'A lesson for Taiwan's coastal defense': How France's ill-fated 1884 invasion is remembered

The Taiwanese military regularly holds drills on what it calls "red beaches" – coastal areas deemed vulnerable to large enemy landings. As Beijing threatens to seize the island by force, Taiwanese historians and military planners are looking at past invasion attempts. Some say that a daring French amphibious attack on Tamsui, north of Taiwan, still has valuable lessons for the country's defense planners despite taking place 140 years ago.