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Preface:
Fort Zeelandia is an old castle built by the Dutch people in 1624 and it took 10 years to complete. It originally served as a commercial base for the Veeenigde Nederlandsche Oslmdischecampagine, but later became the local government center for the Dutch Government. Subsequently it came under control of Ming and Cing Dynasty and then the Japanese. Fort Zeelandia is one of the few heritage sites in Taiwan that have embraced many cultures.
During the Dutch occupation, Fort Zeelandia served as the governor's palace and government center. In 1662 when Koxinga expulsed the Dutch, the Castle was renamed Anping. Since Koxinga's army and himself were usually stationed there, it was also known as " Imperial Castle "
In 1683 when the Ching Dynasty took control of Taiwan, the government center was moved to Tainan City. Fort Zeelandia was then designated as an arsenal, in 1874 A.D. when the Eternal Golden Castle was built, many of the construction materials was taken from Fort Zeelandia.
During Japanese occupation, Fort Zeelandia was further expanded to include a Customs Officer's Housing Quarters and a lighthouse. In 1930 the Japanese, in celebrating 300 years of Taiwan history, changed the housing quarters into a display museum.
After the end of World War II, Fort Zeelandia was renamed Anping Fort with a watchtower and a historical park built later. In 1983, Fort Zeelandia was certified as a First Class Historic Site by the Ministry of Interiors and entitled it to protection.
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