ANCIENT CAPITAL
NIGHT LIFE Nighttime in Tianan can be whatever you make it. If you like tranquility, you can go to the Kuangfu campus of National Cheng Kung University to scroll quietly and enjoy the gentle breezes, the aroma of flower blossoms, and enjoy the chirping of myriad insects. If you like noise and bustle, you can go to the night market near the Far Eastern department store on Chungcheng Road and buy some gifts for friends and relatives. If these suggestion fail to fit your fancy, then go for a quit conversation over a cup of fine tea in one Tainan's unique tea houses. SNAKING IN THE CITY
1.CHIHKAN TOWERS The present towers were builted-on the foundation of Fort Provintia, whick was constructed by Ductch in 1653 to serve as an administrative center. The towers now house a small museum containing artifacts from the Dutch days, and in front of them stand nine Ching dynasty stone tablets mounted on the backs of stone turtles. Beside the towers stands a "broken-legged ston horse." The story is told about how, during the night, in old days, the horse was transformed into a demon that harassed the people of the surrounding countryside until they broke its legs as punishment. Location: 212 Mintzu Rd., Sec. 2 Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 2.GREAT QUEEN OF HEAVEN TEMPLE The Ta Tien Hou (Great Queen of
Heaven) Temple was built in 1684 for the worship of Taiwan's most popular deity:
Matsu. Goddess of the sea. Matsu is the patron deity of fishermen. and her
birthday on the 23rd day of the third lunar month (it falls in April or May) is
celebrated each year with frenetic explosions of colorful activity. The goddess
is usually flanked by two guardians. Eyes that See a Thousand Miles and Ears
that Hear on the Wind; these are said to have once been malevolent spirits who
were reformed by Matsu's to help her do good works. Location: 18 Yungfu Rd., Lane 227 Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 3.OFFICIAL GOD OF WAR TEMPLE This temple, along with the Confucius
Temple, is known as one of the oldest and best-preserved temples in Taiwan. Just
when it was originally built is not known, but according to legend it was during
the Ming dynasty's Yungli reign. in the mid-17th century. During the Ching
dynasty this was there government officals offered sacrifices to the god. Location: 229 Yungfu Rd., Sec. 2 Hours 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 4.ALTAR OF HEAVEN Commonly referred to as Lord of Heaven (Tien Kung) Temple, the Altar of Heaven (Tien Tan) is dedicated to the supreme Taoist deity, the Jad Emperor. The Chinese people believe deeply in fatalism; so when they encounter troubles in their lives, they might go to the Altar of Heaven to ask the Jade Emperor for a change of destiny. This is accomplished by transferring one's ill fortune to a straw doll and substituting good fortune for it. The local people go to the temple on the first and 15th days of each lunar month to worship the god and pray for the well-being of their families, and solemn birthday celebrations are held for the Jade Emperor on the ninth day of the first lunar month. Location: 16Chungyi Rd., Sec. 2, Lane 84 5.CONFUCIUS TEMPLE Established in 1665 as the first site for Confucian studies on the island, this temple is known as the "First School in Taiwan." This large and tranquil temple encompasses a total of 15 structures and was designed with the school situated to the left and the temple to the right. Impressive ceremonies to commemorate the birthday of Confucius are held in the courtyard in the front of Tacheng Hall on Sept. 28 every year. Location: 2 Nammen Rd. Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 6.GREAT SOUTH GATE The Great South Gate is one of the
few remaining of the original 14 gates of the Tainan city wall. Built in 1736,
it has an outer arched gate in the shape of a half moon: named (naturally) Moon
Gate, it is set at an angle to the inner gate because of security
considerations. Location: Nanmen Rd., Lane 34 Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 7.KOXINGA SHRINE Cheng Cheng-kung, the pirate-warrior known to the West as Koxinga, made great contributions to the development of the Taiwan and has been rewarded by a number of shrines built in his honor. The building that houses this shrine was built in 1662, and it is the only Fuchou-style temple in Taiwan. The temple contains the Tainan Cltural Musem, which displays a number of ancient artifacts. Location: 152 Kaishan Rd. Museum hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 8.LADY LINSHUI TEMPLE This temple is dedicated to Lady Linshui, Chen Ching-ku. Since there are so many people who need the help of the goddess, she is accompanied by 36 assistants who are positioned in a side chamber. These are all the patron saints of women, who come in large numbers to pray for sons or good health. For women and children alike, the goddess is a source of spiritual comfort. Women also come to this temple for a "belly change" which is believed to change the sex of an unborn child. A Taoist priest performs a ritual which, it is said, can give the child whatever sex the parents desire. Location: 1 Chienyeh St. 9.TUNGYU TEMPLE The main deities worshipped in Tungyu (Eastern Hades) Temple are Titsang Wang or the King of the Underworld, along with the Ten Demon Rulers of Hades. They are accompanied by such subsidiary deities as Oxhead and Horseface. Here, it is said, you can communicate with deceased relatives and friends through a dream or a spirit medium. This is also a place where miniature paper representations of daily items can be burned for the use of dead relatives so that they can enjoy an existance as rich as if they were still in the world of the living. Location: 110 Minchuan Rd., Sec. 1 10.PREFECTUAL CITY GOD TEMPLE In Chinese folk religion, the City God acts as a prosecutor in the district court of the underworld. In the world of living. he keeps people in line through the threat of punishment in the afterlife. His temple features a giant abacus for the purpose of calculating the good and evil deeds of people when they are alive so that they can be subjected to a final reckoning after death. Since this temple is connected with the underworld the local people tend to avoid entering it at night. Location: 28 Kuosheng Rd. Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 11.KAILUNG TEMPLE This temple is dedicated to Chi Niang-ma, the Seven Maids, who are viewed as protectors of children; it is to this temple, therefore, that the young folk of Tainan come for their coming-of-age ceremony at the age of 16. This ceremony is still practiced, but not nearly as religiously as it was in the old days when employers used 16 as the dividing age to determine whether employees were paid as children or as adults. Location: 56 Chungshan Rd., Lane 79 12.OLD FORT OF ANPING The history of Taiwan's development began at the Anping district of Tainan. This is where the Dutch built their stronghold in the 1620s, naming it Fort Zeelandia. Most of the old forts are gone now; the only bit left of the original is a piece of red-brick wall, elegant banyan roots growing down its sides. Visitors here like to climb to the top of the observation tower (of recent vintage) to view thesunset and watch the fishing boats that dot the vast surface of the Taiwan Straits. In the old days, this was known as one the "Eight Great Scenes of Taiwan." 13.ETERNAL FORTRESS This fortress was built on the shore to help consolidate Tainan's sea defenses. Constructed in the late 19th century near the end of the Ching dynasty, this square structure with high walls and a moat was the first western-style fortress on the island. The Armstrong cannon that provide the fortress's "firepower" today are replicas manufactured in 1975 of the English originals. Location: 16 Nanwen. Anping District Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 14.ANPING LOCAL CULTURE HALL This narrow and winding street, the oldest one in Tainan--therefore in all Taiwan--and commonly known as "Taiwan Street" is rebuilt now. Nearby is a historic building named Haishan Hall, an interesting collection of implements and charms designed to expel evil. The building today has been transformed into Anping Local Culture Hall and is open to visitors free of charge. Location: 3 Hsiaochung St., Lane 52
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Tainan, the ancient capital of
Taiwan, is situated on the southwestern coastal plains of the island and enjoy a
warm climate year round. It is the island's oldest and now fourth largest city,
with a population in excess of 700,000. The gentle-natured people of the city
are warmly hospitable, and the relatively tranquil life there seems far removed
from the hustle and bustle of modern urban life. With its long history, Tainan
is rich in historic sites and cultural hestiage.
Because of the culinary culture that
has developed along with this ancient city, a tour of Tainan not only brings
brand-new mental experiences but offers priceless opportunities to satisfy the
palate as well.
HISTORIC SITES
Tourism Bureau