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Insiders’ guide to Tainan, Taiwan – where history, art and cuisine come alive

Taiwan’s fourth city has plenty to satisfy the inquisitive visitor, especially in the walkable district of Anping, which is brimming with culture

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Tainan’s old and narrow streets make it an attractive city to explore on foot. Photo: Thomas Bird
Thomas Bird
Tainan might be Taiwan’s fourth city, but in cultural terms, it punches above its weight.
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For centuries, the area was inhabited by the Siraya people but change came with the Dutch East India Company, which established a base off present-day Anping in 1624. The Europeans attracted labourers from across the strait and Han migrants soon outnumbered both the Europeans and the aboriginals.

Fort Anping, then known as Fort Zeelandia, was a built in the 17th century by the Dutch East India Company. Photo: Antony Dickson
Fort Anping, then known as Fort Zeelandia, was a built in the 17th century by the Dutch East India Company. Photo: Antony Dickson

In 1662, the Ming rebel leader Koxinga vanquished the Dutch and founded the Kingdom of Tungning, under which Tainan developed in the vogue of an imperial Chinese capital.

Tainan remained the seat of prefecture power after the island was incorporated into the Qing empire, losing its capital status only in 1887. Although the contemporary city is considered a laid-back university town popular with retirees, more than two centuries at the heart of island affairs has baked in a sandwich cake of cultural richness, expressed in the local cuisine, a thriving art scene and the temple-festooned old quarters.

American translator Joshua Dyer works as the editor-in-chief of Books From Taiwan — a government-funded initiative that promotes Taiwanese authors to publishers overseas. Photo: Thomas Bird
American translator Joshua Dyer works as the editor-in-chief of Books From Taiwan — a government-funded initiative that promotes Taiwanese authors to publishers overseas. Photo: Thomas Bird

Tainan-based literature translator Joshua Dyer, visual artist Yang Chia-shin and bookseller Tsai Hsin recommend getting acquainted with Tainan in the walkable district of Anping, which is famed for its narrow streets, snack-food stalls and the “sword lions” painted on old houses to ward off evil spirits.

Bricks and mortar

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