Tainan Vacation Travel Guide | Expedia

The city of Tainan rises from the southwestern coastal plains of Taiwan. Less than two hours by bullet train from the capital Taipei and just 110 miles off the coast of mainland China, Tainan is a city of many names. Tainan is the country's oldest city and is often called the birthplace of Taiwan. Just as the tides have continually reshaped the city's environment, so too have the waves of conquest and migration defined Tainan's culture. Start your Tainan journey in the historic quarter of Anping. In 1624, Dutch traders established a fort on this sandy peninsula. Less than four decades later, Chinese forces drove the Dutch from the island forever. Wonder the fort's ramparts and the nearby ruins of a merchant house, held together by banyan roots, the perfect metaphor for a city that embraces its past. Closer to the city center rises Qigong Tower, Taiwan's first official seat of power, and today the keeping place of many of the city's earliest records and treasures. Tainan is not just a city that preserves its history. This is a city that reveres traditions as well, especially the spiritual. With over 2,000 temples and shrines, Tainan is also known as the Kyoto of Taiwan. Tainan's temples are places where ritual and daily life intertwine, from residents quietly praying for guidance to festivals noisy enough to wake the gods. Just across the road from Qigong Tower is the sacrificial rites martial temple. Pay your respects to Guan Dong, the patron saint of soldiers. Then pause for a while beneath the shade of the temple's 300-year-old plum tree. Pass through the gates of the Confucian temple, just as students have for over three and a half centuries. Created as Taiwan's first center of higher learning, the temple remains a touchstone for students who still come to pray for exam success. Although Tainan ceded its political power to Taipei well over a century ago, the city remains a powerhouse in one of life's most important aspects, food. This is where the city's indigenous, Dutch, Japanese and Chinese heritages all come together. Forget chic restaurants and fancy decor, the best food here is found on the streets. Follow the aromas that drift through the city like proud ghosts of past generations of Tainan cooks. The servings are small and affordable, so you can try everything. Tainan is like one big traveling feast, which is why the city is also called the City of Snacks. One of the best places to sample Tainan specialties, like its legendary oyster omelets, is at its markets. Tainan offers two dozen night markets, but none quite compare to the sheer size, color and energy of the city's favorite, the Flower Night Market. When it's time to work off all those small eats, the city has plenty of places to stretch out. Lose yourself amid the bridges, pavilions and ancient trees of Tainan Park. Or explore the ancient shipping channels and mangrove forests of Taichung National Park, right in the city's backyard. These wetlands are a poignant reminder that life is forever shaped by time and tide. They are a reminder too, that to endure, we sometimes need to bend a little in the stream. Which is why Tainan is also known as the Phoenix City. For despite its turbulent history, the city continues to rise as a proud custodian of the past, amid the swirling neon currents of today. Locals love to say, Taipei is Taiwan's pocket, but Tainan is the country's heart.