THE HISTORIC VILLAGE OF SICAO
The calm and peaceful village of Sicao lies on a small strip of land surrounded by vast swaths of mangrove swamps and salt marshes. Once only a small island surrounded by shoals, it was a strategic position that guarded an “inner sea”, and the waterways used to access Fort Zeelandia in ancient Tainan. Over the past 400 years, the area has since been silted over, and now ecologically rich wetlands—including the famous Sicao Green Tunnel—surround the town.
During the Age of Discovery, Taiwan was a Dutch colony for approximately 38 years and an important trading post for the Dutch East India Company. For the first time, local culture and customs were included in written records. In 1661, Ming general Koxinga, retreating from the Qing-occupied lands of China, led his army to Taiwan to expel the Dutch colonists and establish a new Ming kingdom. After nine months of fighting, his forces defeated the Dutch and they abandoned their interests in Taiwan.
Later, during the Opium wars, a new fort, the Sicao Fort, was constructed to repel would-be attacking British. The pebble and granite walls of the small but picturesque fortress still stand today and are within walking distance of the Sicao Dazhong Temple. Excavations at the temple inadvertently unearthed a communal “mass grave”, where both Dutch and Han casualties were buried. Andreas Antonius Maria “Dries” van Agt, the former Prime Minister of Netherlands, paid respect to this historical site during his visit to Taiwan.
Today, the area is famous for the Sicao Green Tunnel, an artificial waterway lined on either side with mangrove trees, their canopy engulfing the sky. Visitors can enjoy a guided historical boat ride through this Amazon-like waterway while learning about Taiwan’s complex history.
Dazhong Temple seen from the air. (right)
