A Day Trip to Tamsui for Cherry Blossoms, Part 3: Oxford College and Fort San Domingo

March 9, 2012 — A Day Trip to Tamsui for Cherry Blossoms, Part 3: Oxford College and Fort San Domingo

After leaving the Little White House, we continued along Zhenli Street. The old red-brick buildings lining the road carried unmistakable traces of time, made even more atmospheric by the drizzle.

Historic red-brick buildings along Zhenli Street in Tamsui — Old red-brick buildings lined Zhenli Street.

A short walk brought us to Tamkang Senior High School. The octagonal guardhouse by the entrance immediately caught my eye.

Octagonal guardhouse at the entrance to Tamkang Senior High School — The octagonal guardhouse at the entrance immediately caught our attention.

Let’s go in and have a look around ^.^

Tamkang Senior High School campus on a rainy day — We stepped inside for a quiet walk around the rainy campus.

Historic campus buildings and trees at Tamkang Senior High School — Historic buildings and greenery inside the school grounds.

There was a quiet training restaurant on campus that appeared to be open to the public. Unfortunately, we had just eaten, so we would have to save it for another visit ^.^

The campus had the youthful energy of a high school, in sharp contrast with the old-fashioned faculty residences nearby. Following the narrow, winding paths, it was hard to believe we were only half an hour’s drive from the city. It felt as though we had slipped into a different time.

The drizzle that had seemed annoying at first also kept the crowds away, leaving us to enjoy a peaceful afternoon with our imaginations free to wander.

A narrow, peaceful path among historic buildings in Tamsui — The quiet winding path felt like a passage into another time.

After leaving the school, we spotted a blackboard advertising the Missionary House. Hey…they served afternoon tea too—NT$150 per set. Another option for next time ^.^

Afternoon tea sign outside the Missionary House in Tamsui — A blackboard outside the Missionary House advertised afternoon tea.

Exterior of the Missionary House in Tamsui — The Missionary House became one more place to save for our next visit.

We kept walking and entered the campus of Aletheia University.

Campus path and buildings at Aletheia University in Tamsui — The path led us into the grounds of Aletheia University.

Near the main entrance, Oxford College stood just to our left.

Oxford College on the Aletheia University campus — Oxford College stood just to the left near the university entrance.

Oxford College was founded in Tamsui in 1882 by the Canadian Presbyterian missionary Dr. George Leslie Mackay as a modern Western-style school. After several organizational changes, the school eventually moved to Yangmingshan and became Taiwan Theological College and Seminary.

The building before us was the original Oxford College campus. Both Tamkang Senior High School and Aletheia University also used it in their early years. During our 2012 visit, it served as Aletheia University’s history museum, with exhibits about Mackay’s life and work in Taiwan.

Front exterior of the historic red-brick Oxford College building — The old Oxford College building preserves a chapter of Tamsui’s educational history.

The red-brick arches and exterior of Oxford College in Tamsui — Oxford College looked especially peaceful on this rainy day.

The pigeons here were completely unafraid of people…Belle promptly began counting them one by one ~.~'"

Belle watching pigeons near Oxford College — The fearless pigeons kept Belle busy counting.

Pigeons gathered on the ground near Oxford College — Pigeons wandered freely around the Oxford College grounds.

A gate beside the church-like building led directly into the grounds of Fort San Domingo.

Entrance leading into the Fort San Domingo grounds — A gate beside the church-like building led into Fort San Domingo.

The first fort on this site was built in 1628 by the Spanish, who then occupied northern Taiwan, and was later destroyed. The Dutch rebuilt nearby in 1644 and named it Fort Antonio. From 1867, the British government leased the compound for use as a consulate, and ownership was transferred to the Republic of China government in 1980. (Source: Wikipedia)

Red exterior of Fort San Domingo on a rainy day — Fort San Domingo’s heavy red walls stood out against the rainy sky.

Historic buildings within the Fort San Domingo grounds — A view of the historic buildings inside the fort grounds.

Since it was raining, we did not take many pictures outside and headed indoors instead. We wandered through the living room, study, kitchen, upstairs dining room and bedroom, followed by one room I mistakenly declared to be a tea room.

The interior exhibition was not very large. Hmm…after seeing the extravagant Palace of Versailles in France earlier that year, this place felt like…a piece of cake ~.~'"

Still, Fort San Domingo was a popular spot for wedding photography. The girls loved watching the brides, and afterward they were more than happy to put on a performance of their own ^.^