Tainan Travel Guide: Exploring Taiwan's Oldest City

Welcome to Tainan — Taiwan's oldest city and one of the best places to experience the island's incredible history, temples, architecture, and culture. In this Tainan Travel Guide, we explore a city shaped by more than four centuries of dramatic change — from Dutch Formosa and Koxinga to the Qing Dynasty, Japanese colonial rule, and modern Taiwan. Our journey begins in the historic heart of Tainan, visiting Koxinga's Shrine and exploring the legacy of the military commander who drove the Dutch from Taiwan in the 17th century. We also visit the Tainan Confucius Temple, one of the city's most important historic sites, before discovering traditional temples, gardens and streets that reveal why Tainan is often considered the cultural and spiritual heart of Taiwan. We'll wander through atmospheric Shennong Street, where centuries-old shophouses, temples and narrow lanes preserve the character of old Tainan, before heading to Anping, the historic port district where Taiwan's international story took a dramatic turn. Here we'll explore the Former Tait & Co. Merchant House and the extraordinary Anping Tree House, where enormous banyan roots have slowly swallowed an abandoned warehouse, creating one of Taiwan's most unusual historic attractions. Then we visit Anping Fort, originally built as Fort Zeelandia by the Dutch East India Company beginning in 1624. From this fortress, the Dutch administered their colony on Taiwan and participated in a maritime trading network connecting China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Europe. In 1661, Koxinga laid siege to the fortress, eventually forcing the Dutch to surrender and bringing nearly four decades of Dutch colonial rule to an end. But Tainan isn't only about ancient temples and colonial history. We'll also explore the spectacular Chimei Museum, home to collections of Western art, sculpture, historic weapons, and rare musical instruments, before visiting Ten Drum Cultural Village, where an abandoned Japanese-era sugar factory has been transformed into a remarkable cultural and entertainment complex. From ancient temples and Dutch fortifications to banyan-covered ruins, colonial architecture and industrial heritage, Tainan is a city where the different chapters of Taiwan's history remain visible everywhere you look. In this Tainan travel guide: 0:00 - Introduction to Tainan 0:46 - Koxinga Shrine 2:00 - Tainan Confucius Temple 3:23 - Tainan Wu Garden 3:48 - Temples 4:57 - Zheng Chenggong Ancestral Temple 6:23 - Chikan Tower 6:49- Shennong St 7:55 - Tait Merchant House 8:51- Anping Tree House 9:58 - Anping Fort 11:59 - Eternal Golden Castle 13:20 - Chimei Museum 14:55 - 10 Drum Culture Village 16:33 - Conclusion Whether you're planning a Taiwan itinerary, looking for the best things to do in Tainan, or interested in Taiwanese history, Dutch Formosa, Koxinga, traditional temples, Japanese colonial history, or historic architecture, Tainan deserves a place on your journey. PATHLOGUE — Places. Paths. Stories. Subscribe for more journeys exploring the history, landscapes, and stories behind remarkable places in Taiwan and around the world. #Tainan #Taiwan #TainanTravel #TaiwanTravel #TaiwanHistory #Anping #AnpingFort #ShennongStreet #Chimei Museum #TaiwanTravelGuide #Pathlogue