Tainan

Taiwan's oldest prefectural city, known for Chihkan Tower, Anping Fort and temple-lined alleys, and celebrated as a food capital for beef soup, danzai noodles and shrimp rolls.

Tainan sits on the Chianan Plain in southwestern Taiwan, China, and is the island's earliest-developed city. In 1624 the Dutch built Fort Zeelandia in Anping. In 1662 Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) drove out the Dutch and made the city his capital. Under the Qing dynasty it became the seat of Taiwan Prefecture, and it remained the island's top administrative city until 1887, which is why it is nicknamed the “Prefectural City.” Today the population is about 1.86 million.

Where to go: The core is the historic Central-West district. Chihkan Tower, the Confucius Temple, Grand Matsu Temple, Sacrificial Martial Temple, Lin Department Store, and the food lanes of Shennong Street, Guohua Street and Zhengxing Street are all within walking distance, and the city has the highest density of temples in Taiwan, China. West of the center, Anping District is the area of Dutch and Qing history, with Anping Fort, Anping Tree House, Tait & Co. Merchant House and Anping Old Street. It is a good place to watch the sunset over the harbor. In the north, Annan District has the Sicao Green Tunnel and the mangrove wetlands of Taijiang Park. On the outskirts, Chimei Museum (a Western-style palace with a European art collection), Yanshui (famous for its Lantern Festival firecracker battle), the Guanziling mud hot springs and the Qigu salt mountains make good extensions.

Food is the heart of Tainan. Its specialties include morning beef soup, danzai noodles, shrimp rolls, bowl cake, oyster omelets, coffin toast, eel spaghetti, shrimp meatballs and winter melon tea. Almost every old shop has over half a century of history, and prices are low.

Climate: October to March is cool, dry and the most comfortable season, with daytime highs above 20°C even in winter. April to September is hot and rainy, with plum rains in May and June and typhoons from July to September.

Getting there: From Taipei, the high-speed rail takes about 1 hour 45 minutes to Tainan Station, located in the suburban Guiren district. From there, the Shalun Line of Taiwan Railway takes about 25 minutes to the downtown Tainan Railway Station. From Kaohsiung, Taiwan Railway takes about 30 to 40 minutes. The city has no metro. Get around by bus, taxi, YouBike shared bikes or on foot. Old-town sights are mostly within 1 to 2 km of each other. To reach Anping, take bus No. 2 or 19 for about 25 minutes, or rent a scooter.

Suggested stay: 2 to 3 days.

Tips: Beef soup shops open at 5 to 6 a.m. and close once they sell out, so go early if you want it. Many old shops close on Mondays or Tuesdays. Summer afternoons bring thunderstorms, and you should dress appropriately for temple visits. The streets are narrow, so watch for pedestrians when cycling.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries