Fort Zeelandia ( Taiwan ) Fort Zeelandia ( ) was a fortress built over ten years from 1624 to 1634 by the Dutch Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie , in the town of Anping ( Tainan ) on the island of Formosa ( present - day Taiwan ) , during their 38 - year rule over the western part of that island . Although the site was previously named Orange City ( 奧倫治城 ) , Anping City ( 安平城 ) , and Taiwan City ( 台灣城 ) , the current name of the site in Chinese is Anping Fort ( 安平古堡 ) . During the seventeenth century , when Europeans from many countries sailed to Asia to develop trade , Formosa became one of East Asia ' s most important transit sites , and Fort Zeelandia an international business center . On behalf of the Dutch East India Company , ships departed from Formosa and headed north to Japan , west to Fujian , or south to Vietnam , Thailand , Indonesia , India , Iran or Europe . Strategic location . The Dutch chose a sandy peninsula off the coast of Tainan for the fortress , since this would allow direct access to the sea and with it , supplies and reinforcements from Batavia in event of a siege . Unfortunately , the site lacked adequate supplies of fresh water , which had to be shipped from the mainland . A series of sandbars extended from south to north ; the east side of such sandbars was the Taijian Inner Sea . Fort Zeelandia was established on the largest sandbar to control the channel for entering the inner sea . The Taijian Inner Sea was also a good harbor . Bricks were brought from Java and the mortar consisted of a mixture of sugar , sand , ground seashells and glutinous rice . The fort was designed to be surrounded by three concentric layers of walls and its four corners were built into protruding bastions for better defense . Dutch bond was used for laying bricks to build Fort Zeelandia . It is created by alternately laying headers and stretchers in a single course to avoid gaps . The next course is laid so that a header lies in the middle of the stretcher in the course below . The Dutch bricks should have a 10 - days kilning , the texture is solid and compact , and its color is red . There were three layers of wall , and a protruding bastion on each of four corners on Fort Zeelandia , in order to expand the defense scope ; this is the typical European fort of the 17th century . Inside the fort was the military and administration center , church , garrisons , and jailhouse ; outside was the downtown . Between the fort and downtown , there were market , slaughterhouse , gallows , execution ground and city weighing station . Defensive function . Fort Zeelandia included an “ inner fort ” and an “ outer fort ” . The inner fort was a square and 3 - layer construction . The lowest was for storage of ammunition and food . The second features a blank wall . The middle part of each side has a semicircle protruding barrack to strengthen the defense . Above the third story was the administrative center , including offices , garrison and church , all of them independent structures . There were walls on the periphery , with protruding bastion on each of the four corners , armed with cannons ; a watch tower was set at the southwest bastion . The one - story outer fort was a rectangular fort , with bastions on the northwest and southwest corners , armed with several cannons . Inside the outer fort were residences , hospital and houses ; the plaza was the commercial area . Dutch surrender . On 30 April 1661 , General Zheng Chenggong ( " Koxinga " ) of Ming China ( 1368 - 1644 ) laid siege to the fortress ( defended by 2 , 000 Dutch soldiers ) with 400 warships and 25 , 000 men . After nine months and the loss of 1 , 600 Dutch lives , the Dutch surrendered on 1 February 1662 , when it became clear that no reinforcements were forthcoming from Batavia ( present day Jakarta , Java , Indonesia ) and when the defenders ran short of fresh water . Under the Koxinga - Dutch Treaty ( 1662 ) signed on 1 February between Koxinga and Frederick Coyett , the Dutch governor , the Dutch surrendered the Fortress and left all goods and VOC property behind . In return , all officials , soldiers and civilians were free to leave with their personal belongings and supplies . On 9 February , Frederick Coyett officially surrendered the fort and led the remaining Dutch forces and civilians back to Batavia by sea , ending 38 years of Dutch colonial rule on Taiwan .