Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government

A combined Dutch military and commercial force captured modern day Anping in 1624, and built Fort Zeelandia(熱蘭遮城) as its defensive stronghold, which was completed in 1634. In 1662, Koxinga successfully took the Dutch fort back, and changed the name to Anping. The inner fort became the seat of government for Taiwan, and so it was known by Taiwanese as King's Fort. During the Qing Dynasty, excessive silting of the Taijiang shore gradually reduced the fort's importance, and it was neglected after being damaged by Qing soldiers who took building materials for the building of Eternal Golden Castle. The fort was rebuilt after the Japanese Colonial Period, and renamed Anping Old Fort (安平古堡) after World War II. Today the only remnant of the Dutch period is the southern brick wall outside the front gate of the Old Fort, covered in the tangled roots of old banyan trees, evidence of the nearly 400 years of Taijiang's history. In 1975, as part of the Tainan City Government's "sightseeing year" project, Anping Old Fort was repaired and its grounds extended. A pointed roof was also added to the observation tower, and the wall was painted white; that is the Anping Old Fort that we see today.