Penghu Serpent Head Mountain (Shetoushan) 澎湖蛇頭山 – Explore Ruins of the First Dutch Fort in Taiwan

Our Journey:

I have been to Serpent Head Mountain once. I was very intrigued by the historical importance of this place, even though there is no trace of the fort to be seen. Also, I thought it was funny that this 20-meter hill is one of the lesser peaks to be climbed. Overall it is a fun place to explore in Penghu.

Before you reach the fort, there is a large grassy park here with footpaths.

There is also some driftwood artwork nearby and lots of catci.

“Shehoushan (Shetou Hill) is located at the northern tip peninsula of Fengguei Tai in Makung. Together with “the Gold Turtle Head Hill,” it forms a landscape that seems to “guard” Makung Bay. In 1622 (the second year of the Ming Dynasty Emperor Tianqi), the Dutch Vessenl commander, Nelson, invaded Makung Bay, where he had stationed for a few days, then withdrew to Shetou Shan. In 1624, the fourth year of the Ming Dynasty Emperor Tianqi, the Dutch army withdrew from Makung Bay. The Fort was torn down and the basalt stones were taken away and later became the building materials for Anping Fort. Certain parts of this ancient fort still remain today. During the Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty, the period of Japanese occupation, and later time of the Kuomintang Government, there are still some ruins at the hill now. The relics of this historic site (former military architecture built “by foreigners”) were recognized as a national relic in 2001.
On the southeastern side of Shetoushan, two monuments can be found. One is to commemorate the French soldiers and sailors who died in the famous battle between the Japanese officers and sailors who died on the Japanese ship and another is to commemorate the French monument which was built in memory of the French who died at the Sino-French naval war in the year of 1885 (the eleventh year of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Guangxu) when the French fleet engaged during the Japanese-Sino naval war at Penghu. The Japanese monument was built by the Japanese who worshipped the sailors who died on the Japanese Songoku warship when the gunpowder exploded in the year 1908 (the 41st year of Mingzhi).”

“The Dutch fort at Fengguiwei was built in 1622. The first Western-style fort in Taiwan, it was located atop Shetou (Snakes Head) Hill on a small peninsula at Fengguiwei. Together with Makung’s Beigang, the fort was an important strategic position. Historical records show the remains of this fort have been discovered through aerial photography. In 1624, the Dutch demolished the fort to obtain basalt stones for the construction of the Zeelandia fort in Anping. Today, this area still preserves much of the original landscape and provides a glimpse into Taiwan’s early Dutch military history before they built Fort Zeelandia.
(Additional descriptions in the diagram include labeled parts of the fort and surrounding areas like the North Gate, South Entrance, West Wall, Army Camp, and other fort features.”

Wreck of the Matsushima Monument 日軍松島戰艦沈船紀念碑

Wreck of the Matsushima Monument – “In 1911, a group of six officials, including Japanese vice-admiral Ijichi Hikojirō, set out to use parts of the wreck of the Matsushima as a cenotaph in what was then Penghu Park (now the area across from the Feng Kuo Hotel, near the intersection of Jieshou and Minfu Roads in Makung). The main body of the cenotaph is the base of a 320 mm caliber Canet gun, which is flanked by two propellers. Alongside the cenotaph, a memorial hall, whose inauguration ceremony took place on October 9th this same year, was built to provide the visiting Japanese imperial family with lodging and boarding. Since the memorial hall was built in the neighborhood of Chu Harbor (today’s First Harbor of Makung), the problem of noise could not be easily solved. Therefore, it was able to be replaced by a guest house (today’s First Guest House) by the side of Kuanyin Pavilion in 1943. Eventually, the Matsushima Memorial Hall was torn down; its erected Canet gun and its propellers were both scrapped and melted down to meet the wartime demand for metal.”

Another view from the Wreck of the Matsushima Monument.

More scenery near the monument.

More Catci.

Across from the park here, you can see Makung City.

Boardwalk along Serpent Head Hill. There are also spots to rest in the shade.

Another rest area from which you can see Sijiao Islet 四角嶼.

French Soldier Memorial 法軍陣亡將士碑

There is also a monument here dedicated to the fallen French soldiers during the Sino-French War.

View of the sea from the French soldier monument.

It was quite windy that day.

Old well perhaps dating to the Dutch Fort.

Stairs up to the Dutch Fort.

KMT era bunker.

Dutch Fort at Fengguiwei (馬公風櫃尾荷蘭城堡)

“Remains of the Dutch Fort on Snakehead Hill of the Fenghuischi Peninsula
During the early period of international trade between China and the Dutch East India Company (V.O.C.), in 1622, under the command of Cornelis Reijersen, a fort was built on Snakehead Hill on the Fenghuischi Peninsula, Penghu. The Dutch constructed this fort as a protective location for their ships, which had to anchor while waiting for permission to access the harbors of southern China. The Chinese denied them permission and attacked the Dutch fort on Snakehead Hill. Reijersen and his men put up fierce resistance but were eventually overpowered by Chinese forces. In 1624, they were forced to leave Taiwan, dismantling the fort and transporting the basalt to Anping in southern Taiwan to build the famous Fort Zeelandia.
Today, the contours of the fort on Snakehead Hill remain preserved in the form of brick foundation remnants. As far as is known, this is the oldest stone structure built by the Dutch in Taiwan and one of the most significant relics of Dutch activity in this region. The Fenghuischi area clearly shows the profile of a Dutch settlement from that time, making it an important symbol of Taiwan’s modern transformation.
To commemorate the historical significance of this site, the monument was declared a national monument on November 21, 2001. The Dutch government and the government of Penghu District jointly decided to finance this memorial.
Government of Penghu District
The Netherlands Trade and Investment Office

Resten van het Nederlandse fort op de Slangenkop berg van het Fenghuischi schiereiland
Tijdens de eerste internationale handel van China tussen het Chinese vasteland en de Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (V.O.C.) is er in 1622, in opdracht van Cornelis Reijersen, op het eiland Penghu een fort gebouwd op de Slangenkopberg op het Fenghuischi schiereiland. De Nederlanden bouwden dit fort om een beschermende locatie te creëren voor hun schepen, die moesten ankeren in afwachting van toestemming om toegang te krijgen tot de havens van Zuid-China. De Chinezen verleenden geen toestemming en vielen het Nederlandse fort op de Slangenkop berg aan. Reijersen en zijn manschappen boden felle weerstand, maar moesten uiteindelijk door de overmacht van de Chinese troepen in 1624 Taiwan verlaten. Ze braken het fort af en vervoerden het basalt naar Anping in het zuiden van Taiwan om het beroemde fort Zeelandia te bouwen.
Tegenwoordig blijven de contouren van het fort op de Slangenkop berg bewaard in de vorm van overblijfselen van bakstenen funderingen. Voor zover bekend, is dit het oudste stenen gebouw van Nederland in Taiwan, en een van de belangrijkste relicten van de Nederlandse activiteiten in deze regio. Het gebied Fenghuischi toont duidelijk het profiel van een Nederlandse nederzetting uit die tijd, wat het een belangrijk symbool van Taiwan’s moderne transformatie maakt.
Om de historische betekenis van deze locatie te herdenken, is op 21 november 2001 dit monument verklaard als nationaal monument. De Nederlandse regering en de regering van het district Penghu besloten gezamenlijk dit gedenkteken te financieren.
Regering van het District Penghu
The Netherlands Trade and Investment Office“

This is all you can see. There aren’t really any remains of the fort to be seen. It has probably all been covered in dirt and grass.

Walking back to the parking lot.

Last view of the park before we left.

You can check out our full guide to Penghu here.
You can also check out our full guide to Taiwan’s outer islands here.
You can also check our full guide to Taiwan here.