During the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the mid 17th Century, Cihou Mountain's dominant position at the entrance of the Port gave rise to the construction of a fort, built with six Chinese-style cannons. When Takou was opened to foreign trade in 1863, its military importance became even more prominent. The most distinctive feature of the Cihou Fort is its Chinese style barracks. It has many interesting architectural touches well worth examining, including the Chinese-style Bazih (Character 8) doors and walls. The characters "Wei Jhen Tien Nan" (Dominating the South) is inscribed on a plaque over the gate and the inlaid double "Fortune" characters on the walls. There are also bat carvings in the corners. Also look for the many traditional stylized features on the walls and stairs.During the Japanese Colonial era, the cannons were removed and melted down. After the liberation of the R.O.C., the military built another set of forts between the original fort and the Lighthouse. The fort was left to slowly fall apart. In 1989, the Kaohsiung City Government restored the fort, restored to all its former glory it was reopened on January 1, 1995.