# Tainan travel guide (台南) Taiwan Region · South China, China · 10 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/taiwan-region/tainan ## Quick itinerary - **Day 1:** Mazu Temple → Chihkan Tower → Tainan Confucius Temple → National Museum of Taiwan Literature - **Day 2:** Koxinga Shrine → Anping Fort → Dingtou'e Sandbar ## The feel of the place The flavor of old-time Tainan fills the air. Here you'll come to appreciate that China's long civilization isn't confined to the Palace Museum. It is also woven into the food served at street stalls and small shops. ### Quick Tip There is a popular Taiwanese saying, “Fucheng, Lukang, Mengjia” (一府二鹿三艋舺), which refers to three places: Fucheng (府城, Anping in Tainan), Lukang (鹿港) in Changhua, and Mengjia (艋舺, Wanhua) in Taipei. This shows how closely Taiwan's historic sites are tied to these three places. Tainan alone has plenty of historic sites: standing on Minzu Road, you'll find heritage sites within 100 meters almost everywhere you look. ### Preparation and Information ### Language Most Tainan locals are descendants of mainland coastal migrants from the late Ming dynasty, mostly Hokkien speakers, so Mandarin is perfectly understood here. ### Climate and Best Time to Visit Tainan's annual average temperature is 24°C. Seasonal differences are subtle, and vegetation stays green year-round. Any season is good for travel. Tainan's summers are slightly cooler than northern Taiwan's, which makes them an especially good time to visit. ## Getting there & around ### Getting There ### Air Tainan Airport is Tainan's largest airport. Daily flights from Taipei operated by TransAsia Airways, China Airlines and Far Eastern Air Transport fly directly to Tainan Airport, with tickets priced at NT$1,300–1,500. Tainan also has a seaplane airport in Xinying. ### Rail Tainan Station is served by Tze-Chiang, Chu-Kuang and Fu-Hsing trains, which makes it very convenient. The trip from Taipei to Tainan costs NT$420–630, and from Kaohsiung to Tainan NT$60–90. ### High-Speed Rail Tainan High-Speed Rail Station is located in the Shalun area of Guiren District in Tainan, and is an important stop on Taiwan's high-speed rail line. From here, you can easily reach transfer points for attractions across western Taiwan. ### Road Kuo Kuang coaches (国光号) run by Taiwan Bus, and Tong Lian Bus, operate fixed services directly to Tainan from Kaohsiung and Taipei every 30–60 minutes. Taipei to Tainan costs about NT$450, and Kaohsiung to Tainan about NT$150. ### Getting Around Town Tainan's city buses radiate from Tainan Station and are operated by Tainan City Bus, Xingnan Bus and Tainan Bus, with fares of NT$15–18 per section. Taxis start at NT$85. A taxi from the airport to central Tainan costs about NT$200, so agree on the fare in advance. - **Tainan Station Information Desk** — ## Eat & drink Visitors who return from Tainan often catch a case of “food-craving syndrome”: one glimpse of a tempting dish and their eyes light up, and their mouths start watering. If you've lost your appetite, this is truly the place to cure it. No. 626 and No. 628, Zhongzheng South Road Haian Branch: No. 509, Section 2, Haian Road - **Zhou's Shrimp Rolls** — Zhou's is a leader in Tainan cuisine. Its signature dishes are traditional Tainan snacks such as shrimp rolls, danzai noodles (担仔面), fish balls, shrimp ball soup and fish thick soup (鱼羹). Its “Tainan Snack Banquet” set meal brings the city's favorite snacks together in one go, so visitors can sample them all at once. (No. 408, Anping Road, Tainan City) - **Tainan Tsai Milkfish** — Milkfish (Shiwuyu) is a traditional Tainan delicacy. Legend has it that when Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) arrived in Taiwan and ate this fish, he praised it repeatedly and asked what it was. The locals named it “Shiwuyu” (虱目鱼), a homophone of the phrase “what fish” (什么鱼). This is Tainan's first milkfish specialty shop open 24 hours a day. It raises and sells its own fish, and its open kitchen lets you satisfy your appetite while watching the entire milkfish processing process. (Old store: No. 236, Section 4, Ximen Road) - **Chikan Guancai Ban (Coffin Board)** — Guancai ban (coffin board) is a famous Tainan snack made with bread, chicken, cuttlefish and other ingredients. It gets its name from its resemblance to a coffin board. (No. 180, Kangle Market, Zhongzheng Road, Zhongxi District, Tainan City) - **Fuji Meatballs** — A special sweet chili sauce and a richly flavoured pork filling are the signatures of this meatball shop. (No. 215, Section 1, Fuqian Road, Zhongxi District, Tainan City) - **Du Xiao Yue Danzai Noodles** — Du Xiao Yue Danzai Noodles are known to everyone in Taiwan, and there is only this one shop, with no branches. The shop still keeps its traditional low stoves, small bamboo stools, red lanterns and the blackened clay jar of meat sauce. The most distinctive secret of Du Xiao Yue's noodles is the meat sauce. Paired with the noodles and various other ingredients, this small bowl has a unique flavour and a lingering aftertaste. (No. 16, Zhongzheng Road, Tainan City, 00886-6-2231744) ## Things to see - **Mazu Temple** (★★★★): Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/mazu-temple - **Anping Fort** (★★★★): Admission NT$50; Opening hours 8：30—17：30; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/anping-fort - **Koxinga Shrine** (★★★): Admission NT$40; Opening hours 8：00—17：30; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/koxinga-shrine - **Chihkan Tower** (★★★): Admission NT$50; Opening hours 2026.01.01-2026.12.31 08:30-21:30; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/chihkan-tower - **Tainan Confucius Temple** (★★★): Admission NT$25; Opening hours 8：30—17：30; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/tainan-confucius-temple - **National Museum of Taiwan Literature** (★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours 9:00–18:00 (Tuesday–Sunday; closed on Mondays); Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/national-museum-of-taiwan-literature - **Chimei Museum** (★★★★): Admission NT$200; Opening hours 9：30—17：30; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/chimei-museum - **Qigu Salt Mountain** (★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours Summer (March–October) 9:00–18:00; Winter (November–February) 8:30–17:30; Time needed 2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/qigu-salt-mountain - **Anping Tree House** (★★★★): Admission Adult ticket: NT$70 (Tait & Co. + Pioneer History Wax Museum + Tree House); Opening hours 8：30—17：30; Time needed 1–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/anping-tree-house - **Tainan Flower Night Market** (★★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours 17:00–24:00 (Thu, Sat, Sun); Time needed 2–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/tainan-flower-night-market --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 2702–2710. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.