Anping Port

Anping Port (安平港) is one of Taiwan's oldest harbors, located in the Anping District of Tainan City on the southwestern coast of the island. Its strategic position at the mouth of what was historically the main waterway connecting Tainan — once Taiwan's most important city — to the sea has given it a central role in the island's maritime history spanning nearly four centuries.

Early History and the Rise of Anping

Anping's significance as a port dates to the Dutch colonial period (1624–1662), when the Dutch East India Company established Fort Zeelandia (熱蘭遮城) on a sandy peninsula guarding the harbor entrance. Under Dutch rule, Anping (then known as Tayouan) became the primary commercial port in southwestern Taiwan, handling trade with China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. After the Dutch were expelled by Koxinga (鄭成功) in 1662, Anping continued as the main port for the Tungning Kingdom and later under Qing dynasty rule. However, by the late 19th century, persistent sedimentation had severely reduced the harbor's depth and navigability.

Japanese Colonial Period: Modernization and the New Canal (1895–1936)

When Japan acquired Taiwan through the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895, Anping Port was already in decline due to silting. The Taiwan Governor-General's Office (臺灣總督府) initially attempted to dredge the old canal waterways, but the chronic sedimentation problem proved intractable. From 1908, the construction of the modern harbor at Takao (高雄港, Kaohsiung) to the south progressively superseded Anping as the region's primary deep-water facility.

Nevertheless, recognizing Tainan's continued economic importance, the colonial government undertook a major infrastructure project: the construction of a new Tainan Canal (臺南運河). Work began on 16 April 1922 (Taishō 11), with the new canal running south of the silted-up old waterway. Completed in 1926, the canal featured cargo handling facilities and warehouses at its terminus, restoring a viable water route between downtown Tainan and the coast.

In 1935–1936 (Shōwa 10–11), the government constructed a new port approximately 2 kilometers south of the old harbor mouth, at a total cost of 770,000 yen. This new facility represented the culmination of Japanese efforts to maintain Anping's role as a functioning secondary port for southern Taiwan.

World War II: Military Logistics and Allied Air Raids (1937–1945)

During the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War, Anping Port took on increased military significance as part of Japan's logistics network in southern Taiwan. The port handled the movement of military supplies, equipment, and personnel supporting Japanese operations across Southeast Asia and the Pacific theater.

Anping also holds a place in Taiwan's wartime history through its military laborers (軍夫), non-combatant porters recruited to support the Japanese army after the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937. The Tomb of the Twelve Military Porters (安平十二軍夫墓), built in 1938–39 at the edge of Anping's No. 1 Cemetery, commemorates men who were among the first Taiwanese to die in that war.

From October 1944 onward, as American forces advanced across the Pacific, Taiwan became a major target for Allied strategic bombing. Southern Taiwan, including Tainan and its port facilities, was subjected to intensive air raids. On 1 March 1945, Tainan experienced its most devastating bombing raid, with massive destruction centered on the city's commercial districts. The port facilities at Anping sustained significant damage during these raids, effectively crippling its operational capacity by war's end.

Postwar Reconstruction and Modern Development

After Japan's surrender in August 1945 and the transfer of Taiwan to Republic of China administration, the war-damaged Anping Port underwent gradual rehabilitation. However, continued sedimentation of the old port eventually necessitated an entirely new construction project. In 1974, the Tainan City Government selected a site 2 kilometers south of the old port for a new harbor, which was completed and opened for operations in 1979.

Anping Port was designated an international commercial port in 1997, and today it operates as a dual-function facility comprising both a fishing harbor and a commercial port. The surrounding Anping district has been extensively developed as a cultural and tourism area, with numerous historical sites from the Dutch, Qing, and Japanese periods — including Fort Zeelandia, Anping Old Fort, and the historic Anping Old Street — drawing visitors to explore the area's rich maritime heritage.