Tainan, officially known as Tainan City, is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It sits on the western coast of the island, facing the Taiwan Strait.
As the oldest city on the island, Tainan served as the capital of Taiwan for 263 years. During this period, it functioned as the seat of government under Dutch rule, the Kingdom of Tungning, and subsequently the Qing dynasty until 1887. Due to this extensive history, the city is commonly referred to as the "prefectural capital."
Tainan is often nicknamed "the Phoenix City," a title inspired by its complex history of redefinitions, renewals, and comebacks. In terms of global classification, the Globalization and World Cities Research Network designated Tainan as a "Sufficiency"-level global city in 2020, though it was not included in the classifications for 2022 or 2024.