Keelung

Keelung. Keelung, officially known as Keelung City, is a major port city in northern Taiwan. Its deep-water harbor and strategic location made it a significant site during the era of Dutch colonization in Southeast Asia, particularly as a foothold for the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in its competition for regional trade dominance. The city's history is marked by its role as a fortified outpost and a center for commerce and conflict among European powers and local politics.

History

The area around Keelung, historically part of the island of Formosa, was inhabited by indigenous peoples, notably the Ketagalan tribe, prior to significant external contact. Chinese fishermen and traders from Fujian province had seasonal interactions with the region. The first major European involvement began in the early 17th century when Spanish explorers, seeking to counter Dutch and Portuguese influence, established a presence in northern Taiwan. In 1626, the Spanish Empire built a settlement and fort, San Salvador, at the site of present-day Keelung. This initiated a period of European rivalry for control of the island's strategic harbors.

Dutch Fortification and Rule

The Dutch East India Company, having established its base at Fort Zeelandia in southern Taiwan in 1624, viewed the Spanish presence in the north as a direct threat to its commercial and territorial ambitions. In 1642, following a military campaign, Dutch forces under Governor Paulus Traudenius successfully ousted the Spanish from Keelung. The VOC subsequently took control, renaming the Spanish fort Fort Noort-Holland and significantly expanding its defenses. They constructed a new, larger fortification known as Fort Victoria on a nearby hill to secure the harbor. This fort became the administrative and military center of Dutch rule in northern Taiwan, housing a garrison and serving as a key link in the VOC's defensive network in the South China Sea.

Economic Role in the Dutch Colonial System

Under Dutch administration, Keelung served as a vital node in the VOC's intra-Asian trade network. Its primary economic function was the extraction and transshipment of local resources, most importantly sulfur, which was mined from the nearby Yangmingshan area. Sulfur was a valuable commodity for the production of gunpowder. The Dutch also traded in deer skins, obtained through hunting and trade with indigenous communities, which were exported to Japan. The harbor facilitated the movement of goods between Taiwan, the company's headquarters in Batavia (modern-day Jakarta), and trading posts in China, Japan, and the Philippines. This trade was managed by VOC merchants and was integral to the company's profitability in the region.

Transition of Control and Later History

Dutch control over Keelung and Taiwan was relatively short-lived. Facing increasing resistance from Ming loyalist forces led by the Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong), the VOC was defeated in a series of battles. After the fall of Fort Zeelandia in 1662, the isolated Dutch garrison at Fort Victoria in Keelung held out until 1668, when it was finally abandoned, marking the end of the Dutch colonial era in Taiwan. Subsequently, the area came under the control of the Zheng dynasty and later the Qing dynasty. In the late 19th century, Keelung gained renewed strategic importance and was developed as a modern port by the Qing Empire. It was later occupied by Japan following the First Sino-Japanese War and became a major naval base during World War II.

Cultural and Archaeological Legacy

The period of Dutch colonization left a distinct, though limited, archaeological and cultural imprint on Keelung. The remnants of Fort San Salvador and Fort Victoria are key historical sites. Archaeological excavations have uncovered artifacts such as VOC coins, ceramics, and structural foundations that provide evidence of 17th-century European military architecture and daily life. This legacy is part of Taiwan's broader colonial history, which includes Spanish, Dutch, and later Japanese influences. The historical narrative of Keelung's role in the Age of Discovery and global trade networks is preserved in local museums and contributes to the study of early modern maritime history in East Asia.