Changhua Anti-Aircraft Gun Towers 彰化防空古砲台

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The Anti Aircraft towers in Fanpo/Waipu Villages of Fuxing Township, Changhua County have stood the test of time to tell a tale of an earlier era when the Japanese were trying to ward off American air raid attacks in Taiwan. Quite a few towers still exist in what is now farmland in rural Changhua county, free for all passersby to see. 

Historical Background:
In about 1943 the Japanese decided to build a temporary airstrip that covered parts of Fanpo Village (番婆村古砲台) and Waipu Village (外埔村古砲台) of Fuxing Township, Changhua County. In order to build the airstrip, many local villagers were required to work night and day for many weeks. At the same time, anti-aircraft gun towers were built to protect the local people from bombs as well as provide firepower. The Americans did drop bombs in the area. 
After the war, the airstrip became pasture for cattle and became covered with weeds. Later it was converted into farmland.
The villagers decided to keep the towers standing, probably because it would be hard to tear them down, because they provide a reminder of past times, and that the villagers were lucky to survive the many bombing raids near the village. ​

Price:
Free

Hours:
24/7

Accommodation:
We have stayed at and recommend Guide Hotel Changhua Jhongjheng, which is one of our favorite hotels in all of Taiwan, with great quality and service right in downtown Changhua. (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, Expedia here, or Trip.com here)
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands. Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
You can also book Wifi and SIM cards for Taiwan on Gigago here.  
Need travel insurance? Compare prices on Insubuy here. 

Tours: 
Tours and activities in Changhua include Magical Mushrooms Leisure Farm, Cheng Mei Cultural Park, Changhua Love Farm, Gushengwu Paleontology Park, Taiwan You Good School of Cookie, Baiguoshan Amusement Park, Yunhe Starry Sky View Restaruant , Tianzhong, Yakuta Experience , Qingshui Hot Spring Glamping, Fruit Picking , Tonight Star Leisure Farm, Tianweiwang Scenic Spot, and more. 
You can find more tours of Changhua on Klook here or KKday here. 

Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. 
You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. 

How to get there:
By car/scooter: Just south of highway 142 before you get to Lukang. The tower is easy to see next to the side of the road. 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. 
Looking for scooter rental in Changhua? Check out Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. ​
By bus: From Changhua Station, you can take Changhua bus 6933A to Yingfa Company Bus Stop. The tower is then only a short walk away. You can book tickets to travel to Changhua via inter-city bus on Klook here. 
You can book tickets to Changhua via high speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here. 
Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  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 search 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:

I have been to the gun towers in rural Changhua just once. The one is Fanpo is easy to get to, but the one in Waipu is very much inside someone's property. There are also other gun towers in rural Changhua not mentioned in this blog. 

Fanpo Village gun tower near a drainage ditch. 

The Waipu gun tower is inside someone's front yard. I did not feel comfortable getting any closer, because it is clearly someone's private property. It is just a few blocks down from Fanpo Gun Tower.

Another view of the gun Fanpo tower. 

Closer look at Fanpo Gun Tower. 

Another look. 

Looking inside you can see a ladder to the second floor. There are a total of three floors above ground, and two more floors below ground. 

One last look at the tower before I left. I did not crawl inside because the doorway was too high, there was no ladder, and I didn't care to try.

For other similar gun towers in Taichung, you can check out this blog by Spectral Codex that shows the inside of one of the towers. 

You can find more tours of Changhua on Klook here or KKday here. 

Check out our full guide to Changhua here. 

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here. ​

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