Tamsui Church

After arriving in Tamsui in 1872 to lead the first Canadian Presbyterian mission to the island, George Leslie Mackay would become a highly influential figure in Northern Taiwan’s history. Mackay spent the rest of his life among the local Chinese immigrant and aborginal Taiwanese in Tamsui area until his death in 1901. Known as the Black Bearded Barbarian of Taiwan, Mackay is revered for the range of contributions he made to the country in the areas of religion, Western medicine, education, and anthropological research. Two of the most noteworthy of these was creating the first written form of the Taiwanese language, and using this Latin script of the language to publish the first printed newspaper in Taiwan.

He first started his religious mission in rental houses. Later on, a church was built when his followers grew. The present Tamsui Church (淡水禮拜堂) was renovated under the supervision of Mackay’s son, George William Mackay in 1933. Because of its distinctive appearance, Tamsui Church not only gathers hundreds of worshippers every week, but has also become a popular spot for photography lovers.