During the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the mid 17th Century, Cihoushan's dominant position at the entrance of the Port gave rise to the construction of a fort, built with six Chinese-style cannons. When Dagou was opened to foreign trade in 1863, its military importance became even more prominent.
The most distinctive feature of the Cihou Fort is its Chinese style barracks. It has many interesting architectural touches well worth examining, including the Chinese-style Splayed doors and walls. The characters "Wei Jhen Tien Nan" (Dominating the South) is inscribed on a plaque over the gate, and the double "Fortune" characters are inlaid on the walls. There are also bat carvings in the corners. Also look for the many traditional stylized features on the walls and stairs. During the Japanese Occupation, the cannons were removed and melted down. After the liberation of the R.O.C., another set of forts was built by the military between the original fort and the Lighthouse, and the old fort was left to slowly fall apart. It was not until 1989 that the Kaohsiung City Government restored the fort to its former glory, and subsequently reopened to the public on the New Year's day on 1995.
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