by Liu Ming-chuan, the first governor of Taiwan at the time. (The character '礮' in its name is an ancient variant of '砲', meaning cannon or fort.) In its time, it was a crucial military stronghold guarding Tamsui Harbor. Although the large cannons are no longer visible today, its former importance from a century ago can still be discerned from its outer walls and the remaining cannon emplacements. It was officially designated a National Level 2 Historic Site in 1985. With its commanding geographical position and robust construction, this magnificent fort can be considered the finest military stronghold for warfare and garrisons in the 19th century, and an important coastal defense facility during Taiwan's modernization in the Qing Dynasty.