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Tamsui (Danshui) native John Groot and Formosa Files' John Ross continue their walk and talk around the old town. They’re on the trail of the 1884 Battle of Tamsui between French and Taiwanese forces, a battle which was a rare victory for the beleaguered Qing dynasty. As well as military matters, the two Johns chat about the wider history of Tamsui. It’s a fun mix of travel and history.
Cover image: French warships bombard the Qing Chinese coastal defenses at Tamsui, on October 2, 1884; from left to right the gunboat Vipère, the ironclad Triomphante, the cruiser d'Estaing and the ironclad La Galissonnière. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Below: Mural at Shalun Light Rail Station, Tamsui (Danshui), showing French troops landing during the Battle of Tamsui, October 1884. Photo by John Ross.
The Battle of Tamsui, Danshui, or Hobe (October 2-8, 1884) resulted in a significant French defeat to Qing China. Those interested should read more about the Keelung Campaign and the Sino-French War.
John Groot, pictured below, is a long-time resident of Tamsui and the author of Taiwanese Feet: My walk around Taiwan. Check out his Culture Shack blog: https://thecultureshack.blog/
Check our very first episode, the story of a very white man who showed up in London in 1703... and claimed to be from Formosa. Or try a foodie episode from Season 3. Or, for those who want some harder-core history, hear the tale of the Lockheed U-2 pilot Wang Hsi-chueh 王錫爵, who became was famous for defecting to the PRC by hijacking China Airlines Flight 334 on May 3, 1986.
