Once upon a time there was a kingdom wishing to expand and conquer new lands. It found its way to a beautiful island in the Pacific and established a base near the mouth of a river. People from other kingdoms also conquered the same beautiful island. Troops were sent, canyons were fired and lives were lost. This is Taiwan’s own version of Game of Thrones.
I went again to Dànshuǐ (淡水)[English: Tamsui] [Filipino: dan-shwey]. The last time I was here was in Taiwan Day 50 (Fifty First Dates) where I met three Filipinos who I do not know personally. I just met them randomly while waiting for a speedboat ride. I didn’t meet any new Filipino in this Taiwan Day Adventure but I can say that this tourist spot can be mistaken to be a Philippine tourist spot. Its name is Fort San Domingo and it’s a Spanish base established in 1629 in the Tamsui River.
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| Fort San Domingo |
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| model of Fort San Domingo |
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| at the dungeon of Fort San Domingo |
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| a statue of a prisoner waiting to be executed by firing squad |
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| The flags in Fort San Domingo are those from the kingdoms or nations which ruled the Tamsui area starting from Spain to the present ROC government. |
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| Japan! |
The Japanese wants to invade the island of Luzon so the Spaniards made a base in Taiwan to stop any planned Japanese invasion in the Philippines. The Dutch battled with the Spaniards and gained control over the area. Later, the British established a consulate in Taiwan and made a Victorian era inspired house beside Fort San Domingo.
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| a model of a galleon ship |
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| Tamsui river with Mt. Guanyin at the background |
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| The Former British Consulate in Tamsui is just beside the Fort San Domingo. |
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| model of the Former British Consulate in Tamsui |
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| How to fire a canyon |
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| Tamsui River can be seen from the veranda of the Former British Consulate. |
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| I went inside the Former British Consulate. |
I just imagined galleons docked in Tamsui River bringing along merchants from the other side of the world. Sitting in the veranda of the British Consulate Residence one can see Mt. Guanyin and the peaceful waters of Tamsui River.
Taiwan and the Philippines have a common history at least and it’s amazing how Taiwan preserved this historic site. Fort San Domingo is a common scenic spot in the Taipei Metro Tourist Map and it can be reached by the Tamsui MRT Station and then taking Bus R26 to Fort San Domingo stop.
The Spaniards, Dutch, British and the Japanese. Don’t also forget China’s Qing Dynasty and the aboriginal tribes of Taiwan who are the original settlers of the island. They are all part of Tamsui’s history. They are all characters in Taiwan’s Game of Thrones.
THINGS TO DO IN TAIPEI
Sakura Series - Taiwan
2025 Forecast
Taipei 101 first flowers
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Taipei Flower Test Center
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Broadwood Park
Sunshine Sports Park kawazu sakura
Wuling Farm (武陵農場)
SYS kawazu sakura
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
CKS Memorial Hall
Shibafen Yoshino Sakura
Hope River
Dongfang Temple
Tianyuan Palace
Neicou Stream Trail
Orange Garden Cafe
Yangming Park Visitor Information Center
Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop
Huashan Road
Qianshan Park
Zhongshan Hall Entrance
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura
Neihu Creek Trail
Shulin Land Office
Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest
Lung Yen Sakura Forest
Yangming Park cherry stream
Yangming Park fountain
CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura
Wugu District Tianyi Road
CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura
Loving Farm
Yong Long Farm
Zhongbaling Sakura Road
Sun Link Sea
Tai'an Police Station
Cherry Hill Slope
Hsinchu Park
Taipei 101
Kāng Gào Kēng Creek
New Garden City
Broadwood Park
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Alishan Ranger Station
Alishan House
Alishan Police Station
Alishan Forest Railway
Alishan Station
Alishan Entrance
Alishan Gou Hotel
Alishan Magnolia Garden
Wulai tour
Wun Chang Elementary School
Bishanyan
Sanzhi Sansei Trail
Sakura Series - Taiwan
Nei Cuo Stream
Orange Garden Cafe
Sansei Trail
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Yangming Park Cherry Stream
Yangming Park Fountain
Flower Test Center
Broadwood Park
New Garden City
Yinghua Park
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Yangmingshan Visitor Center
Taipei 101
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Sakura Series - Japan
Kamonyama Park
Near the Nippon Maru Memorial Park
Shinko Park
Minato-mirai 21 area
Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus
Onda River
Tenryuji
Byodoin
Kiyomizudera
Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple
Hōryū-ji Temple
Nara Park attractions
Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus
Sumida River
Tsuruma Park
Gion
Maple Series
Taipei Aowanda
Shimen Dam
Alishan
Aowanda
Shanlinxi
Taoyuan Valley Garden
Fushoushan Farm
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| Yehliu to Jiufen? Yehliu to Shifen? Cheaper than yellow taxis |
The "Taipei kong mahal" (My beloved Taipei)
Always in my heart
MRT birdman
Valentine's Day
Tulips Festival
2018 Taipei Lantern Festival
City of Azaleas
Linji Huguo Temple
Nanjichang Night Market
Gudetama Chef restaurant
Dalongdong Bao'an Temple
Shilin hollyhocks
Ningxia Night Market
Ximending graffiti
Discovery Center of Taipei
Chunghwa Postal Museum
Double-Decker Bus
Shilin Cold Balls
Jingimoo
GomanMango
mud volcanic ice
Fire and Ice Dumpling
Opium Fen-Yuan
Ichiran Ramen
Liu Shandong Beef Noodles
hydrangea flowers
National Palace Museum
Other attractions in Taipei
Taipei on a budget
Japanese buildings
Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles
Presidential Office Building
Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain
CKS and SYS Hall
City tour
Beitou ramen
MRT Monopoly Game
Winter city tour
Zhicheng Park
Shilin Plum Blossom
Art museums
Shopping in Taipei
Summer desserts
Qingtiangang
Qixingshan hiking
2015 Calla lily
2016 Calla lily
Beitou tour
Beitou-Zhuzihu tour
NTU
Confucius Temple
2015 Dadaocheng Festival
Puppet Museum
Fantasy Ice World
2016 Bread Show
Strawberry picking
2015 Rose Garden
Modern Toilet
Shilin Night Market
NASA Exhibit
Raohe Night Market
Longshan Temple
2013 Taipei Zoo
Maokong Gondola
Lupin flowers
Taipei 101 day visit
Taipei 101 night visit
Tiger Mountain
Din Tai Fung
Taipei Story House
2014 Flower Show
Chrysanthemum Show
Miramar Ferris wheel
Miniatures Museum
Archery
1600 Pandas
Wulaoguo hot pot
Upside Down House
2016 101 Fireworks
New Taipei
Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel
Shifen Waterfall
2017 Sand Sculpture
Dragon Caves
New Taipei tour
2016 Kite Festival
Pingxi Crags
Bitou Cape
2016 Sand Sculpture
2015 Christmasland
Juming - Jinshan
Houtong - Pingxi
Sandiaoling Waterfall
Jiufen foodtrip
Guanyinshan hike
Yehliu Ocean World
2014 Kite Festival
Pingxi Rail tour
Jinguashi tour
Vigor Kobo Pineapple
British Consulate
Yehliu Geopark
2014 Sand Sculpture
Paragliding
2014 Christmasland
2014 Pingxi Lantern
firefly watching
Yingge Ceramics Street
Jiufen tour
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