A limited number of visitors will be able to experience what it was like to be an inmate in the 17th century colonial fort’s holding cell, while learning of the structure’s rich and storied past, according to the museum.
The prison experience event will be accompanied by a series of themed activities as part of a larger IMD campaign, the museum said, adding that these include free walking tours and historical re-enactments.
Fort San Domingo was built in 1628 by the Spanish. In 1644, the Dutch drove the original occupiers out and rebuilt the compound as Fort Antonio.
The Dutch were known as the “red-haired people” to Tamsui locals, which led to the structure’s naming as “fort of the red-haired” in the local tongue. After the Dutch colonialists were defeated in 1662 by Gen. Cheng Cheng-kung, aka Koxinga, the fort was controlled by Qing dynasty (1664-1911) officials until the British turned it into a trade consulate in 1868 after the Second Opium War (1856-1860).
Due to its prime location, perched on a hill overlooking the outlet of Tamsui River, Fort San Domingo has been a favorite destination among tourists to New Taipei City. It now doubles as the seat of Tamsui Historical Museum, administering 25 historic sites and three historic buildings in the district. (YHC-JSM)
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