Keelung 400: Unearthing a History Far Beyond Four Centuries

Keelung’s history is both remarkably brief and profoundly long. “It is absolutely older than 400 years,” asserts Ellen Hsieh, an associate professor at National Tsing Hua University’s Institute of Anthropology and the director of the Heping Island archaeological excavation project.

The city’s deeper narrative might have remained hidden if not for the passionate advocacy of José Eugenio Borao Mateo, a Spanish national and professor emeritus at National Taiwan University’s Department of Foreign Languages and Literature. He invited Academia Sinica academician and esteemed archaeologist Tsang Cheng-hwa to conduct excavations on Heping Island. Prior to these efforts, our understanding of Keelung was severely limited by a lack of historical documents, relying mostly on a handful of sparse texts mentioning the old place name “Jilong.”

It was these archaeological breakthroughs that finally confirmed Keelung’s true age, tracing its roots back over 3,000 years. The findings span five distinct eras: the Neolithic Age, the Iron Age, the Age of Discovery, the Qing Dynasty, and the Japanese Colonial Period. They unveil a diverse tapestry of inhabitants, including Indigenous peoples, Han Chinese, Spanish, Dutch, and Japanese settlers.

Site B, where structural remains of a church and 24 burials were unearthed. (photo by Kent Chuang)

Unearthing Prehistory Through the Lens of Archaeology

Historical continuity does not emerge from a vacuum. Hsieh points out that long before the Spanish arrived in 1626 and elevated Keelung to a broader global platform, the local Indigenous communities were already deeply integrated into maritime trade networks. They utilized glass and agate beads originally crafted in West Asia, South Asia, or China, along with porcelain from the Song Dynasty. Because these artifacts could not be produced locally, Hsieh explains, “It is reasonable to assume they arrived here through multiple tiers of indirect trade.”

Furthermore, these items were not exclusive to Taiwan but were shared across Island Southeast Asia. This shared material culture demonstrates the density and vastness of maritime trade networks at the time. Hsieh stresses that Keelung’s role as a crucial hub for foreign trade “actually existed” well before the Spanish ever set foot on the island.

An Unbroken Maritime Identity

Keelung boomed during Taiwan’s era of rapid economic takeoff, but its role in foreign trade gradually declined amid industrial restructuring and the rise of the neighboring Port of Taipei. In recent years, it has largely been viewed as an industrial hub, though the past decade has seen concerted efforts to rebrand it as a tourist destination. Despite these shifting economic tides, looking back reveals a constant truth: “Keelung’s maritime character remains unbroken,” Hsieh notes.

The massive quantities of prehistoric glass beads, agate beads, and porcelain unearthed here almost perfectly echo the modern weituohang (commission stores)—shops clustered around the harbor that specialize in imported foreign goods. This unbroken lineage vividly illustrates Keelung’s enduring identity as a trading powerhouse, shaped permanently by its coastal geography.

Additionally, the city’s signature seafood cuisine is steeped in history. Archaeologists have discovered numerous fish otoliths (inner ear bones), and isotope analyses of human remains confirm that ancient inhabitants relied heavily on seafood as their primary food source. The excavation of fishing implements—such as net sinkers, fishhooks, and tools crafted from shells—further underscores that the environmental conditions of coastal living then were virtually identical to those experienced today.

The wheels of time never cease turning. In areas where written history falls short, archaeology breathes life into buried, forgotten landscapes, allowing Keelung’s story to take root far deeper in the past. As Hsieh beautifully summarizes, “Networks from the past can construct meaning, and allow that meaning to snowball and expand.”