Fort Zeelandia was one of the earliest forts built by the Dutch. Parts of the wall and a semicircular base are two major remnants today. The construction of the fort began in 1624 and was completed ten years later in 1634. The fort was built on an offshore shoal at Yi-Kun-Shen. At first known as Fort Orange, the name was subsequently (1634) changed to Fort Zeelandia after one province of Holland. Bricks were brought from Java for its construction. A mixture of glutinous rice, sugar, sand and ground sea shells was used as the mortar. The whole structure was three stories high and had a grand appearance. It was the residence of the governor and the place from which the Dutch controlled administration during their occupation of Taiwan.

Plan of Fort Zeelandia, drawn by Kuriyama in 1931

When the Dutch were expelled by Koxinga (Cheng Chen-Kung) in 1661, the site-name was changed from Yi-Kun-Shen to An-Ping, which means safety and calm in Chinese. The fort was called Wang-Cheng (City of the Monarch) when Koxinga made it his headquarters. In 1683, when Taiwan was brought under the jurisdiction of the Ching government, the administrative center was shifted to nearby Tainan city.

The fort then became the Bureau of Military Supply. Due to the attack by the British in 1869, the arsenal inside the fort exploded, destroying the walls. In 1874, Erh-KunShen Fort was built and its building materials were partly taken from the remnants of fort Zeelandia. During the Japanese occupied period, surviving walls were leveled to a three-layer platform on which the residence of the director of the Custom was built. The residence was rebuilt as an arcaded pavilion for an exhibition in 1930. Today it is commonly known as the Old fort of An-Ping. Various historical artifacts are preserved in the yard.

Part of left wall of Fort Zeelandia

The lighthouse built on Fort Zeelandia

Foundation of part of Fort Zeelandia

Some archaeological servey under Fort Zeelandia