The next major Japanese objective on the route south was the walled city of Changhua. The Formosans were reported to have massed their forces there to fight a major defensive battle, and Liu Yongfu was said to have reinforced the Formosan militia with a number of elite Black Flag units from his southern army. The capture of Changhua was a formidable proposition for the Japanese. The heights of Baguashan, to the north of the city, were fortified, and defended by a strong artillery position, the Bagua battery (Traditional Chinese: 八卦砲台). During the third week of August the Japanese brought up supplies and made preparations for what they expected to be the decisive battle of the campaign.