Take in Historic Taiwan in Tainan
Tainan’s Oldest City Offers a Taste of Days Past
Tainan is Taiwan’s oldest city, original capital, and sometimes thought of as it unofficial food capital. Originally settled by the Dutch in the 1600s, Tainan has cultural elements from Dutch, Japanese, and Chinese settlers. To me, what’s most memorable about wandering through the historic quarters is the atmospheric charm - narrow winding alleys bordered by historic row homes and often lined with bright lanterns. It can feel like stepping back in time.
Go Temple Hopping
Tainan is absolutely packed with temples - having the most Buddhist and Taoist temples of any city in Taiwan. This includes the oldest in Taiwan (dating back to the 1600s). The two most commonly visited are Tainan Confucius Temple (the country’s first center of learning) and Tainan Grand Mazu Temple.
As you just wander through the historic quarters, you will naturally bump into dozens of temples to stop in. If you want to be a bit more deliberate about it, though, you can follow Nick Kembel’s advice in this blog.
Seek Out Some of the Most Famous Historic Spaces
Wandering through central Tainan, you’ll bump into plenty of charming alleys - but you’ll also want to seek out the most important destinations.
Shennong Street is the most famous alley (and most photogenic) in the city. Known for being lined with colorful lanterns and full of bohemian boutiques and cafes, the street is most atmospheric at night.
You’ll also want to find the city’s oldest building, Chihkan Tower - an outpost originally built by the Dutch.
While a more recent addition, I found Chin Men movie theater to have its own form of old world charm. They still hand paint movie posters - and the biggest one is lined by lanterns. While not as historic as much of Tainan, this small touch of an earlier period in the 20th century offers a different wave of nostalgia.
Take a Day Trip to Anping
The neighboring historic town of Anping (about 3 miles west of Taiwan) is similarly atmospheric. You can walk (about an hour) or take a local bus and explore the main sites within a few hours.
The most famous destination is Anping Tree House - a warehouse that has been entirely taken over by banyan trees. If you like seeing nature reclaim abandoned structures, this will be right up your alley.
The other main historic sites are Anping Old Street (a narrow lane full of food vendors), Matsu Temple (a 17th century temple that is the oldest Matsu temple on the island) and Anping Old Fort (Fort Zeelandia, originally a Dutch outpost).
Other Things to Do
Tainan is a major city - being home to almost two million people. As such, it’s an easy city to do anything you’d do at home (like watch a movie or go shopping). If you’re looking for something more cultural, here are the other most common:
Eat at a Market: While Tainan is known for its food, I found it to be no better than other cities. (That bar is high, though, and the food was still exquisite). If you want to explore the local food scene you can go Shuixian Gong Market or Yongle Market during the day. At night, you can go to Garden Night Market or Ta-Tung Night Market (which both aren’t open daily - and essentially alternate).
Head to a Cultural Center: In line with the general trend in Taiwan of repurposing old industrial centers, Blueprint Culture and Creative Park is a repurposed zone that now houses street art and craft shops.
The historic core of Tainan is small, even including Anping, and can be explored in one day. It’s charming though, so I don’t think you’ll regret leaving yourself with extra time.