Having celebrated its four hundredth 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 two hundred sixty years, spanning the rule of the Dutch, the Kingdom of Tungning, and finally, the Qing Dynasty.
Tainan, Another Southern Surprise | Taiwan
A Cultural Extravaganza at Chimei Museum
Chosen by CNN as one of the twenty-four best travel destinations in 2024, there is no shortage of scenic sites around Tainan. From picturesque natural landscapes, salt and flower farms, old temples, and museums, to 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: the Chimei Museum.
Being a museum enthusiast, I had high expectations for whatever museum I visited. Because of the magnificent collections housed in our National Museum in Manila—across all three galleries: the Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Natural History, and the National Museum of Anthropology—I anticipated that others in different cities and nations would be nearly as good as ours.
Fortunately, I was thoroughly impressed by Tainan City's Chimei Museum. It would take more than a day to see everything here, much like our own National Museum complex in Manila.
The museum's five galleries cover a wide range of topics: 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 combat gear from different time periods and cultures.
Creative Blueprints & Healing Gardens
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.
There is also the Blueprint Culture and Creative Park, which is a fascinating spot bubbling with creativity. Formerly a block full of rundown dwellings, 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 their original beauty using the technical drawing style of blueprint design as inspiration.
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.
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 famous mud hot springs.
The Historic Bastion of 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.
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 seventeenth century.
Despite extensive renovations, the Anping Fort grounds are still a fascinating historic site. There are artifacts from the original seventy-meter-long fort walls and a museum that tells the narrative of Tainan, its culture, and the Dutch occupation.
Our trip to Tainan and Kaohsiung opened my eyes to the fact that Taiwan is home to much more than just Taipei's culinary delights, Jiufen Old Street's endearing atmosphere, Sun Moon Lake's romantic allure, and Yangmingshan National Park's jaw-dropping beauty. Taiwan truly offers a limitless array of experiences for inquiring travelers like me, and this southern journey was but one more unforgettable taste of what the country has to offer.
So, as these three-part Taiwan trip blog posts suggest (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.
