Nestled at the northern most point of Taipei, at the mouth
of the Tamsui River, lays the quaint city of Tamsui. It has all the charm of any
port town but mixed in is a colonial feel. The region was once home to the
Formosan indigenous tribes however they were unable to escape the far reaching
exploration of the Europeans throughout the worlds’ oceans. It didn't take long
after reaching the Far East that the Spanish settled in the town in 1629. The
Dutch would soon take over in 1641 for the next 20 years and began building a
fortress.
Propped on a hill overlooking the river stands Fort San
Domingo with its’ bright red bricks escaping typical Asian architecture and
being uniquely colonial. The structure was used as the British consulate during
the late 19th and 20th centuries and it has spectacular views of the adjacent
port town of Bali and its’ lush green mountain in the background. Now a
wonderfully preserved building and museum, it offers great insight into the
history of not only Tamsui but all of Taiwan.
Further up the hill rests the appropriately named
"Little White House." Also a museum today the bright white house
surrounded by vibrant flowers and an equally impressive view of the river it
stands testiment to the importance of this river location. It served as the customs
officer’s residence built by the Chinese in 1862 and later by the Japanese, and
is a symbol of the importance of this small port city in global maritime trade.
Along the riverfront, life changes from a rustic colonial
feel to a vivacious Asian port. The boardwalk is lined with fisherman lazily
trying to get a catch on one side and a long stretch of local shops, street
food vendors, and carnival games on the other. Famous for its’ simple yet tasty
fish ball soup, black eggs, and bright spires of ice cream, just relaxing and
people watching makes for the perfect way to end your day.
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