When in Taiwan: Tamsui District, Taipei

Tamsui District is perhaps one of the few places with a distinctive European flavor in Taipei. The red brick walls of the antique buildings and well-preserved old streets may bring you back in time--a feeling of 17th century in Europe so to speak. 

While Japanese seems an influential part of Taiwanese culture due to history, a chapter of their history also tells something about a few European colonizers in Taiwan. The northern part of Taipei, which includes Tamsui, was colonized by Spain in the 17th century.
One of the notable heritages left by the Spaniards is Fort San Domingo, a fort that served as wall of defense during the war. The Dutch also made an expedition in Taipei who cut short Spain's reign and took over Tamsui.

Unfortunately, Fort San Domingo was under renovation when I went there. Nevertheless the structure beside it caught my attention:
This structure, mostly made up of red bricks and stones, used to be a British Consular Residence. After the Spanish and Dutch, the British occupied Tamsui next in 1868. 

The once British Consular Residence is now a museum and a tourist attraction.

Aletheia University can also be found in the area. It's a private university with British influence founded by George Leslie Mackay. It used to be called Oxford College.


Getting to the entire compound was quite a climb as it sits on top of a hill. Entrance fee is 60 NT$ for adults and 40 NT$ for students. It's open from 9AM-5PM from Tuesday to Sunday. It's closed on Mondays.

Heading west of Tamsui District is a relaxing view of the Tamsui River. This is one of the reasons why Tamsui is known as a fishing town.

The Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf is located here. It has a pier with several small boats that cater to short cruises.

Meanwhile, not too far is the Tamsui Old Street, which is a long boardwalk with numerous stalls for shopping, food, and entertainment.

Spending a day in a suburb like Tamsui is a good breather from the busy central districts of Taipei.
How to get there: The fastest way to get to Tamsui District is to take the Taipei Metro. The Tamsui station is the last or northernmost station of the Tamsui-Xinyi line (red line).




When in Taiwan: Tamsui District, Taipei When in Taiwan: Tamsui District, Taipei Reviewed by Shelly Viajera Travel on 26.7.16 Rating: 5
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