Stand on the brick path behind Anping Tree House and you will see what Tainan does best: banyan roots and branches have wrapped themselves around an old salt warehouse until the building and the tree are one structure. It is a short walk from the fort area, and it sets the tone for a city where layers of Dutch, Koxinga-era, Qing, Japanese and later history sit on top of each other.
Tainan suits travellers who would rather spend a day on temples, old gates, courtyards and street food than on a checklist of modern attractions. Most of the historic sights sit in three clusters: around Chihkan Tower and Zhongzheng Road, in Anping District, and near the Confucius Temple. This guide covers the sights named in the source material, ordered so the strongest come first, and ends with a one-day plan built only from those places.
Top things to do in Tainan
1. Chihkan Tower
Chihkan Tower is the landmark of Tainan and its most famous historic site. The Dutch built Fort Provintia here in 1653, and the Chinese called it the Tower of Savages or the Tower of Red-haired Barbarians. It has survived different historical periods, with part of it turned into a temple to the sea god, and it keeps its rich architectural character.
The courtyard is crammed with steles, statues, ponds with colourful fish, and nine stone tortoises carrying royal steles carved in Chinese and Manchurian, so it reads like an outdoor museum. Chihkan Tower is particularly attractive at night. It sits on Min-Tsu Road in the Central District, and the Sacrificial Rites Martial Temple is directly opposite, so pair the two in one visit.
2. Anping Tree House
Anping Tree House began as the warehouse of Tait & Co. and later served as the office and warehouse of the Japan Salt Company during the Japanese occupation. After World War II the salt industry in Anping declined and the area was abandoned, and over time the aerial roots and branches of banyan trees wrapped around the building. Combined with the soil, red brick and partial concrete wall, it creates an unusual sight.
There is also a sky bridge behind the building with a view of the Yanshui estuary. The ticket covers the Tait & Co. merchant house, the tree house and the Zhu Jiu-Ying Residence, with a student rate for those with ID. It is open daily from 08:30 to 17:00 and sits on Fort Street in Anping District.
3. Sacrificial Rites Martial Temple
This is a large temple complex with a mix of Taoism and Buddhism, and it stands opposite Chihkan Tower. Among the numerous statues are the 18 arhats, and it is worth looking for the one with the long eyebrows. There is a steady flow of worshippers moving through, some lighting incense or casting divination blocks.
Behind the temple is a temple to the sea goddess Matsu, so you can see two shrines in one stop. Entry is free, which makes it an easy addition to a Chihkan Tower visit rather than a separate trip.
4. Anping Fort
In the early 17th century European seafarers came to Asia to trade and develop colonial outposts, and in 1624 the Dutch occupied today's Anping and took ten years to build a fort named Fort Zeelandia. After 1662, because Koxinga and his son lived here, it was called King Castle, Anping Castle and Taiwan Castle. The Japanese rebuilt it and named it Anping Old Fort.
Today the only Dutch remains are the ruins of a semicircular bulwark and a section of the outer fort's brick wall, with the root of an old banyan tree on the wall as a witness to its long history. Its commanding views of the ocean make it a popular place to watch the sunset, though the fort itself is not that impressive and neither is the view from the tower during the day, and there is not much space in the tower. If you are short on time, the source suggests you could skip it for Anping Tree House instead. It is open daily from 08:30 to 17:30.
5. Confucius Temple
The Confucius Temple is a serene destination surrounded by a small park. It was built in 1665 as a place to perform rituals and cultivate intellectuals, and it is regarded as the first academy of Taiwan. It sits on Nanmen Road in West Central District and is open daily from 08:30 to 17:30.
Explore the temple, then go to the shaved-ice store right on the opposite side, which the source notes is incredibly popular. Entry is NT$40.
6. Tianhou Temple
Tianhou Temple, also known as Mazu Temple, was erected soon after Koxinga's successful invasion of Dutch Taiwan and is thought to be the oldest extant Mazu temple in Taiwan. Mazu is the Goddess of the Sea and the patron deity of fishermen, sailors and any occupations related to the sea.
It is on Guosheng Road in Anping District and open daily from 04:30 to 22:00, which makes it one of the easiest sights to fit around other plans in Anping.
7. Eternal Golden Fortress
Eternal Golden Fortress is a 19th-century coastal fortress built during the Qing dynasty and armed with cannons to defend against the threat of Japanese invasion. Bricks from the remains of Fort Zeelandia were used during its construction. The squarish fort feels like a very big park inside its thick walls and gate tunnel.
A visit takes not much more than five minutes, so treat it as a short stop. Paddle boats are available for rent in the moat surrounding the fort, and there are sometimes musical events and performances in the evening. It is on Nanwen in Anping District, open daily from 08:30 to 17:00, with a NT$70 ticket.
8. Koxinga's Shrine
This is a small shrine dedicated to Koxinga, with plaques and information about his life. Locally known as Zheng Chenggong, he is an intriguing iconic hero of Taiwan, symbolic in different ways to different people: a pirate to the Dutch, a brave and loyal general to the Chinese, a brutal conqueror to the Aboriginal tribes, a favoured son to the Japanese through his mother, and even a beacon of hope to the KMT in their aims to reclaim the mainland.
The garden is quiet and serene, and a statue of Zheng Chenggong on horseback guards the entrance. It is on Kaishan Road in West Central District, open daily from 08:30 to 17:30, and entry is free.
9. National Museum of Taiwan History
The museum covers a broad overview of Taiwan's history from prehistoric beginnings to the present, illustrating various eras with large-scale interactive displays and dioramas. Temporary exhibits focus more on the museum's historical artifacts, and most of the exhibitions have clear English explanations.
Besides the museum, the building sits in a large park and is architecturally interesting, focusing on harmonious integration with the environment and housing a huge wall of solar panels. It is on Changhe Road Sec 1 in Annan District, reachable by bus 18 from Tainan Railway Station or bus 20 from Yongkang Railway Station, and is open Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00. Entry is NT$80.
10. National Museum of Taiwan Literature
This museum is located in a restored colonial-era Japanese building, and even with the limited English on display it is fascinating. The coffee shop is good too.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 18:00 and entry is free, which makes it a good indoor stop if you are already in the central part of the city.
11. Chimei Museum
The museum was started by a private collector who has a vast collection of violins, many of them antique and made by masters like Antonio Stradivari and Nicolo Amati. There are also various exhibits about Western art, weaponry and natural history.
The building and surrounding park are astonishing in their incongruence and could have been transported entirely from classical Europe. It is on Wenhua Road Sec 2 in Rende District, near Bao'an TRA Station, open Tuesday to Sunday from 09:30 to 17:30, with a NT$200 ticket.
12. Great South Gate
The Great South Gate is one of Tainan's most well preserved city gates. It is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00.
Because it is a single, compact sight, it works best as a short stop folded into a day that already includes the central temples and the Confucius Temple rather than as a destination on its own.
13. Former Tainan Weather Observatory
This is a former meteorological station built in 1897 which is now used as a museum. It is on Gongyuan Road and open daily from 09:00 to 17:00.
It is a small site, so combine it with other stops in the central part of the city rather than making a special journey.
14. Old Tainan District Court
The former district courthouse is now used as a museum of legal matters and history for Southern Taiwan, tracing the history of Taiwan's legal system since the period of Japanese colonisation. Few of the displays are in English, but the museum and the building are worth a stroll around.
It is on Section 1, Fuqian Road in West Central District and open from 09:00 to 17:00.
15. Yongcheng Theater
Yongcheng Theater was built as a rice mill and was repurposed as a theatre after the Japanese occupation of Taiwan ended. It closed in the 2000s and was acquired by the Tainan city government, who redeveloped and reopened it.
It is a small, single-purpose stop, so check that it fits your route before building a day around it.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Chihkan Tower when it opens, then cross the road to the Sacrificial Rites Martial Temple and look for the arhat with the long eyebrows. From there, walk to the Confucius Temple and its small park, and finish the morning with shaved ice at the store opposite.
Afternoon. Move to Anping District. Begin at Anping Tree House and walk the sky bridge behind it for the view of the Yanshui estuary, then continue to Tianhou Temple. If time allows, add Anping Fort for the Dutch wall remains and the ocean view, or Eternal Golden Fortress for the short walk inside its thick walls and gate tunnel.
Evening. Return to the centre and see Chihkan Tower again after dark, when it is particularly attractive. If you would rather stay in Anping, Eternal Golden Fortress sometimes hosts musical events and performances in the evening.
Frequently asked questions
Where are Tainan's historic sights concentrated?
Historical buildings and temples are mostly found in three main clusters: near Chihkan Tower and on Zhongzheng Road, which used to be within the old city walls during the Qing dynasty, and in Anping District.
Which Anping sight should I choose if I am short on time?
Anping Fort is open daily from 08:30 to 17:30, but the fort itself is not that impressive, the daytime view from the tower is not either, and there is not much space in the tower. The source suggests you could skip it for Anping Tree House instead.
Is the Confucius Temple worth combining with anything nearby?
Yes. Explore the temple, then go to the incredibly popular shaved-ice store right on the opposite side.
How do I reach the National Museum of Taiwan History without a car?
Take bus 18 from Tainan Railway Station or bus 20 from Yongkang Railway Station. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00.
Pick the cluster that matches your interests, check the opening days for the museums, and start mapping your route through Tainan.