Scenic Spots Information
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Xiyu Western Fort is located on the coast in Waian Village, Xiyu Township, covers an area of 8 hectares and is also known as Western Fort. It is a fort constructed by Ming-Chuan Liu in the Qing Dynasty. After peace negotiations were made between China and France, to protect Taiwan Strait from being invaded by pirates, Ming-Chuan Liu petitioned the court to assign a commander to Penghu and strengthened defenses in Penghu by building four forts with new Armstrong breech loaders, namely Dachengbei Fort, Jinguitou Fort, Xiyu Eastern Fort and Xiyu Western Fort.
Xiyu Western Fort is surrounded by solid walls and is currently the most well-preserved and largest ancient fort in Penghu. It is worth mentioning that the inscription “Xiyu Western Fort” on the stone tablet hanging above the arch was inscribed by Hong-Zhang Li, a minister in the Qing Dynasty, and hence the Fort is also called “Li Hongzhang Castle”. When visiting here, don’t forget to look up at the tablet.
With the recessed structure of the building, Xiyu Western Fort is embraced by basalt, which allows it to be at the same altitude as the ground. Four batteries are placed in the fort and the indoor spaces are easily accessible. The internal passages lead to the four sides of the fort for soldiers to communicate with each other during wars. Looking out over the spectacular views of the ocean and Waian Fishing Port at the end of the tunnels is one of the greatest things to do in Penghu.
【Recommended stay time】 2 hours