Santisima Trinidad (Taiwan) facts for kids
Santísima Trinidad (which means "Holy Trinity") was a bay on the northeast coast of Taiwan, near the city of Keelung. In 1626, the Spanish arrived here and built a settlement. They also constructed a fort called Fort San Salvador. The Spanish stayed until 1642, when the Dutch drove them out.
After taking over, the Dutch changed the Spanish fort. They made it smaller and renamed it Fort Noort-Holland.
In 1661, a loyal general from Ming China named Koxinga attacked the main Dutch fortress. This fortress was called Zeelandia and was located in Anping. Koxinga had a huge force of 400 warships and 25,000 soldiers. Fort Zeelandia was defended by 2,000 Dutch soldiers. When the Dutch in Keelung realized they would not get help from Zeelandia or Batavia (which is now Jakarta, Indonesia), they left their fort in Keelung.
Two years later, in 1663, the Dutch came back to Keelung. They took back the fort, made it stronger, and made it bigger. They kept control of it until 1668. At that point, they decided to leave the fort on their own. This was because the trade they expected in Keelung was not as good as they had hoped.
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Exploring Santísima Trinidad Bay
Santísima Trinidad Bay was a very important place for European powers in the 1600s. Both Spain and the Netherlands wanted to control trade routes and expand their influence in Asia. The bay's location in Keelung made it a key spot for ships and goods.
The Spanish Arrival in 1626
When the Spanish arrived in 1626, they quickly set up a base. They built Fort San Salvador to protect their settlement. This fort helped them control the area and trade with local people. It was a strategic point for their activities in Spanish Formosa.
The Dutch Takeover in 1642
The Dutch were also very active in Taiwan, which they called Formosa. They wanted to remove the Spanish from the island. In 1642, after some fighting, the Dutch successfully pushed the Spanish out of Santísima Trinidad Bay. They then changed Fort San Salvador into Fort Noort-Holland.
Koxinga's Siege and Dutch Retreat
Koxinga was a powerful leader who wanted to restore the Ming Dynasty in China. He focused on driving the Dutch out of Taiwan completely. His attack on Fort Zeelandia was a major event. When the Dutch in Keelung saw that their main forces were struggling, they decided to abandon Fort Noort-Holland to avoid being trapped.
The Dutch Return and Final Departure
Even after leaving, the Dutch saw some value in Keelung. They returned in 1663, rebuilt the fort, and tried to make trade work. However, after five more years, they realized that the trade was not profitable enough. So, in 1668, they left Keelung for good. This marked the end of European control over the fort at Santísima Trinidad Bay.
See also
- Port of Keelung
- Fort Provintia
- Cape of San Diego
- Eternal Golden Castle
- History of Taiwan
- Taiwan under Dutch rule
- Spanish Formosa
- In Spanish: La Santísima Trinidad (Taiwán) para niños
