Taiwan by foot: 3 historic streets worth a stroll in Tainan City

Tainan, in many ways, is the birthplace of modern Taiwan. Indigenous Taiwanese and Han Chinese have lived in this area since at least 1590, but it was the Dutch who officially established Tainan as the island’s first city, in 1624. After the Dutch were driven out in 1662 by the famed Ming general Koxinga, Tainan served as Taiwan’s imperial capital for more than two centuries.

In 1886, Taipei was made capital and economic activity shifted north. As a result, Tainan – which celebrated its 400th birthday this year – has resisted modernisation, retaining traditional streets that seem to be frozen in time. The Taiwanese love Tainan for its temples, including the Confucius Temple – one of Taiwan’s first schools – and the Grand Mazu Temple, which is Taiwan’s first officially recognised Mazu temple and a National Grade III Historic Site. Tainan is also known for having the highest concentration of temples in Taiwan. What follows are three of Tainan’s finest old streets, each showing a different side to this enigmatic city.

Shennong Street is perhaps the most photogenic street in Tainan. Rice-paper lanterns illuminate centuries-old buildings in pink, yellow and red; some shops have painted their lanterns with cartoon fish, rabbits, cats and bubble tea. Amongst all this are two folk temples: the Jinhua Temple and the Yaowang Temple. The tiny, garage-sized Jinhua Temple is dedicated to Guan Gong, the god of war and wealth, and has ornate tiger and dragon carvings on its walls. Outside the temple is a pot of grass, meant as food for Guan Gong’s horse. The Yaowang temple is far larger and dedicated to the god of healing.

Shennong intersects with Hai’an (“sea tranquillity”) Road – indicating that the coast was once here, with Shennong stretching out into the water on a promontory. Boats stopped alongside, loading goods into the back of shops. Today, these shops have been replaced by cafes, craft shops, teahouses, bars and art galleries. It’s a place to slow down and savour the smell of street food and burning joss paper, to spot the tiny differences between lanterns, and to browse for handmade Tainan souvenirs.

Hungry? Head to Guohua Street, the epicentre of Tainan’s food scene. Where Shennong Street was timeless and traditional, Guohua Street is a cacophony of buzzing scooters and glowing shop signs.

It’s a curious place for a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant. The unassuming Yuan Zai Hui, on Section 2, has been lauded for its take on a classic Taiwanese sweet snack: eight treasures shaved ice. As the name suggests, it traditionally comes with eight toppings; here, however, you get to pick five out of more than ten homemade choices. These include candied taro, mini mochis and tapioca wedges.

After a short walk north to Section 3, you come to the Yongle Market, where you’ll find more than a hundred sellers. The indoor covered market is mostly for raw ingredients; as you walk by, you hear the thud of butchers’ blades and the rasp of a fishmonger’s knife de-scaling the day’s catch. Just outside, you’ll find the ready-to-eat foods: shrimp-stuffed rice cakes, tofu puddings and wa gui (savoury rice puddings).

Further north still, you’ll find Qiu Family Squid Rice Noodles. Their signature dish – a Tainan speciality – uses the whole squid, cooked to tenderness in a bowl of bouncy vermicelli noodles and hot, clear broth.

Anping District is the cradle of Tainan; it was here that the Dutch first settled and built Fort Zeelandia, now known as Anping Old Fort. At the district’s heart is Anping Old Street, called “Taiwan’s first street” as it was the first commercial street to be built on the island. It’s now lined with little food stalls and craft shops.

One of these is A-Cai Beef Soup. Beef soup – not to be confused with beef noodle soup – is specific to Tainan and comprises thin beef strips dropped raw into a scalding beef bone and ginger broth.

Walk north to Anping Old Fort and look for the only remnant of the Dutch citadel: the southern brick wall next to the old fort’s gate, part crumbled away and knotted with the old roots of banyan trees. Most of the modern-day fort is from the Japanese colonial period. Climb the maritime customs tower and look out over the city and the Anping Fisherman’s Wharf.

While you wander, look out for traditional “one-arm” houses – similar to Chinese three-sided courtyard houses but with one “arm” left off to save space. These include Wei’s Residence, just off the main street on Anbei Road. The design of these houses reflects the ingenious way early Tainan residents utilised limited space. They preserved the aesthetics and functionality of traditional architecture while adapting to urban constraints. Wei’s Residence, in particular, is not only historically significant but also offers a glimpse into Tainan’s past way of life, making it well worth a visit.