Anping Tree House

Anping is the earliest port in Taiwan’s history. It has been Taiwan’s main trading port after the Netherlands, Zheng, Qingling, and Japan. In the eighth year of Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty (1858), the Tianjin Treaty opened Taiwan’s port, which was originally Tamsui, Keelung, then Takao and Tainan. In the third year of Tongzhi (1864), Anping established a customs and officially opened the port then foreign merchants established foreign companies here. Among them, “Anping Five” foreign companies, including British De’s, Yi’s, He’s, American Lai’s, was the most prestigious. In the Japanese era, because opium was exclusive business for the Japanese, and the shipping business was seized by them, the foreign companies withdrew from Anping, and the foreign companies' buildings were successively rebuilt or used for other purposes. Lai’s foreign company was changed to Osaka Steamship Co., Ltd., Dongxing foreign company was changed to Anping Branch Office, Yi’s foreign company was changed to Anping Fisheries School, He’s was renovated to Taiwan Salt Staff dorm, and De’s foreign company was sold to Taiwan Salt Co., Ltd. After World War II, it was taken over as an office building for the Taiwan Salt Factory, and then it was out of usage. "Connecting with the World—Opening Anping Time Treasure Box" was exhibited in 2015, exhibiting Dutch cultural relics from the great nautical era in the 17th century, introducing the origins of foreign companies, trade and shipping routes, and trading modes in a systematic way of interpretation to present Anping trade history. At present, it was one of the two buildings of foreign companies remained; the other one was Dongxing foreign company. They both witnessed the history of Taiwan's foreign trade in the late Qing Dynasty.