The VOC established a fortified base at Tayouan in 1624 and began building what became Fort Zeelandia. The fort anchored Dutch administration and trade in southwest Taiwan and became the main symbol of Dutch power on the island.
Over roughly a decade, the VOC expanded Fort Zeelandia from an initial fortification into a major fortress complex. Its growing defenses protected shipping and warehouses and helped the Dutch project control over nearby settlements and trade routes.
After trying to force trade access with Ming China from the Penghu Islands (Pescadores), the Dutch East India Company (VOC) withdrew under pressure in August 1624. Dutch commander Martinus Sonck relocated the base to Tayouan (near today’s Anping, Tainan), setting the stage for a long-term Dutch foothold on Taiwan.
By 1641, the VOC staged the first official Landdag (territorial assembly) to manage relations with Indigenous communities. These gatherings used speeches, gifts, and public rituals to display VOC authority and to formalize alliances and obligations.
In August 1642, Dutch forces captured the Spanish fort at Keelung (San Salvador) in northern Taiwan. This ended Spain’s main foothold on the island and helped the Dutch claim broader control, even though their strongest presence remained in the southwest.
In September 1652, Chinese settlers and farmers revolted against VOC rule, with complaints including heavy taxation and abuses by some officials and soldiers. The Dutch and their Indigenous allies defeated the uprising, but it exposed tensions within the colony’s multiethnic society.
In 1653 the Dutch built Fort Provintia at Sakam (near today’s central Tainan). Alongside Fort Zeelandia, it supported trade administration and helped the VOC extend control beyond the harbor area into surrounding settlements.
In spring 1661, Ming loyalist leader Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga) launched a large expedition from the China coast toward Taiwan. His goal was to seize the Dutch base and use the island as a strategic center against the Qing, transforming the conflict into a major regional power struggle.
Soon after Zheng’s landing, Dutch-held Fort Provintia surrendered in early April 1661. This removed a key Dutch position outside the main fortress and allowed Zheng’s forces to concentrate pressure on Fort Zeelandia.
Zheng’s army began besieging Fort Zeelandia in April 1661. After early assaults failed, the siege became a prolonged blockade meant to exhaust the defenders’ supplies while Zheng controlled the surrounding land and waters.
In January 1662, renewed bombardment and dwindling supplies pushed the Dutch garrison toward capitulation. Governor Frederick Coyett negotiated terms as relief attempts failed and the defenders’ position became untenable.
On February 1, 1662, the Dutch surrendered Fort Zeelandia to Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga). This ended VOC rule in Taiwan’s southwest and marked a major transfer of power from a European trading colony to a Chinese maritime regime.
After the surrender terms were finalized, remaining VOC personnel left Fort Zeelandia and departed Taiwan in February 1662. The Dutch colonial government on Formosa effectively ended, and Zheng’s regime (later known as the Kingdom of Tungning) took over the former Dutch centers of power.
Dutch colonization of Formosa (Taiwan) (1624-1662)