The Citadels Of Taiwan

Throughout history the Chinese have built walls around cities to protect themselves
against invaders, or to show off their wealth and power, or to segregate the elite from
the common folk. The most famous wall of all, the Great Wall of China, dissects the
country in half, and was used to keep the barbarians on the outside, while protecting the
civilized on the inside.

"Chung Yuan," a vast area engulfing the downstream regions of the Yellow River, lies
"inside" the Great Wall of China and was viewed as a grand utopia where Chinese
thrived for centuries. People living inside the Great Wall believed they were the heart of
civilization, and considered all others on the outside barbarians. Such separation
created not only geological divisions, but also racial splits. Therefore, although a city
which incorporated the administrative government, military, economic and societal
activities within the walls could survive on its own without any assistance from the
"outside world," it also distanced people living inside the wall from outsiders.
Encountering periods of political and administrative change, and in the face of
expanding or narrowing of streets and lanes, changing lifestyle, and destruction and
re-building of cities, cities continually underwent change and seldom fitted within their
city walls for any length of time.

In Taiwan, cities didn't sprout walls until the beginning of the Ching Dynasty
(1644-1912), since the island was considered out-of-the-way and previous Chinese
emperors had no plans to include (then) Formosa under the jurisdiction of the "Chinese
Empire." While Taiwan had received passing interest up until the 22nd year in the reign
of Ching Emperor Kang Hsi (1683 AD), the Manchu rulers decided against fortifying
Taiwan's cities with walls for fear that walled cities might be used by invaders or rebels
to kick out the Chinese rulers.

About 20 years later, however, the first wooden walls were erected around Chuloh
(today's Chiayi), and after another two decades, in the 61th year of Emperor Kang Hsi
(1722 AD), the island's first soil walls were built around Fengshan (today's Tsoyin) and
Chuloh. Historians researching ancient China's policy of why emperors initially did not
build walls around cities in Taiwan say this strategy was probably due to the rebellion of
Chu Yi-kui in 1721, which used wall cities to his advantage to send the island into total
disarray.

In the 51st year in the reign of Emperor Chien Lung (1786 AD), the rebellion of Lin
Shuang-wen forced the Ching officials to use bricks and stones to reinforce the wall
around Tainan City, which was at that time the capital of Taiwan. During the reign of
Emperor Chia Ching and Emperor Tao Kuang, the Ching's fifth and sixth emperors,
Fengshan, Chuloh and Tamshui replaced their wood and bamboo walls with soil and
stone structures.

In 1874 during the reign of Emperor Tung Chih, the Imperial Inspector General Shen
Pao-chen ordered the construction of a stone wall around Taipei and Henchun. After
China warred with France in 1884, which ended in the loss of the Pescadore Islands
(Penghu), Imperial Inspector Liu Ming-chuan decided to safeguard the island's new
administration center in Taichung against future attacks with the building of stone walls
around the city. The development of Taiwan's cities - which initially had no walls, then
wood, soil and finally stone - builds a clear picture of the island's evolvement under the
some 300-year rule of the Ching Dynasty.

During the 50 years of Japanese occupation of Taiwan, the island's city walls began to
fall into disrepair and became mounds of rubble, either as a result of natural disasters,
requirements of modernization, or injuries of war. For those walled cities, many of their
scattered towers, parapets and gatehouses still stand today and are a striking and
historic reminder of Taiwan's past.

Other existing inner and outer city walls in Taiwan have been deemed as historic sites,
falling under legal protection and receive necessary renovations. Of Taipei's five gates,
only the North Gate called Cheng-En remains in its original condition and is famous for
its castle-like structure. Of Tamshui's four gates, the East Gate called Yin-Hsi is the only
one that has survived and its decorative house eaves and corridor pillars are still
attractive.

Once the capital of Taiwan, Tainan still retains two sturdy gates called Tung-An (east)
and Nin-Nan (south), in addition ruins of outer city walls on the west side of the city.
Three of four city walls of Fengshan still stand and include Gate Feng-Yi (east), Gate
Chi-Wen (south) and Gate Kung-Cheng (north). The moat surrounding Gate Feng-Yi and
the mud-color sculptures of door gods engraved outside Gate Kung-Cheng are the most
noted features of the gates. All four city gates of Hengchun, Pingtung County, still stand
and two pavilions alongside the East and South Gates perfectly depict the local features
in the region.