Ershawan Battery sits on the headland above the harbour entrance and is the best-preserved Qing-era fortification on the northern coast of Taiwan. The granite gun emplacements, magazines, and surrounding walls are largely intact, and the five original cannon positions still point out to sea. The site was designated a national monument and has been carefully maintained without being over-restored.
Getting here requires a walk up from the harbour area — follow the signs from Zhongzheng Park or take the footpath that traces the ridge east of the main park. The views from the gun platforms over the harbour entrance are excellent and give you a clear sense of why this position mattered: ships have no choice but to pass directly under the guns to enter port. The attached Haimen Tian'xian Gate, a carved stone arch, is one of the more elegant pieces of Qing military architecture still standing in Taiwan. Allow about an hour for the battery and the surrounding fortification walls.