PUBLISHED April 26th, 2023 06:00 am | UPDATED July 22nd, 2024 03:34 pm
Taipei might be a popular travel destination, but you will never truly understand Taiwan until you make a trip to its ancient capital of Tainan. Located in the south of the island, Tainan was where Taiwan’s first administration was established in 1661. In addition to being the “Food Capital of Taiwan”, Tainan is Taiwan‘s cultural and historical hub, with plenty of temples, museums, and heritage sites.
Throw stunning natural landscapes and vibrant nightlife, and we’ve got a winning trip. Whether you are a foodie, a culture vulture, or are looking for the best things to do in Tainan, we’ve got you covered with this three-day two-night itinerary.
Getting to Tainan
Getting to Tainan is easy with Taiwan’s well-connected public transport system. From Taipei, the quickest way is a one-hour and 50-minute ride on the Taiwan High-Speed Rail (HSR) – tickets are approximately S$60. Alternatively, Taiwan Railway‘s Puyuma Express is the more scenic route, taking approximately three hours (tickets approximately S$30). With rides starting from S$18, buses are the most economical travel method, though road conditions can be unpredictable, especially during peak hours. It’s a 20 minute journey from the Zuoying HSR station in Kaohsiung to Tainan.
Getting Around and Accommodation
You can easily get around Tainan by buses, the TRA, taxis, or ride-hailing apps. Tourists can hop on the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle buses, which ply popular attractions and historical sites. For easy and convenient travel, consider purchasing train passes. Keen on a little adventure? Explore the city on foot or rent a bicycle or scooter near tourist attractions.
With the ease of travel and the relatively compact size of the city, stay anywhere you like. Accommodations run the gamut of hotels, themed B&B (民宿) – like this library-themed hostel or the vintage-styled B&B. You can even stay in a mountain farm at the scenic Fairy Lake Leisure Farm. Staying at the West Central District (中西區) puts you in the core of the old downtown, where food, shopping, and attractions are easily accessible.
Night Markets
You can’t say you’ve been to Taiwan if you’ve never been to one of their night markets. In Tainan, to know where to go, you have to know this special chant – “大大武花大武花”. With their three main night markets operating on different nights, visit 大 (Ta-Tung Night Market) on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, 武 (Wusheng Night Market) on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and the famed 花 (Garden Night Market) on Thursdays and Sundays.
Day One: Travel Back in Time and Explore the ‘Salty’ Past
Start your Tainan exploration at the beginning with Taiwan’s first street – Anping Old Street (安平老街, also known as Yan Ping Street 延平街 ). Begin your day at the Anping Mazu Temple, the oldest Mazu temple in Taiwan, then take a short walk to the Anping Old Fort to witness its role in history. As you exit, you will come to the Anping Treehouse, a hauntingly beautiful former warehouse taken over by the sprawling roots and branches of the Banyan Tree.
Head over to the old street area for lunch as you feast on snacks and street food. Shop traditional crafts and step back in time when you wander through the meandering alleyways. Discover ancient temples and traditional houses with the Wind Lion Gods watching from the rooftops and images of Sword Lions standing guard at the lintels of the doors.
Tourist Shuttle Bus 99 will take you to the once-largest salt field in Taiwan. Marking the end of its 338 years in salt history, Qigu Salt Mountain (七股鹽山) offers tourists a stunning view of the salt fields with its six-storey high salt mountain. Learn about its glorious past at the Qi Gu Salt Museum (臺灣鹽博物館), where you’ll get to buy some locally made salt products. Off the beaten track is the Jingzijiao Wapan Salt Fields (井仔腳瓦盤鹽田), where you can play in salt. Kick off your shoes and get salty while taking in captivating views of the sunset.
Now that you’ve seen the sunset let the delicious cocktails at Moonrock Bar fly you to the moon. Known for their point-on original flavours, creations like Monday Blue Cheese, which sees tequila mixed with blue cheese and Chardonnay, have brought them to no. 91 in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022. Or visit Swallow, a coffee shop by day and cocktail bar by night, in a century-old shophouse. Enjoy an aromatic espresso martini with black sesame, or try some of their experimental cocktails with seaweed-infused ruby port and buckwheat tea.
Day Two: Exploring Modern Culture in Historical Sites
Tainan’s Ten Drum Art Percussion Group repurposed a sugar refinery to become the Ten Drum Culture Village (十鼓文創園區). Together with landscaped florals and large Banyan trees, the village houses a mini archery range, a skywalk, a zipline, and a giant sky swing. There are cute cafes, including one that’s Hogwarts-inspired, for a refuel stop. Grab some gifts at the retail shops, and learn the art of Taiwan’s traditional drumming from the experts. After, take a 10-minute walk to the Chimei Museum (奇美博物館) to continue your cultural journey through Western art, musical instruments, and natural history.
The Blueprint Cultural & Creative Park (藍晒圖文創園區) is a cultural and art hub with unique shops, art installations, and theatre productions. It has become a popular photo spot with its wall graffiti. Stay till the evening to fill your IG with the eye-catching light and art installation – Blueprint.
From here, a five-minute walk will take you to The Han-Jia Pairing Dinner (酣呷餐酒), the perfect place to end your day with a sumptuous dinner and nightcap. From tapas and hearty proteins, this modern bistro bar serves delectable Western fare, as well as cocktails inspired by local flavours and ingredients.
Day Three: Ply the Streets, Go Cafe-Hopping and Shopping
Once abandoned and defaced by graffiti artists, Hai’an Road Art Street (海安路藝術街) is now a celebrated attraction. Speciality shops, quaint cafes, bars, and boutiques flank both sides of the street; strike a pose with the wall murals and the larger-than-life installations. An easy 10-minute walk will take you to the iconic Hayashi Department Store, where you can shop for Taiwan-made products. If walls could talk, the walls of this oldest department store in Tainan would tell you stories of its former glory, with its old-style elevator and Torii Shrine on the top floor.
Old meets new at Xinmei Street (新美街), with hipster cafes and restaurants filling the old-style houses. Have a taste of old Tainan with traditional confectionery, admire hand-drawn movie posters at the Chuan Mei Theater (全美戲院), or get a glimpse into your future at the century-old Kaiji Martial Temple (開基武廟), known for its efficacious divination.
When night falls, the ancient houses at Shennong Street (神農街) light up the dark with rows and rows of lanterns. Named after a Chinese agricultural deity, the best-preserved street in Tainan houses plenty of cafes, craft beer bars, and local handicrafts in souvenir shops. And if you need some pet therapy, there’s the Fat Cat Story just down the road while capybara cafe, Mogu Kabi, rounds up the evening with delectable pastries.
Top Image of Hayashi Department Store Courtesy of Deposit Photos