Page 85 - An Overview of Penghu

The construction of the Shrine was a long-awaited event for the 60,000 officers and residents. The date was
finally set for February 11, 1928 (it is said that Emperor Jimmu was enthroned on February 11th, which later
became the National Foundation Day of Japan) when a ceremony to calm the spirit on the land was held. On
November 29th of the same year, a topping-off ceremony was held, and the gods were enshrined in the Temple on
November 8th.

If it had not been for donations and the dedication of citizens, officials, and soldiers, the Shrine would not
have been built. The Shrine is recognized as the guardian of the Island.

Hongmucheng Fort

Hongmucheng Fort, located about 1,091 m from the northeast of Magong Castle, was built in 1623 when the
Dutch attempted to invade Penghu. To construct the Fort, Admiral Kaisuerthun enlisted more than 600 fishing boats
and forced Chinese people as the laborers. The Fort was later dubbed Hongmaocheng, or the Fort of the Red-
Haired.

According to the Penghu Prefecture Archive, the Fort has “a battlement hard like iron” and is “four hundred
and twenty meters in perimeter.” From the record, it is not hard to see that the Dutch considered staying in Taiwan
permanently when they built the Fort. In 1625, governor Nan Ju-yi tried to invade the Fort, but failed after eight
months of struggle. He conceded that the Dutch could have Taiwan and withdrew from Penghu after the Qing
government allowed the Dutch the right to mutual trade. Originally “Hongmaocheng” (literally “the Fort of the
Red-Haired”), the pronunciation was mistaken, and people started referring to it as “Hongmucheng.” It later
became the name of an area.

Jiayin Shrine

Jiayin Shrine is commonly referred to as the Wuli Shrine; it sits in Hongmucheng of Magong Town. Worrying
that people had no place to rest when traveling on hot days because there were no trees creating shade on the
roadsides, Penghu Governor Hu Ge ordered the building of Jiayin Shrine (literally “Shrine of Good Shade.”) Since
it was located at the mid-point five huali from Wenao, where the old office was, and five huali from Magong (1 huali
equals to 0.5 km), it was dubbed “Wu(hua)li Shrine.” Wendi and Wudi were enshrined in the center of the Shrine,
accompanied by the Three Great Emperor-Officials and the Dragon Gods on their sides. The Shrine was repaired in
1765.

Tanaka Well

The Well is located in the suburb of Xiwei in Magong. In 1895, the Japanese government moved the office in
the Magong Castle to Xiwei due to a spreading plague. Worried about the shortage of drinking water, Major General
Tanaka Tsuna ordered the building of a well, which was named after him as the “Tanaka Well.” A stele inscribed
with the story of the well was set up in front of it.

Beach Resort

The Beach Resort is about 327.27 m northeast of Magong Town, where a protruding dune forms a natural levy,
blocking wind and waves. Besides clear seawater, the beach resort also has the Fisherman Island lying in front of it.
The sea also reflects the image of the beautiful Guanyin Temple on the left of the beach. An ideal beach resort, it is
crowded with students and tourists from Taiwan during the summer. As the number of visitors rose, the Magong
District Office built free locker rooms, shower rooms, and other facilities.

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