The Story of the Fortifications: Taiwan's Walls in Qing Dynasty Documents and Images

From Yuezhedang [Monthly Memorial Archives], 1st month of 1st year of
Guangxu reign (1875-1908)
Presented by General of Fuzhou Wenyu et al.
17 February 1875

The Japanese invasion of Taiwan in 1874 prompted the Qing court to reorganize administrative divisions. The following year, it decided to carve out the territory south of Shuaimang River, Fengshan County to establish a new county. Thus, Shen Baozhen and his team conducted a field survey in Langqiao (modern-day Hengchun region) and submitted this detailed memorial proposing the construction of a county seat at the Nanhoudong area of Checheng, naming the new county “Hengchun.” The proposal received the approval of the Qing court. Construction began in 1875 and was completed in 1879. Today, Hengchun City is a national monument and the only Taiwanese city that has preserved all of its city gates.

From Yuezhedang [Monthly Memorial Archives], 7th month of 1st year of Guangxu reign (1875-1908)
Presented by General of Fuzhou Wenyu et al.
14 August 1875

In addition to southern Taiwan, the Qing court also approved Shen Baozhen’s proposal in 1875 to establish Taipei Prefecture in the north “to oversee three counties in order to ensure effective governance and strength local control.” The region between Dadaocheng and Mengjia was chosen as the city site. Construction, led by prefectural magistrate Chen Xingju, began in 1882 and was completed in 1884. The year 2024 marks the 140th anniversary of Taipei Prefectural City. The prefectural city originally featured five gates; today, all gates except the West Gate remain and are all now designated as national monuments.

From Yiwu Shimoji [Records on Managing Foreign Affairs] (November 1885–January 1886)
Presented by Liu Mingchuan
29 November 1885

In 1885, recognizing Taiwan’s strategic importance as a gateway to the Southern Ocean, the Qing court ordered the establishment of a new province. Nonetheless, Liu Mingchuan, the official overseeing Taiwan, initially submitted a memorial (i.e., Palace Memorial on Deferring Relocation of Taiwan’s Provincial Capital) to express his concerns about the financial and logistical difficulties of the proposal. He urged the court to deliberate the matter carefully. Despite these reservations, the plan was implemented, and the provincial capital was designated at Qiaozitu in Changhua County (modern-day Taichung City center).