Tamsui is a town rich in history, where Western, Southern Fujian , and Japanese old styles buildings abound. A pleasure stroll along the streets of Danshui is a great way to enjoy the sights of the town. Travelers have the option of taking a ferry from Bali or Dadaocheng and enjoying scenes of the Danshuei River along the way.

This is Danshuei's most prominent monument to foreign involvement in Taiwan . First built in 1629 by the Spanish, Fort San Domingo was intended to aid the imposition of Spanish rule over the local Chinese and aboriginal populations in northern Taiwan. This fort was captured by the Dutch in 1642 when they drove the Spanish from the island. They replaced the Spanish-built stockade with a fort made of stone. The fort became known as the " Hung-Mao Castle " (Fort of the Red Heads) in reference to the colorful locks of its Dutch occupants.

In 1867, the British leased the fort and undertook massive renovations, which included the construction of the imposing British Consulate in the eastern section of the fortress compound. Its red brick verandah and red roof tiles complement the color scheme and design of the fort.

Hung-Mao Castle was not repossessed by the government until 1980 when it was designated as a historic site of the first grade. Its position overlooking the mouth of the Danshuei River makes it a particularly attractive scenic spot, especially at sunset.

In 1955, a polite of air force discovered a site located 30 kilometers north of Taipei on the sea shore. Small scale archaeological excavations were carried out in the late 1950s by archaeologists from Taiwan National University . However, it is in 1988 only, that a team from Academia Sinica officially started to study the site. With great importance for Taiwan history as the site reveals the existence of human being there 2,300 years ago, Shihsanhang Museum of Archeology opened in April 2003.

The new museum is a beautiful new building of 12,000 square meters, equipped with all modern facilities. The exhibition presents not only the history of the site and of the people who have been living there for more than 1,000 years, but also how the site was discovered and rescued.