Tamsui's Little White House (officially the Tamsui Customs Officer's Residence) is an important historical building in Tamsui near Fort San Domingo. The ticket to Fort San Domingo and Hobe Fort also allows entrance to this building, so you should definitely check it out if you visit the area.
Background: As a result of the Second Opium War, China was forced to open more ports to the west, including in Tamsui and Tainan, therefore creating a need for the Qing government to create a customs office in Tamsui. The Tamsui Customs Officer's Residence was built in 1870 for the Custom Officer. The first customs officer was W. Maxwell of the UK. After the Japanese took control of Taiwan, the house was abandoned. Later after the ROC took control of Taiwan, the building was later annexed as part of the nearby Tamkang High School. In 1996, the building was set for destruction but was saved by local scholars who protested. In 2004, the building was renovated as a tourist attraction in its current form. Because of its stark white appearance, it has been nicknamed the "little white house" referring to the resemblance to the White House in Washington DC. Price: 80 NT per person (includes passage to the British Consulate and Hobe Fort). You can book tickets to this fort and nearby historic sites on Klook here or KKday here. Hours: 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM (tickets not sold after 4:30) Hotels in Tamsui: We have stayed at and recommend Fullon Hotel which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, Klook here, Trip.com, Kayak here, or Hotels.com here). We have also stayed at and recommend the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, once the tallest building in Taiwan and still the most grand (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, Trip.com here, or Kayak here). Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan. Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. How to get there: By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 north from Taipei until you reach Tamsui. The white house is passed the old street on highway 2. Parking can be hard to find, but there should be plentiful parking at Tamsui Elementary School and other places further away. Looking for scooter rental in Tamsui? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. By MRT: Take the red line MRT north to Tamsui station and walk 1 KM north or take a bus to the white house. You can purchase a discount easy card to use on the MRT from Klook here or KKday here. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here. By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. Map: Please see below: Our Journey: We have visited the little white house once. It's a small house near Fort San Domingo, near a number of other historical buildings in the area. 
You can walk to the little white house from Tamsui MRT station, but it is a little far. I have always taken a scooter there. There is a little bit of scooter parking around the white house, some of it is legal some of it is not.
The 80 NT ticket also allows you to see for San Domingo and Hobe Fort, so if you bought a ticket at one of those places, you can also come see the little white house at no additional cost. Sorry I have no idea who this lady is but she decided to pose for this photo.
Map of the area in front of the little white house. This is where you can find legal scooter parking.
Some illegal scooter parking, probably parking fines are not enforced here.
First view of the house from the main entrance.
View of the front porch.
Another view of the arches.
Look inside the front door.
Looking outside to Mt. Guanyin across the Tamsui River.
Art on display inside the little white house, along with a biography of the artist.
A timeline of events for the little white house.
What would a paid museum be without a model of the building inside?
View out the front door.
Windows open to the outside.
Another model of the building.
Qing era ship.
Dutch map of the area.
Living room with fake bookshelves.
An interactive history of the little white house on LCD screen.
Painting of era Qing ships.
Another view out the front door.
Small addition to the side, which is now a bathroom.
View of the side of the house, with caretakers cleaning up the place.
Sign introducing the Douglas Lapraik & Co. Building, The former Residence of Tamsui Township Head of Tada Eikichi, Fort San Domingo, and the Tamsui Customs Wharf.
A dark and dreary day in Tamsui.
View of the little white house from the street.
Looking at the main entrance.
An introduction of the bushes around the white house that have been here for over a hundred years, imported from India.
Traditional Fujian style rooftop nearby.
Entrance to Tam-kang high school, which used to own the little white house as an extension building.
Some other old buildings in Tam-kang high school.
The front door to the little white house, which is now used as scooter parking, The official entrance is out back.
Thanks for reading! Also be sue to check out our blog on Fort San Domingo here, or Hobe Fort here.
You can book tickets to this fort and nearby historic sites on Klook here or KKday here. You can book a tour of Tamsui on TripAdvisor here, KKday here, or Klook here. You can book a tour to Taiwan's North Coast on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. There are many activities available around Tamsui such as, SUPing, Sand Bar Digging, Horse Riding, Lover's Tower, Sailing, Yachting, Happy Island Parent Child Gymnasium, Chi Po Lin Museum and more on TripAdvisor here, KKday here, or Klook here. Check out our full guide to Tamsui here. Check out our Taipei museum guide here. Check out our guide to the Northern Coast here. You can check out our full travel guide to Taipei here. You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.
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Author 作家We are US Expats that have extensive experience living, working, and travelling in Taiwan. In our day, we had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But we have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. Our blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. We are just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Archives 檔案
December 2023
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