Travel Guide

The National Museum of Taiwan History (NMTH) is located in Annan District, Tainan City, Taiwan. It is a national museum dedicated to the history of Taiwan. The museum is committed to collecting, researching, preserving, and exhibiting historical artifacts and materials related to Taiwan, covering diverse cultures and historical contexts such as indigenous peoples, the Dutch and Spanish periods, the Kingdom of Tungning, the Qing Dynasty rule, the Japanese colonial period, and post-war development. With its rich collection and accessible exhibition content, it is an important venue for understanding Taiwan's history and culture.

Anping Tree House is located in Anping District, Tainan City, Taiwan, and is an old warehouse covered by the roots and branches of banyan trees. The name "Tree House" comes from its unique architectural style, where the living roots and branches of banyan trees completely cover the entire building. It was originally a warehouse built by Tait & Company in 1867 during the Qing Dynasty, used for storing sugar and camphor. During the Japanese colonial period, the building became the office and warehouse of the Japan Salt Company in 1911, and after being abandoned, it was gradually overgrown by banyan trees. After Taiwan's retrocession in 1945, it served as the office for the Tainan Salt Field. In 2004, the Tainan City Government transformed it into a tourist attraction, adding wooden and metal stairs and viewing platforms, and opened it to the public as part of the Anping Port National Historic Park.

Chihkan Tower, also known as Fort Provintia, is a military fortress built in Taiwan during the Dutch colonial period in 1653. It is located in today's West Central District of Tainan City and was an important stronghold for the Dutch in Formosa at that time. After Koxinga's invasion of Taiwan, the fortress was taken over by the Zheng family. In the 18th century, the fortress was damaged by war and earthquakes, and later rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty in the 19th century. Chihkan Tower not only possesses significant architectural and artistic value, but its collection of dictionaries and commercial transaction documents also records the use of the local indigenous Siraya language during the Dutch rule. Currently, Chihkan Tower is undergoing renovation and is planned to be transformed into a museum, expected to be completed in 2024, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Dutch-Taiwanese relations.

The National Museum of Taiwan Literature (NMTL), located in Tainan, Taiwan, and operated by the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan, is the first national-level literary museum in Taiwan. The museum is responsible for researching, cataloging, preserving, and displaying literary artifacts, and holds a large collection of local works written in Taiwanese, Japanese, Mandarin, and classical Chinese. The museum was originally the Tainan Prefectural Hall, built in 1916, and was converted into a literary museum in January 2003. It is an important example of 'adaptive reuse of historic buildings' among official Taiwanese architecture, and was designated a national monument on November 10 of the same year.

The Tainan Confucius Temple (also known as the First Academy of Taiwan), located on Nanmen Road, West Central District, Tainan City, Taiwan, was built in 1665 and is Taiwan's oldest Confucius Temple. It was proposed by Chen Yonghua during the Kingdom of Tungning period as a place for lectures and cultivating intellectuals. During the Qing Dynasty, it underwent multiple repairs and expansions, forming its current scale. During the Japanese colonial period, it was used as a public school and military barracks, and later underwent large-scale renovations in 1917. Today, the Tainan Confucius Temple is a popular tourist attraction and regularly holds ancient Confucian ceremonies, while also housing artifacts and musical instruments used for the rituals.

Anping Fort, originally known as Fort Zeelandia, was a fortress built by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in Anping, Taiwan (now Tainan) from 1624 to 1634. In the 17th century, it served as an important trade hub and international commercial center in East Asia. The site has been renamed multiple times, and its current Chinese name means 'Anping Old Fort'. From 1661 to 1662, Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) besieged the fort and eventually forced the Dutch to surrender.

Tainan's Douhua is renowned for its adherence to traditional preparation methods and unique flavor. Made fresh daily from freshly ground non-GMO soybeans, it boasts an incredibly smooth and delicate texture with a rich soybean aroma. The accompanying syrup and toppings are also meticulously selected.

A rice-based snack made by steaming seasoned indica rice batter with ingredients such as pork, salted egg yolk, mushrooms, and dried shrimp in a bowl. Tainan's Wa Kueh is dark brown and has a firm texture, making it a beloved breakfast or snack for locals.

A distinctive hotpot from Tainan, using a traditional charcoal copper pot. The broth is simmered with pork bones and dried flatfish, but its soul lies in the handmade shacha sauce. The shacha sauce usually includes secret ingredients like peanuts and garlic, offering a rich aroma and a flavor far superior to commercial products.

A traditional sweet snack commonly found in Kaohsiung night markets and traditional markets. Glutinous rice dough is deep-fried, then coated with peanut powder and powdered sugar. The Kaohsiung version is usually fried to be crispier and comes in more varied shapes.

A representative snack from the Anping district of Tainan. Fresh fiery shrimp, pork, fish paste, water chestnuts, and green onions are wrapped in pork omentum or special dough skin, then deep-fried until golden and crispy.

Tainan's most iconic breakfast and a unique culinary culture of the city. Freshly slaughtered warm beef is thinly sliced and then blanched to medium-rare directly with boiling hot beef bone broth. The soup is delicious, and the beef is incredibly tender.