Tamsui Customs Officers' Residence, Colonial Elegance, Free Entry & Guided Tours

15 Zhēnlǐ Street, Tamsui District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 251

4.1

Introduction

The Cijin Island is a long and narrow island located near the coast on the west side of Kaohsiung City. It is known as one of the earliest developed areas in Kaohsiung. It offers beautiful scenery and is a great place to enjoy sea views, taste seafood, and play on the beach. Cijin Tianhou Temple is one of the oldest buildings in Kaohsiung, built in the 30th year of the Kangxi period (1691). On the north side of the island, there is Qihou Mountain, where the famous Qihou Lighthouse and Qihou Battery are located, which are well-known historical sites in Kaohsiung. To visit Cijin, you can take a ferry from Zhenai Pier or from Gushan, and it takes less than 10 minutes to reach. Don't miss the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery of National Sun Yat-sen University from the ferry. The Xiaobai Palace was originally the official residence of the Qing Dynasty's Tamsui Customs' Taxation Department. With the establishment of the Shanghai-Wei Yang Customs in 1862 and the opening of Tamsui Port for trade, the customs duties became more complicated, and the number of foreign customs officers increased as well. Therefore, three mansions were built in the "Public Reserved Land" in Puding for the foreign customs officers to live in, which the locals called "the Three Mansions of Puding". Xiaobai Palace is one of them, with a colonial-style architecture and unique features of Spanish white limestone colonnaded architecture. It showcases the leisure, comfort, and the ambiance of a second home, which the foreigners preferred to call it "bungalow". In 1996, the Xiaobai Palace was almost abandoned and planned to be demolished to build a new building. At that time, local residents, groups, scholars, and experts in Tamsui launched a "Save Xiaobai Palace" campaign, and eventually it was able to survive. In 1997, the government recognized that Xiaobai Palace has historical significance and unique architectural value, and designated it as a third-class cultural heritage.