Top choice in Tainan
An airy bookshop-cafe with large windows framing the sky, trees and canal outside. The books are mostly in Chinese, and lean towards the arts and humanities. Buy a drink and stay put all day, or follow the sun and change seats every hour – the cafe is drenched in light in the morning and afternoon.
Literary pickings may be slimmer for non-Mandarin readers, but there are high tables if you wish to use your laptop.
25.62 MILES
A true hidden gem, this private museum has a small but exceptional collection of sculpture and antiques by mid-19th- to 20th-century Japanese artists who…
0.73 MILES
This lively temple once served as the palace of Ning Jin, the last king of the Ming dynasty. If you wish to confirm visually that a king's status is lower…
17.19 MILES
Tianliao Stone Temple is a fantastical, Gaudi-esque interpretation of a Taoist temple by Southeast Asian migrant workers. The 500 men had been hired to…
23.86 MILES
This sprawling flea market in Neiwei may possibly offer one of the most authentic and fabulous experiences of Taiwan. You'll find everything under the sun…
26.96 MILES
This narrow island that acts as a buffer to the harbour and extends down the city coastline makes for a lovely day trip from the mainland. The main…
26.65 MILES
An attractive sprawl of old warehouses by the port is separated by tree-lined boulevards, and hosts shops, galleries and cafes. It's a wonderful place to…
26.86 MILES
One of Kaohsiung's few temples that made the national protected relics list is also its oldest Mazu temple. Cijin Tianhou Temple was constructed in 1673…
1.3 MILES
When you enter the temple, look up for the two large abacuses used to calculate whether you have done more good than bad in life; check out the most…
0.37 MILES
A foreboding temple dedicated to the King of Medicine (sometimes erroneously translated as 'Drug Lord'), the first of its kind in Taiwan. It faces the…
0.4 MILES
This gate (1835) was part of Tainan's outer city walls in the Qing dynasty. You can see the coral stones in the base and the red bricks making up the low…
0.42 MILES
Nature-worship temples are hard to come by, which makes this one dedicated to the God of Wind unique. The small structure was originally part of an…
0.44 MILES
Cafes, art galleries, fashion boutiques and B&Bs have flowered in the hub of Tainan's former Five Canals area, taking full advantage of the long, narrow,…
0.51 MILES
You pay by the hour at this unusual library-cafe stocked with magazines, comics and visual arts books. It's a great place to chill – there's free coffee,…
0.55 MILES
Hidden inside a market named after itself, Shuixian Temple (literally 'Water Fairy Temple') is a far cry from the days when it was not only a place of…
0.73 MILES
This lively temple once served as the palace of Ning Jin, the last king of the Ming dynasty. If you wish to confirm visually that a king's status is lower…
0.76 MILES
This old second-run theatre (1950) is worth a look for the movie posters created by Master Yan Jhen-fa, the last such painter in Taiwan. You can see…