Guidesify Navigation Logo Transparent Final

Tainan, Taiwan: Exploring Taiwan’s Hidden Gem

Tainan Cover Image
Read time: 4 min.

Table of Contents

Near the southern edge of Taiwan lies Tainan, also known to the locals as the city of food. In this series, we will be introducing what you can do in Tainan Taiwan.

Tainan-1
YouTrip Promo Code 2024

Starting today, you can travel like a boss with free travel credits on YouTrip! Use promo code GSF5 during the signup process and receive 5 SGD for free!

Heavenly Food & Cuisine

We will begin with a more luxurious option, the Chamonix teppanyaki. This is a 6-course teppanyaki meal, with 2 appetisers, soups, 2 mains, ending off with a dessert. On top of that, you also get to enjoy the freshly prepared fried rice and toasted bread which is delicious. The appetizer features high-quality seafood such as scallop and prawns, and there is a wide range of mains to choose from. There are lobsters, wagyu beef, tiger prawns and many more. We can’t guarantee what will be on the menu as it changes every season.

Tainan-2

For the more budget-friendly option, you should try the street food! Tainan’s streets are filled with food stores and all of them look fantastic. There are many beef noodles options around and the Win Chang Beef Soup store is one of the more popular ones. However, our favourite food place was the YongLe Market, where there was a whole lane filled with restaurants selling all kinds of local food from buns, beef noodles to Lu Rou Fan.      

There are 2 main night markets in Tainan Taiwan. Da Dong Night Market opens on Monday, Tuesday and Friday while Garden Night Market opens on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. From what we noticed, the tenants usually move from a night market to another when the other is not opened so you might be getting the same food from the operators. In Tainan Taiwan, the more famous food will be their beef-related food and Pai Gu Su. Pai Gu Su is like your fried chicken, but the pork version. It is a very sinful treat, but you should get one of those to complete your foodie trip. Like other night markets, there are many games booths and also shops selling clothing, phone casings and other miscellaneous items like temporary tattoos.     

Book a tour with Get Your Guide:

Sightseeing

Tainan-3

Many of the attractions are centred within the city centre and the Anping district so it is fairly easy to explore. We would suggest spending your late afternoon at Anping district. Over there you can get to visit Anping Old Fort, Treehouse and Anping Old Street, all of which are walking distance from one another. Anping Old Street is famous for its prawn crackers which are perfect for a souvenir. Another worthwhile stop will be the Salt Museum, where you can get to see what your birth salt is. There are also lots of oyster omelette stores in the area.

Tip: Taiwan’s oyster omelette is vastly different from the Singapore version so you might be surprised!

Nearer to the evening, you can head over to watch the sunset along the coast. An alternative will be to visit Sicao Wetlands which we did not manage to visit.

Within the city, you can visit Mazu Temple and God of War Temple. From there, head over to Chihkan Tower – another historic landmark in Tainan Taiwan. After that, proceed to Shennong Street which is somewhat more hippie. This place is also near YongLe Market so it can be a good half-day walking tour. Another hippie place is the Blueprint Culture & Creative Park which is much further away from the attractions listed above. Going back to history, you can visit Hayashi Department Store. It is Tainan’s oldest department store which was reopened in 2014. While its exterior may look like it is from the 1930s, the goods sold inside are certainly modern and aesthetic.

Lastly, we would strongly recommend Chimei Museum where you can easily spend the whole day. There are many exhibitions such as Arms and Armour, Natural History and Fossils, Musical Instruments and temporary exhibitions which changes regularly. There is pop up food booths around the museum too. Outside the museum is a large and tranquil park. The architecture of the building is a European style which reminds us of God of War and the US Capitol Building. However, it is far away from the city centre and you will need to take the TRA train there.

Book a stay at Tainan now with our Booking.com widget:

Booking.com

Tainan Taiwan is a must-go city if you are a foodie like us. If you have ever been there, let us know what your favourite food is!

Tainan Pinterest

Related:

Taichung, Taiwan – The Ultimate Traveller’s Guide

Hualien, Taiwan – Things to Do Besides Taroko Gorge

Apps to Survive in Taiwan – For Students and Expats

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Explore GUIDESIFY