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    Tainan

    Taiwan

    Tainan

    CityCultureCulinary

    Tainan in the southwest is Taiwan's oldest city and was its political center for centuries. Those interested in history, temples, and traditional street food will find more here in a compact area than anywhere else on the island.

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    7. South Taiwan
    9. Tainan
    Tainan in the southwest is Taiwan's oldest city and was its political center for centuries. Those interested in history, temples, and traditional street food will find more here in a compact area than anywhere else on the island.The Dutch East India Company erected Fort Zeelandia in 1624 in today's Anping district; its remains are now known as Anping Fort. After Koxinga expelled the Dutch in 1662, the city served as the seat of his kingdom and later, under the Qing, as the capital of Taiwan Prefecture. The Confucian Temple, built in 1665, is considered the island's first Confucian academy, and the city boasts more Buddhist and Daoist temples than any other in Taiwan.
    Tainan is Taiwan's oldest city and, since 2010, a special municipality that includes its former county. There's no metro, but many historic sites in the old city are within walking distance, and city buses reach the outer districts. Its core areas include the West Central District with Chihkan Tower, Confucius Temple, Shennong Street, and countless temples, as well as Anping on the coast, where the Dutch founded Fort Zeelandia in 1624. Tainan is also the city of small dishes: many Taiwanese culinary classics originate here.

    Sights in Tainan

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Anping Fort (Fort Zeelandia)
    Castle

    1Anping Fort (Fort Zeelandia)

    The Dutch East India Company started building this fortress in 1624 on the then-sandy Tayouan peninsula, which fell to Koxinga in 1662. Remaining are wall fragments, a lookout tower, and a small museum on the site's history.
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    Chihkan Tower (Fort Provintia)
    Attraction

    2Chihkan Tower (Fort Provintia)

    On the site of Fort Provintia, built by the Dutch in 1653, are now two Chinese-style pavilions with a Koi pond. In the evenings, when the complex is illuminated, it is quieter here than during the day.
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    Confucius Temple Tainan
    Place of Worship

    3Confucius Temple Tainan

    Founded in 1665, the temple is considered Taiwan's first Confucian academy. Traditional architecture and tranquil courtyards sit in the heart of the city, providing a peaceful contrast to the surrounding traffic.
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    Shennong Street
    Historic Landmark

    4Shennong Street

    Shennong Street is among Tainan's oldest and most charming streets. The narrow lane, with its old shophouses, cafes, and small shops, is especially inviting for an evening stroll.
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    Garden Night Market (Huayuan)
    Market

    5Garden Night Market (Huayuan)

    The open-air night market in the north of the city is one of Taiwan's largest with several hundred stalls, but despite its name, there are no flowers. It only opens on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays; you should plan one to two hours for a visit.
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    City walks in Tainan

    Curated walking tours through the city's highlights, handpicked by experienced travel journalists.

    Old Town Walking Tour: From Confucius Temple to Shennong Street

    A leisurely stroll through Tainan's Old Town, about 1.5 kilometers and with breaks, two to three hours. Start in the late afternoon, then you'll reach Shennong Street by evening, when it's most beautiful for a wander. For Fort Zeelandia in the Anping harbor district, take a taxi or a bus afterwards.

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    Videos & Travel Reports

    Taiwan for food lovers (DW Documentary, englisch)

    Englischsprachige Dokumentation der Deutschen Welle über Taiwans Esskultur.

    DW Documentary on Taiwan's food culture.

    Restaurants in Tainan

    1

    Du Hsiao Yueh

    The restaurant mentioned by the Michelin Guide is considered the birthplace of Danzai noodles: small bowls with noodles in rich shrimp broth, minced pork, and a shrimp. As the portions are small, they are ideal as a snack.
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    2

    A Hsing Congee

    The breakfast restaurant with a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide serves hearty rice porridge with milkfish belly and oysters, plus fried dough pastries. It's open mornings until early afternoon, closed on Mondays.
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    3

    Six Thousand Beef Soup

    Here you get the typical Tainan breakfast: thinly sliced raw beef, with hot bone broth poured over it. The eatery opens only mornings from Thursday to Sunday; coming early is recommended.
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    4

    A Xing Milkfish (阿興虱目魚)

    Milkfish is a specialty of Tainan, and this Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand establishment revolves entirely around it: as soup, fried belly fillet, or skin soup, served with rice with minced pork.
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    5

    Chikan Coffin Bread (赤崁棺材板)

    The stall in Kangle Market dates back to Xu Liuyi, who invented Coffin Bread: a deep-fried, hollowed-out toast block with a creamy chicken and seafood filling, with a lid that resembles a coffin.
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    Eating and Drinking in Tainan

    Tainan is considered the capital of Taiwanese snack cuisine; many dishes originated here. The cuisine is noticeably sweeter than in the north. The Michelin Guide lists numerous simple eateries with Bib Gourmand.

    Hearty Beef Soup for Breakfast

    Paper-thin raw beef is doused with boiling broth and cooks in the bowl. Many eateries open early in the morning for this.

    Danzai Noodles

    Small bowls with noodles in shrimp broth, minced pork and a shrimp, originally intended as a snack.

    Milkfish

    The fish is a specialty of the region and appears as clear soup, fried belly fillet, or in hearty rice porridge.

    Coffin Bread

    Hollowed-out, deep-fried toast with creamy filling, invented in a stall at Kangle Market.

    Night Market

    Die Märkte wechseln sich nach Wochentagen ab. Der Garden Night Market, einer der größten Taiwans, öffnet donnerstags, samstags und sonntags.

    The City of Temples

    Under Koxinga, Tainan was the seat of his kingdom, and under the Qing, it was the capital of Taiwan Prefecture. This long history is visible at every turn: The city boasts more Buddhist and Daoist temples than any other in Taiwan, and the Confucian Temple from 1665 is considered the island's first Confucian academy. Remains of the East and South Gates of the old city wall are preserved.From the Dutch colonial period come the remains of Fort Zeelandia in Anping and the site of Fort Provintia, where the Chihkan Tower stands today. The old name of the area, Tayouan, is considered a possible origin of the name Taiwan.

    Nightlife

    1

    Moonrock

    The cocktail bar in North District ranked 42nd in Asia's 50 Best Bars in 2025 and was named Bar of the Year by Tatler Best Bars Taiwan. Dimmed lighting and meticulously crafted drinks make it Tainan's best-known bar.
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    2

    The Han-jia

    The cocktail bar with kitchen on Ximen Road climbed from No. 79 in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2024 to No. 59 in 2025. A reservation or early arrival is advisable.
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    3

    Bar TCRC

    TCRC stands for The Checkered Record Club, a popular cocktail bar in the city center that has already been featured on Asia's 50 Best Bars list. It opens punctually at 8 PM.
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    Traveling in Tainan

    The High-Speed Rail station is located far outside the center in Gueiren. From the adjacent Shalun Station, a Taiwan Railway shuttle train takes approximately 20 to 25 minutes to Tainan Station downtown; free shuttle buses are also available.On Foot: Many attractions in the West Central District are close to each other; the old town is best explored on foot.Bus: Lines 88 and 99 serve tourist destinations, including Anping. The bus ride from the station to Anping takes about half an hour.Taxi and Rental Car: A taxi to Anping is a convenient alternative. A rental car is only worthwhile for trips to the surrounding area; rental agencies are available at the High-Speed Rail station and the train station.

    Accommodations in Tainan

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      • 2Chihkan Tower (Fort Provintia)4 days
      • 3Confucius Temple Tainan5 days
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    Nearby

    South Taiwan

    South Taiwan

    The south is warmer, more leisurely, and for many, the culinary heart of Taiwan. Tainan, the island's oldest city, the port city of Kaohsiung, and the beaches in Kenting National Park are only a few hours apart.In Tainan, the Dutch founded Fort Zeelandia in 1624; later, the city was long the island's capital. Kaohsiung is the terminus of the high-speed rail from Taipei and the starting point for buses to the southern tip. There lies the Kenting National Park, founded in 1984, Taiwan's oldest national park.
    Kaohsiung

    Kaohsiung

    Kaohsiung is a major port city in southern Taiwan and the terminus of the high-speed rail from Taipei. The city boasts a revamped harbor district filled with art, colorful pagodas on Lotus Lake, and a short ferry ride to Cijin Island, home to beaches and seafood restaurants.Near Zuoying Station on Lotus Lake stand the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, which, according to tradition, you enter through the Dragon's mouth and exit through the Tiger's. In the former warehouse district by the harbor, the Pier-2 Art Center has established itself with galleries, installations, and cafes. Formosa Boulevard Metro Station is renowned for its glass dome, the Dome of Light, and the Liuhe Night Market is located nearby.
    Shizhuo

    Shizhuo

    The mountain village of Shizhuo is located on the road from Chiayi to Alishan and is home to Alishan high-mountain tea. Above the village, hiking trails lead through tea plantations and bamboo forests. All buses from Chiayi to Alishan stop here; the journey from Chiayi takes about an hour.
    Fenqihu

    Fenqihu

    Fenqihu is a mountain village on the Alishan Forest Railway on the way up from Chiayi. Trains make a longer stop here, and the place is known for its Bento lunchboxes. Buses 7329A and 7322A from Chiayi also pass through Fenqihu.
    Alishan

    Alishan

    Alishan is a forested mountain region in Taiwan's western Central Mountain Range, reached by a historic narrow-gauge railway from Chiayi. Ancient cypress forests, mountain villages, and stunning peak sunrises make it one of Taiwan's classic mountain destinations.The Alishan Forest Railway was built during the Japanese colonial era for logging, ascending from Chiayi at 30 meters to Alishan Station at 2,216 meters. En route, it traverses tropical, subtropical, and temperate forest zones. After severe typhoon damage in 2009 and 2015, it is fully operational again since July 2024. From Alishan, an early morning train takes you to Zhushan, where many observe the sunrise over the mountains.