Tamsui Chapel

Tamsui served as the base for the development of the Presbyterian Church in Northern Taiwan. Reverend George Leslie Mackay of the Presbyterian Church of Canada is recognized as having made the greatest contribution. After Dr. Mackay arrived in Tamsui on March 9, 1872, he actively commenced his missionary work. He also learned Taiwanese Hokkien and local culture. The original rented house served not only as a hospital but also as a place for his missionary work. In 1873, he baptized the first group of believers, conducting the ceremony in the rented residence as there was no church building available. To expand his missionary outreach, he often led students to various locations to preach, establishing churches that were then managed by his students. Despite many challenges, they managed to establish churches throughout Northern Taiwan. The first church in Northern Taiwan was built in Wugu, while the Tamsui Chapel was later converted from the Mackay Clinic's doctors' dormitory. It is now a county-designated historic site.