Fengguiwei Fort

Welcome to the remote, wind-scoured islands of the Penghu archipelago, situated strategically in the volatile waters of the Taiwan Strait. This collection of islands has long served as a critical maritime crossroads, a harsh but…

As we begin our perimeter walk, the most crucial architectural feature to observe is the overarching shape of the ruins. From ground level, it may seem like a confusing series of hills, but from an aerial perspective, the…

Standing here on the Southern Bulwark, the most elevated section of the surviving earthworks, we gain a clear understanding of why the Dutch East India Company chose this specific, barren location for their fortress. Looking out…

Descending from the defensive walls into the central depression of the site, we enter what was once the Inner Garrison Courtyard. Today it is a quiet, empty field of scrub grass, but in sixteen twenty two, this was a dense,…

Moving toward the northern edge of the fortifications, we engage with the historical climax of Fengguiwei Fort: its inevitable conflict with the Ming Dynasty. The Dutch occupation of Penghu was highly illegal under Chinese…

Let us examine the specific locations along the earthen parapets where the Dutch artillery was formally emplaced. You can still discern the slight depressions and flattened areas at the points of the star where the heavy bronze…

We conclude our physical tour at the precipice of the fort, looking down the steep decline toward the rocky shoreline where the Dutch ships were once anchored. This is the path of retreat. …

As our scholarly examination of the Fengguiwei Fort ruins comes to a close, we must synthesize the immense historical weight carried by these simple earthen mounds. We are standing on the precise geographical pivot point of…