The fort was originally built by the Dutch using sticky rice mortar, sugar water, and oyster shell lime as binding agents.
The nine stone turtles are technically 'bixi,' mythical creatures from Chinese folklore designed to bear heavy weight.
The 1886 reconstruction was commissioned by Governor Liu Mingchuan to improve administrative efficiency in the region.
During the Qing Dynasty, the site served as an examination center for local scholars.
The site originally sat much closer to the shoreline; historical land reclamation has since pushed the coast further away.
Chihkan Tower, also known as Fort Provintia, is a historical site originally constructed by the Dutch East India Company in 1653. The site served as the administrative center for the Dutch in southern Taiwan before being captured by Koxinga in 1661. The current structures, the Wenchang Pavilion and Haishen Temple, were built during the Qing Dynasty in 1886 atop the original Dutch stone foundations. The compound displays a fusion of Dutch colonial, Qing Chinese, and later Japanese colonial architectural influences. Nine stone turtles carrying imperial steles, donated by the Qianlong Emperor to commemorate the suppression of the Lin Shuangwen rebellion, stand on the grounds. The walls feature unique oval-shaped window designs that signify the structural remnants of the original fortress. Visitors can observe the transition of Tainan's governance through the various plaques and displayed colonial-era artifacts. It functions as a managed historic site under the Tainan City Government’s cultural heritage department.
The view from the garden looking up at the two-story pavilions, framing the upturned roof eaves against the sky.
Visit the interior of the two main pavilions to view historical maps and portraits that explain the site's role in Dutch and Qing history.
Spend time in the central courtyard to examine the stone steles, which contain text in both Chinese and Manchu.
Read the information plaques carefully, as they detail the specific archaeological layers preserved beneath the current structures.
Do not mistake the modern surrounding street signs as part of the historical exhibit; the entrance is clearly marked on the main road.
