North Gate of Xiong Town, Historical gate in Gushan District, Taiwan
The North Gate of Xiong Town is a fortified stone gate from the Qing era, set on a rise in Gushan District overlooking Sizihwan Bay in Kaohsiung. Its thick walls are pierced by gun ports, and the structure opens through a single arched passage at ground level.
The gate was built in 1875 during the Qing Dynasty to defend Takao Harbor and the surrounding coast. After the First Sino-Japanese War ended in 1895, the area passed to Japanese control and the gate gradually lost its military role.
The gate once marked the northern entrance to a walled settlement and controlled movement along the coast. Today visitors walk up to it for the view over the bay, passing through the same stone arch that guarded this stretch of shoreline long ago.
The gate sits on raised ground and reaching it requires a short uphill walk, so comfortable shoes are helpful. Morning and late afternoon are the better times to go, as the heat is more manageable and the light over the bay is softer.
The curved stone mounts inside the gun ports are still in place and show exactly how the cannons were angled toward the water. When the Japanese administration removed the cannons, they left these mounts untouched, so the original firing positions remain readable today.
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