During the late Qing Dynasty at the end of the 19th century, as European powers established a commercial presence in Taiwan. In 1864, British consul Robert Swinhoe leased a plot of land at Takao (also spelled Takow, now Kaohsiung) with the intention of building a consulate there. However, the site was deemed unsuitable for the purpose, and the consulate was ultimately built elsewhere in 1879. However, the land at Takao remained in the hands of the British, and in 1871 they received permission to build a chapel and graveyard on the…
