Must-see attractions in Tainan

Both buildings of the Tainan Art Museum are now open – this one (Building 1), the former Tainan City Police Station raised in the Japanese era; and the…

A fabulous gallery inside an attractive 50-year-old building. The three-and-a-half floors of space hosts well-curated exhibitions of works – paintings,…

This old fort is a splendid place to roam around, or to enjoy an outdoor concert on weekends. However, only the foundation is the original. Chihkan has…

The exhibition hall at the Black-Faced Spoonbill Reserve on Tainan's west coast explains the ecology of the Tseng Wen River (曾文溪) and the creatures that…

People come to this temple to communicate with the dead through spirit mediums. It's a fascinating place to catch a glimpse of Taiwanese folk culture. It…

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…

The former residence of renowned Taiwanese painter Liu Chi-hsiang (1910–98) has been restored and turned into a museum on his life and works. Liu was…

This shrine was built in the Qing dynasty, but its roots date back to a shrine commemorating Ming loyalist Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) in the 1660s. The…

Tainan families have been coming here for generations on the 1st and 15th of every lunar month to pray to the supreme Taoist entity, the Jade Emperor. The…

Behind the Mazu Temple, the fort was a stronghold of Dutch power until its 1661 capture by Koxinga after a nine-month battle. Most of it has been…

There used to be 14 city gates in Tainan and a city wall spreading several kilometres. This old gate is the only one of the four remaining gates that…

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,…

A quiet temple hidden in an alleyway off Zhongshan Rd that worships Princess Seven Stars or Chiniangma (七娘媽), the protector of children, comes alive on…

This antique arch used to be the outermost gateway to the Confucius Temple but became separated from the temple after Nanmen Rd was built in the Japanese…

One of Tainan's two most ancient Buddhist temples, Fahua has clean lines and understated aesthetics. A simple gourd, exorcist of evil spirits, sits on the…

This temple is one of many claiming status as the oldest in Taiwan. Its interior is more elaborately decorated than most in central Tainan, and features a…

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…

Artists, performers and cafe operators have moved into this village with giant banyans, shabby walls and vibrant art. Take a stroll along the tree-lined…

For generations, women have come to this temple to ask Lady Linshui to protect their children. This is demanding work and the goddess employs 36…

Dainty Wufei Temple was built in honour of the concubines of the Prince of Ningjing, Zhu Shugui, the last contender for the Ming throne. When Koxinga's…