Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government

Xun Fang Fort (巽方砲臺) is hidden away in a residential area, unknown even to many old Tainanese and, as such, it is veiled in mystery. It is the only remaining inland fort in Tainan. Located to the southeast of the Great East Gate, it was named “xun” because of its position in the eight divinatory trigrams. The fort was built from coral stone in 1836. The characters “Xun Fang Jing Zhen, (巽方靖鎮)” dating back to the reign of the Daoguang Emperor in the Qing Dynasty can be seen carved on the fort. To find this mysterious temple, go to Xiuchan Temple(修禪院) on Guanghua Street(光華街). The fort is located in its courtyard. Well-preserved, tourists can climb on top for a bird's- eye view and ponder on how the fort was once imposing and how it protected Tainan.