▁The ▁building ▁itself ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁by ▁ ▁over looking ▁Tak ao ▁Har bor ▁and ▁the ▁materials ▁were ▁brought ▁over ▁from ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Am oy ▁( X iam en ) ▁on ▁main land ▁China . ▁It ▁was ▁r ented ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁Government ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 . ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁year ▁Sw inho e ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁Cons ul ▁General ▁in ▁Form osa ▁a ▁post ▁he ▁would ▁hold ▁until ▁his ▁ret irement ▁from ▁government ▁service ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁First ▁S ino - J apan ese ▁War , ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Sh imon ose ki ▁c eded ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Form osa ▁( as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁P esc adores ) ▁to ▁the ▁Empire ▁of ▁Japan . ▁Although ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁prompt ed ▁the ▁Tri ple ▁Inter vention ▁by ▁Russia , ▁Germany , ▁and ▁France ▁it ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁had ▁little ▁effect ▁on ▁Britain , ▁and ▁thus ▁no ▁major ▁events ▁took ▁place ▁at ▁the ▁cons ulate ▁at ▁this ▁time . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 9 , ▁however , ▁the ▁Japanese ▁government ▁of ▁Taiwan ▁claimed ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁all ▁foreign ▁cons ul ates ▁in ▁Taiwan ▁and ▁the ▁British ▁cons ulate ▁was ▁closed ▁the ▁next ▁year . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁the ▁building ▁was ▁converted ▁into ▁an ▁" O cean ▁Observ atory " ▁by ▁the ▁Japanese ▁vic ero y . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁walls ▁of ▁the ▁cons ulate ▁were