Tainan: Where Taiwan Began
Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan and served as the capital of the island for more than two hundred years. Its story begins in 1624, when the Dutch East India Company built Fort Zeelandia on a sandbank in what is now the Anping district. The weathered brick walls of the fortress still stand, and from the observation tower you can look over the harbour that once made this settlement one of the busiest trading posts in East Asia. A few streets away, the Anping Tree House shows what happens when nature is left alone for a century: an enormous banyan tree has completely swallowed a former warehouse, its aerial roots pouring over walls and ceilings like frozen waterfalls. Raised walkways let you wander safely through this strange labyrinth of brick, wood and living roots.
In the city centre, Chihkan Tower stands on the foundations of Fort Provintia, built by the Dutch in 1653. Today two graceful Qing-dynasty pavilions crown the old bastion, and in the garden a row of stone tablets rests on the backs of turtle-like mythical beasts. A short walk south brings you to the Confucius Temple of 1665, remembered as the first school of Taiwan. Behind its deep red walls, ancient trees shade quiet courtyards where students once recited the classics, and the atmosphere remains calm even on busy weekends.
The Food Capital of the Island
Ask any Taiwanese person about Tainan and the conversation will quickly turn to food. The city is considered the culinary capital of the country, with portions, prices and flavours tuned to a culture of grazing from stall to stall. The most famous dish is danzai noodles: a small bowl of springy noodles topped with braised minced pork, a ladle of shrimp broth and a single plump shrimp. Du Hsiao Yueh, the restaurant that made the dish a legend, has been serving it since 1895, when a fisherman began selling noodles to survive the typhoon off-season when boats could not sail. A bowl costs around NT$60 and disappears in five delicious minutes.
The second local icon is coffin bread: a thick slab of toast deep-fried until golden, hollowed out, filled with a creamy seafood chowder and closed with a crunchy bread lid. Add milkfish, the beloved staple of southern Taiwan, which appears as belly congee at breakfast, crispy grilled fillets at lunch and fish-skin soup at the night markets, and you understand why locals say you should arrive in Tainan hungry. Most snacks cost NT$40-80, so eating your way across town will not hurt your budget.
Kaohsiung: Taiwan's Second City
An hour further south lies Kaohsiung, the second-largest city in Taiwan and its greatest harbour. The classic first stop is Lotus Pond in the Zuoying district, a lake ringed with temples and pagodas. The most photographed of them are the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas: you enter through the mouth of the dragon and leave through the jaws of the tiger, a route that according to local belief turns bad luck into good fortune. Come in the late afternoon, when the seven-storey towers glow in the low sun and their reflections stretch across the water.
Downtown, ride the metro to Formosa Boulevard station just to look up. The Dome of Light, created by the Italian glass artist Narcissus Quagliata, is the largest glass artwork in the world: thirty metres of colour telling a story of water, earth, light and fire. Short light shows are held several times a day, and the station has become a symbol of the city.
Harbour Art and the Island of Cijin
Along the waterfront, the Pier-2 Art Center occupies a row of disused port warehouses that have been reborn as galleries, design shops and cafes, with oversized murals and sculptures scattered between them and the light rail gliding right through the district. From the nearby Gushan pier, a ten-minute ferry crossing brings you to Cijin, a narrow island with a lively seafood street, a black-sand beach, an old lighthouse and rental bikes to explore it all. Back on the mainland, finish the day with a stroll or a boat ride on the Love River, whose banks light up beautifully after dark.
Fo Guang Shan and the Great Buddha
If you have half a day to spare, take a bus inland to Fo Guang Shan, the largest Buddhist monastery complex in Taiwan. A wide ceremonial avenue lined with eight pagodas leads to the Buddha Museum and the Fo Guang Big Buddha, the tallest seated bronze Buddha on the island. Entry to the grounds is free, the vegetarian restaurants are excellent, and the monastery is welcoming to curious visitors of any faith.
Practical Tips for the South
The south is easy to reach: the high-speed rail covers the route from Taipei to Zuoying in about ninety minutes to two hours, with standard fares around NT$1490. For Tainan, either get off at Tainan HSR station and take the shuttle train into town, or ride the slower TRA line straight to the station in the city centre. Plan two to three days for the region, using the KMRT metro and the light rail in Kaohsiung with an EasyCard or iPASS. The weather is noticeably warmer and drier than in Taipei, which makes the south a perfect escape in the cooler months.
- HSR Taipei-Zuoying: about 1.5-2 h, standard fare around NT$1490
- Danzai noodles: NT$50-70, coffin bread: NT$60-80
- Ferry to Cijin island: about NT$40 with an EasyCard
- Suggested plan: 2 nights in Tainan plus 1-2 nights in Kaohsiung