Having celebrated its 400th anniversary this year, Tainan continues to hold dear the ancient culture of Taiwan. It is the country's oldest city and once served as the capital of Formosa, the previous name of Taiwan, for 260 years spanning the rule of the Dutch, the Kingdom of Tungning, and finally, the Qing Dynasty.
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| The mountains of Guanziling in Tainan is known for their many mud hot springs |
Chosen by CNN as
one of the 24 best travel destinations in 2024, there's no shortage of scenic
sites around. From picturesque natural landscapes, salt and flower farms, old
temples, museums, and a rich culinary scene, Tainan provides travelers with
another pleasant southern surprise in Taiwan. Following our Kaohsiung
exploration, we raced to Tainan for an additional cultural trip. Our first
stop: Chimei Museum.
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| A mind-blowing collection is housed inside this museum |
Being a museum enthusiast, I have high expectations for whatever museum I visit. And because of the magnificent collections housed in our National Museum Manila — all three galleries the Museum of Fine Arts, National Museum of Natural History and National Museum of Anthropology — I anticipate that others in different cities and nations will be nearly as good as ours.
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| The Arms and Armors Gallery is my favorite inside Chimei Museum |
Fortunately, I was
thoroughly impressed by Tainan City's Chimei Museum. It would take more than a
day to see everything at the Chimei Museum, just like at our own National
Museum complex in Manila.
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| The Fine Arts Gallery displays art works from artists around the world |
The museum's five
galleries cover a wide range of topics: the Fine Arts, Musical Instruments (including the largest collection of violins in the world), Natural History and
Fossils, and my favorite, Arms and Armor, which displays a variety of weaponry
and armor from different time periods and cultures.
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| Architect Tsai Yi-cheng designed the Chimei Museum to spark a cultural revival by incorporating western elements. |
Art breathes freely
in the city of Tainan, as dotting the region are a number of museums such as
the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, the Thousand Fields Seed Museum, the
Ciji Temple Museum, the National Museum of Taiwan History, and countless temples
and creative spaces.
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| One of the art installations at the Blueprint Culture and Creative Park |
There is also the
Blueprint Culture and Creative Park, which is a fascinating spot bubbling with
creativity. Formerly a block full of rundown dwellings before it underwent
gentrification and opened to the public in 2015. Most of the houses, which are
now souvenir shops and charming cafes, were meticulously restored to its
original beauty using the technical drawing style of blueprint design as
inspiration.
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| The extensive violin collection of Chimei Museum |
The Old Judiciary Dormitory in Tainan's neighborhood has undergone a transformation, with kaleidoscopic lines, animated patterns, and interactive artworks now adorning its walls. The dorms were once home to employees of Tainan Prison. The two or three blocks of tiny, vibrantly colored shops are located in the middle of a busy business center and are surrounded by similarly vibrant wall paintings. Be on the hunt behind every plant box, roof, and wall because although most of the artworks are plainly visible, others are hidden.
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| The therapeutic scene of colorful flowers at Arwin Therapy Garden |
From culture
tripping, we set out on a nature trail in Tainan, passing by the blooming
fields of Arwin Therapy Garden and into the mountainside. There, we savored a
steaming mug of coffee and resisted the temptation to plunge into the waters of
Guanziling Hot Spring, home to Tainan's mud hot springs.
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| Anping Old Fort |
Our Tainan journey
came to a close at Anping Old Fort, where we wandered through its olden
streets’ maze of narrow lanes and explored the neighboring Mazu Temple, which
previously served as the palace of Ning Jin, the last ruler of the Ming
dynasty.
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| There's also a museum inside the Anping Old Fort |
Formerly held by the Dutch, Anping Old Fort was taken over in 1661 by Koxinga, also known as Zheng Chenggong, the Prince of Yanping, a Southern Ming general who opposed the Qing invasion of China in the 17th century.
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| Part of the 70-meter wall that remains from the original |
Despite extensive renovations, the
Anping Fort grounds are still a fascinating historic site. There are artifacts
from the original 70-meter-long fort walls and a museum that tells the
narrative of Tainan, its culture, and the Dutch occupation.
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| Scenes inside Mazu Temple |
Our trip to Tainan
and Kaohsiung opened my eyes to the fact that Taiwan is home to much more than
only Taipei's culinary delights, Jiufen Old Street's endearing atmosphere, Sun
Moon Lake's romantic allure, Yangmingshan National Park's jaw-dropping beauty,
and so on. Taiwan truly offers a limitless array of experiences for inquiring
travelers like me, and this southern journey is but one more unforgettable
taste of what the country has to offer.
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| All over Tainan city |
So, as this three-part #2024Taiwan trip blog posts suggests (see the other two here: Taiwan Lantern Festival and Kaohsiung's Many Charms), pack your bags and visit Asia soon, and please, don't
forget to pass by Taiwan.
