British Consulate At Takao, Kaohsiung

Perched on a hilltop above the Port of Kaohsiung, the British Consulate at Takao is the oldest surviving Western-style building in Taiwan and a window into the island’s 19th-century colonial history. Built in 1879 by McPhail & Co. with materials shipped from Xiamen, China, the two-story red-brick structure was designed by a British architect and constructed by Chinese craftsmen. Its late Renaissance design, marked by arched corridors and verandas, offered a visual and technical model for later Western buildings in Taiwan. The site includes both the consular residence and the office proper, connected by a steep stone path lined with replica boundary markers used to delineate customs zones.

Originally established to protect British trading interests after the Second Opium War, the consulate played a vital role during a period when Taiwan's ports were newly opened to foreign commerce. Before the building was completed, the consulate operated from a ship and later a rented house. It remained active even after Taiwan was ceded to Japan in 1895, until its closure in 1910. The site was later used by the Japanese and, post-WWII, by the Nationalist government as a meteorological observatory. After decades of abandonment, it has since been carefully restored as a museum and tourist attraction, preserving key features like colonial-era dioramas, military bunkers, and historical displays.

Visitors today can explore the former consular residence, where life-size scenes depict daily interactions between British and local residents. A tea room now occupies part of the consulate building, serving British-style afternoon tea with sweeping views of Sizihwan Bay. The site’s elevated location, once chosen for strategic visibility, now offers panoramic views of Kaohsiung’s harbor, cityscape, and the surrounding coastline.