wabisaviDon’t let its size fool you, Taiwan is home to a 23-million strong population that keep its spirited traditions and luxurious culture alive
Discover Tainan
Tainan
Lemi take you on a tour of my favourite city in Taiwan! Travel back in time in 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻, where old meets new at every corner. Cover photo by @merilm 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱: 🎫 Entrance fee 🍜 Food recommendation 📸 Notable photo spot 📌 Other notable sightseeing spots nearby 👍 Pro tip 💸 Budget tip ⌚ Required time
Here are 5 fun facts to get you started: 🔸 Tainan was founded in 1620, making it the oldest city in Taiwan. 🔸 Tainan literally means "Taiwan of the south", but is also nicknamed "Capital City" or "Phoenix City", due to its long and complex history. Tainan was the Capital of Taiwan from the 17th to the 19th century, and is still considered its cultural capital. 🔸 The name Taiwan originated in Tainan. 🔸 Taiwan's oldest Confucius temple is located in Tainan. 🔸 Tainan has many must-try local traditional delicacies, including the famous danzai noodles! 📸 by @merilm Consider booking a 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿, that will take you around the city's most iconic spots: https://www.twtainan.net/en/application
Tainan, East District, Tainan City, Taiwan
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Before diving into Anping Old Street, take a short detour to explore the peculiar 📸 𝗦𝗶𝗼 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲. This old Japanese salt factory has been restored and converted into a small souvenir shop displaying 𝟯𝟲𝟲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘁, among which you can find your lucky salt based on your birthday. Seasoning and bath salts are also available for sale, as well as a small selection of snacks. A fun activity for both adults and kids comes in the form of a 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗴𝗴, coated in a thick crust of coloured salt. You will be given a tiny hammer to crack it open, and can keep the salt to make your own lucky charm. 🍦 I'm one of those people who start craving salty food the moment they finish eating sweets, so 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗰𝗲-𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 has become one of my go-to snacks during summer. At Sio House you can get adventurous, and ask to have things like garlic flavoured salt sprinkled over your soft serve. Are you up to the challenge? 🎫 Free ⌚ 15-30 min https://instagram.com/shiohouse?igshid=9d3mxzerf6bg
- +886 6 391 1088
No. 196號, Gubao Street, Anping District, Tainan City, Taiwan 708
3安平老街 (Anping Old Street) is the most iconic landmark in Tainan, packed with souvenir shops and stalls peddling specialty snacks. Don't limit yourself to the bustling main thoroughfare, though: the maze of narrow alleys in the area still retains characteristic local rammed earth houses standing side by side with Dutch brick buildings where you can immerse yourself in the landscape of old Taiwan. 👍 Look out for the "sword lions" above the entrances, as these are the traditional guardians of Anping, a symbol dating back to the days when Koxinga was stationed in Tainan. 🍜 No stroll down an old street would be complete without some sampling of local delicacies. Here are some you shouldn't miss: 🔸 oysters 🔸 milkfish soup 🔸 shrimp rolls 🔸 coffin bread 🔸 peanut candy 🔸 black sugar bread 🔸 aiyu jelly 🔸 black tofu pudding 📷 A popular activity among female tourists is renting a 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘮 (traditional Chinese body-hugging dress) to stroll around in. Insta-worthy photos are assured. 𝗙𝘂𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁. Anping Old Street was the first street in Taiwan to be given a name.
Yanping Street, Anping District, Tainan City, Taiwan 708
3Anping Tree House is of one Tainan's most iconic locations. Built in 1867 by Scottish trader James Tait, it served as Tait & Co.'s merchant house before becoming the warehouse of the Japan Salt Company. Fast-forward one century, and majestic banyan trees have engulfed the building, bringing you a scene straight from Angkor Wat. Today, the Anping Tree House is part of the National Anping Harbour Historic Park. Stroll around the treetop walkway and take some instaworthy photos. That's what I try doing anyways, but inevitably around the end of the tour things start getting wacky, and my camera roll will be flooded by the goofiest poses and faces as the selfie stick gets swung around like a golf club. Cue a passing influencer and her IG bf giving dirty looks to my squad. Must be something in the air. Thou hast been warned. Note. Don't forget to visit the museum. 🎫 50元 (student discount available)
- +886 6 391 3901
No. 108, Gubao Street, Anping District, Tainan City, Taiwan 708
3More commonly known as 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗭𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮, this ancient castle was the stronghold of the Dutch East India Company during its 38-year rule over western Taiwan. The fort was named Zeelandia after Martinus Sonck's ship, as a homage to the first Dutch governor of Taiwan. You can still see parts of the original wall, built with Dutch bond using Javan bricks and a mortar made out of sand, ground seashells, sugar and glutinous rice. The inner fort has been converted into a museum where you can learn about the history of Tainan, and you can climb up the tower to enjoy a 360' view of the city. 🎫 50元 (student discount available)
- +886 6 226 7348
No. 82, Guosheng Rd, Anping District, Tainan City, Taiwan 708
Also known as 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮, this is the second fort the Dutch built in Tainan. Though smaller than Fort Zeelandia, it's still worth checking out if you have time and are in the area. Inside the actual fort, you can find a manicured garden with a koi pond, a little temple, and an exhibit featuring the bust of Koxinga, the general who defeated the Dutch and eventually freed Taiwan from their rule. 🎫 50元 (student discount available)
- +886 6 220 5647
No. 212, Section 2, Minzu Road, West Central District, Tainan City, Taiwan 700
4Once you are done visiting Fort Provintia, it's time for a stop at my favourite restaurant in Tainan, which pride's itself on being the originator of Tainan's famous danzai mian. Whether you agree on that or not, their noodles are pretty delicious, as is all the other food they serve. The decor, which beautifully captures nostalgic vibes from Taiwan's by-gone days, helps heighten the experience as you dig into the traditional dishes. If you don't know what to order and want to try all of Tainan's specialties in one sitting, look no further than their Sampling Set. It's enough for 2 people to share if you're planning on doing more snacking during the day. Which - who are we kidding - you definitely will.
- +886 6 220 5336
No. 180號, Section 2, Minzu Road, West Central District, Tainan City, Taiwan 700
Of the original 14 gates built around Tainan's Walled City under Qing rule, only 4 remain today. Of these, 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻 or 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗲 (located within Nanmen Park) has the only surviving outer wall in Taiwan. The gate itself is a reconstruction from 1977. Its nickname is Ningnan Gate or Peaceful South Gate. The other 3 gates are: Dadongmen (Great East Gate), Xiaoximen (Little West Gate) and Duiyuemen.
Lane 84, Section 1, Zhongyi Road, West Central District, Tainan City, Taiwan 700
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