Shennong Street
神農街
A roughly 100-meter old street left from the Qing-era Five Harbors period, where Fujian-style shophouses converted into bars, studios and cafés glow under lanterns, making it Tainan's most photogenic night scene.
Shennong Street lies beside Haian Road in Central West District, Tainan. Formerly called Beishi Street, it is the best-preserved street in the Qing-era Five Harbors commercial port district. It runs roughly 100-odd meters, lined on both sides with two-story wooden and brick shophouses dating from the Qing period to the Japanese occupation period. The layout of shop on the ground floor and home or warehouse upstairs remains intact. After the harbor silted up and the area declined, the street was preserved in its original state for a long time. From the 2000s, artists and young entrepreneurs moved in and converted it into handicraft studios, independent bookshops, retro bars, cafés and guesthouses, while the facades and wooden windows were kept in their original form. It is quiet during the day, but in the evening, once the lanterns hung at each doorway light up, the whole street becomes Tainan's most popular spot for photos and night strolls. The Yaowang Temple at the end of the street (built in 1685, dedicated to Emperor Shennong) gave the street its name. Nearby, Jinhua Mansion, Shuixian Temple and the art district along Haian Road can also be strolled. Admission is free. Suggested route: after dinner, walk from Haian Road into Shennong Street, leisurely stroll to Yaowang Temple, sit for a while in a bar or the café in the old Taigu Department Store building, then walk to Guohua Street or Baoan Road for a late-night snack. Visiting in the daytime lets you see the architectural details and handicraft shops. Getting there: it's about a 10-minute walk from Chihkan Tower, or take a bus to the Ximen Roundabout or Shennong Street stop. Notes: the street is narrow, so don't ride bicycles through it. Shops mostly open after 2 p.m. and close around 10 to 11 p.m. Residents still live on the street, so please keep noise down at night.
Opening hours
Open all day (shops about 2:00–11:00 pm)
Nearby sights
- Guohua Street
- Zhengxing Street
- Grand Mazu Temple
- Sacrificial Rites Martial Temple
- Chihkan Tower (Fort Provintia)
- Hayashi Department Store
- Tainan Judicial Museum
- Museum of Taiwan Literature