Fort Santo Domingo

This article is about a former fort in New Taipei, Taiwan. For the fort in Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines, see Cuartel de Santo Domingo.
Fort Santo Domingo
紅毛城
Tamsui, New Taipei City, Taiwan
Fort Santo Domingo is located in Taiwan
Fort Santo Domingo
Fort Santo Domingo
Taiwan
Coordinates25°10′31″N 121°26′00″E / 25.1753°N 121.4332°E / 25.1753; 121.4332
TypeFort
Site information
WebsiteFort Santo Domingo
Site history
Built1644
Built bySpanish East Indies (demolished structure)
Dutch East India Company (extant structure)
External images
image icon Aerial photograph of Fort Santo Domingo：
The rectangular architecture in the front is the main fortress of Fort Santo Domingo, while the two-storied building behind it is the former British consul's residence.
image icon Taiwan Historical-Site Stamp: Fort Santo Domingo：
The 5-dollar stamp produced by the government of Taiwan in 1985.
image icon Taiwanese Commemorative Coins of 2010：
The sculpture in the back of 100 dollar is the main architecture of Fort Santo Domingo
Fort Santo Domingo
Traditional Chinese紅毛城
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHóngmáochéng
Bopomofoㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄇㄠˊ ㄔㄥˊ
Southern Min
Hokkien POJÂng-mn̂g-siâⁿ
Tâi-lôÂng-mn̂g-siânn
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese聖多明哥城
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinShèng Duōmínggē chéng
Bopomofoㄕㄥˋ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄍㄜ ㄔㄥˊ
Southern Min
Hokkien POJSèng To-bêng-ko Siâⁿ
Tâi-lôSìng To-bêng-ko Siânn

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 Manila-based Spanish East Indies of the Spanish Empire, who named it in Spanish: el Fuerte de Santo Domingo, lit. 'the Fort of Saint Dominic'. However, after refurbishing it in stone, the initial fort was repeatedly ordered to be dismantled and withdrawn from around 1637 by Spanish Governor-General Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera for economic downsizing and retrenchment,[1] which their rival Dutch East India Company (VOC) of the Dutch Empire soon found out and later invaded in 1641 and won by the Second Battle of San Salvador in 1642. After the battle, the Dutch rebuilt a fort in the original site in 1644 and renamed it in Dutch: Fort Antonio, after Antonio van Diemen, the then Governor-General of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Since the Dutch were called in Taiwanese Hokkien Chinese: 紅毛; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Âng-mn̂g; lit. 'Red-haired (people)') by the Han Chinese immigrants during the time, the fort was then nicknamed in Taiwanese Hokkien Chinese: 紅毛城; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Âng-mn̂g-siâⁿ; lit. 'Red-hair (ang mo) fort'.[2]

In 1724, the Qing Government repaired the fort, and built a perimeter wall with four gates. From 1868 onwards the fort was leased to the British government as its consulate, and a new two-storey building was built nearby as the consul's residence. The fort continued to be used as a British consulate during Japanese rule, but was briefly closed during the Pacific War.

After the war, it was returned to British control. The site was used as an unofficial British embassy until 1972, though official diplomatic relations between Republic of China (Taiwan) and the United Kingdom were terminated in 1950. Afterwards the fort was temporarily managed by Australia and the United States of America, before the fort was returned to the government of Republic of China (Taiwan) in 1980. Since then, the fort has been a National Historical Site, open to tourists and archaeologists alike.

The site of Fort Santo Domingo includes the main fortress, the former British consul's residence, and the south gate built during Qing dynasty. Among the architectures, the main fortress is one of the oldest buildings on the whole island, and there were four cannons placed in the front of the fortress, which could be traced back to Jiaqing era. The former British consul's residence is on the east side of the main fortress, and is a two-storey English-style building. The south gate is the only Chinese style architecture among all the buildings, and is made from Guangin Stones.

Fort Santo Domingo is located near Hobe Fort, which was built during the late Qing era.[3]

  1. ^ Andrade, Tonio (2005). How Taiwan Became Chinese: Dutch, Spanish and Han Colonization in the Seventeenth Century. Columbia University Press – via gutenberg-e.org.
  2. ^ Naoyoshi Ogawa, ed. (1931–1932). "âng-mn̂g-siâⁿ (紅毛城)". 臺日大辭典 [Taiwanese-Japanese Dictionary] (in Japanese and Taiwanese Hokkien). Vol. 1. Taihoku: Governor-General of Taiwan. p. 94. OCLC 25747241.
  3. ^ Shan, Shelley (19 Sep 2016). "'Old Dutch Fort' in Tamsui reopens after repairs". Taipei Times. p. 3.