Tainan, Taiwan

Top 9 Destinations in Tainan, Taiwan

First Time Visiting Taiwan

Temples, food, historic sites, and so much more you cannot miss!

In honor of packing my bags and running off to Asia for the first time ever two years ago, I would like to talk about my first Asian country I ever went to ..TAIWAN!   The first city in Taiwan that I visited was Tainan.  Tainan is an incredible city full of beautiful temples, amazing Asian architecture, interesting food, exciting street events, remarkable history, and famous night markets.  I am very thankful Tainan was my first impression of Asia because it was exactly what I expected Asia to be but also so much more!

Taiwan is a beautiful country that I believe a lot of people overlook.  I never planned or expected myself to ever end up in Taiwan or really knew much about it at all until I went there. I am very thankful the stars aligned and I got to visit some of the most beautiful and memorable places I have ever been while on this trip.  Tainan, Taiwan has so much to offer when it comes to temples, food, events, nature, and more. I enjoyed it very much, and am lucky to have been able to get to know the city as much as I did.

My first impression of Tainan was very much what I always thought and pictured Asia would be like.   Tainan isn’t a huge bustling city.  It is very much a smaller city with amazing Asian charm.  It has many temples all over the city, great places to eat (including KFC), the most famous night market in the country, and so much more.   

Tainan definitely was a great first impression of Asia, and I recommend people to visit and experience a side of Asia that isn’t overblown by tourists. The only downside of visiting Tainan for me was that not many people spoke English and not much written anywhere was in English. If you are able to overcome that you will have a great time! You can use language apps, ask the few people who do speak English, (at your hotel or big tourist sites) plan ahead, or use your phone to make it in Taiwan without knowing the language.

Here are my top 9 places to visit in Tainan, Taiwan

My favorites are #7 and #9

1)  Tainan Park

·     Tainan Park is an amazing place to relax or rest during your long day in the Taiwan sun. Tainan park is best known for it’s lakefront views and landscaped waterfall garden.  Not only that, but it has great walking paths to enjoy your time.  This was one of my top 3 favorite places to visit in Tainan because there is so much to do!

2)  Anping Old Fort

·      Anping Old Fort is a Dutch fort that was the administrative center of the Dutch regime.  There are tall lookouts and many small sites and temples to look at while exploring the Anping Old Fort. It is free to walk around and visit this site.

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3)  Chihkan Tower

·      The Chihkan Tower is also known as Fort Provintia or Providentia.  Fort Provintia was build by the Dutch in 1653 when they were colonizing Taiwan.   In the 19^th century Fort Provintia was destroyed by an earthquake but later rebuilt as the Chihkan Tower. This fort is now a museum for tourists and locals to visit.  There is a small fee upon entry to the site. This was one of my favorite temples to visit, but it was also the most crowded. I would recommend getting there early or go during a weekday if you want to be around less tourists.

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4)  Tainan Grand Mazu Temple

·      The Grand Mazu Temple is a temple for the Chinese sea goddess Mazu.  It is located in a very popular area in the central district of Tainan not to far away from the Chihkan Tower. This temple amazed me with its amazing Asian architecture as well as designs and structures inside and out. Just looking at the temple’s designs on the outside blew me away…and looking inside was that much more mesmerizing. This temple is free to visit and should definitely be at the top of your list!

5)  Anping Old Streeet

·      The Anping Old Street is the oldest street in Tainan.  It was built more than 300 years ago by the Dutch.  It is very historic and holds a very quaint charm.  I would recommend taking a walk down this historic street. There are locals selling street food and souvenirs, many restaurants and shops, as well as cute designs and decorations throughout the area.

6)  Confucius Temple

·      The Confucius Temple in Tainan is the first Confucius temple.  It is located in the Eastern side of Tainan.  This temple was one of my favorites because it has many areas to explore. I also got very lucky because I was the only one in the temple when I visited. Throughout this temple there are directories with information where you can learn about how the Confucius Temple came to be and about its history while walking around the different rooms around and inside the temple. There is a small fee for entry, but it is definitely worth it. There is so much offered and so much to learn. I would recommend paying a few dollars to get into this colorful and amazing temple. 

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7)  Wusheng Night Market

·      Wusheng Night Market is the most famous Night Market in Taiwan.  Taiwan is very popular all around the world when it comes to their night markets.  You can find just about any kind of Taiwanese street food and all sorts of gifts at the Wusheng Night Market.  A few I tried were: stinky tofu, fried squid,  hot dogs in the shape of a motorcycle, and so much more.  Not only that, but you can buy clothes, Legos, action figures, and even play arcade games! There are so many things to do at this market! It definitely deserves to be named the best night market in Taiwan.   The Wusheng Night Market was so much fun, and it was my favorite thing I experienced while in Tainan.

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8) Lin Mo-niang Park

·       Lin Mo- Niang Park is next to a waterway leading to Tawian straights on the western side of Taiwan.   It is a great place to watch the sunset, take a walk, fly kites, have a picnic, or even just relax. Lin Mo-Niang Park was was built to commemorate the Goddess Mazu. In the park there is a statue of her in human form. Take a small bike ride to this park and enjoy all it has to offer!

9) Puppet Shows

Taiwan Puppet shows are so much fun! I didn’t expect to have so much fun at a puppet show nor have I ever gone to an event like this in my life! These events are like what dinner theatre is in America. Guests go into a big room and are served multiple courses of food while also watching a funny puppet show!

The puppet show I went to was fun because the leader of the show got the audience involved and that made everyone have so much more fun! I even won a puppet to bring home that I still have! Not only was it a very memorable and authentic experience, but I also got to try SO MUCH Asian food that I never even knew existed before my trip! This was my second favorite event I went to in Taiwan behind the night market! I would definitely go to one if you are in Taiwan! While you are at it go to a Karaoke booth too!

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I hope you learned something from my top 9 places to visit in Tainan. Tainan was the first city I ever explored in Asia, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to venture off the regular path and experience something different and more authentic!

During my time in Tainan, the temples were never very crowded, and sometimes I was even the only one there. I like the fact that Tainan isn’t super crowded and I could walk around in silence in a lot of places I visited. I also liked the fact that so many people tried to come up and talk to me even though I didn’t know their language. The Taiwanese people I met were all very friendly !

Tainan is only one of the big cities in Taiwan though. There is so much more to explore in the country, and I will be sure to bring you around! If there is anything you want to know about the country…or something you want to add let me know! Have you ever been to Tainan? What is YOUR favorite thing about the city?