There are thousands of them. Of every size and color, suspended in mid-air waiting for the countdown to
reverse. A swarm of cell phones all pointed in one direction: the Dragon. That
suddenly it comes to life, lighting up with the colours of the rainbow, guided by a sound wave of
wind instruments, gongs and drums. Thunderous applause, shouts of joy, and may the birthday party have
start. The birthday girl is Tainan, the first and now former capital of the island of Taiwan, which for
celebrating its four hundred years has just hosted the annual – and itinerant – Festival
of the lanterns.
She even came from Taipei President Tsai Ing-wento attend the event. The twenty-two-meter-high technicolor dragon by the established Taiwanese artist Peng Li-chen is in good company with hundreds of other no less spectacular light installations. How spectacular will be this 2024 that foresees for the fifth city of the island (1,886,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area) non-stop events.
Many of the artistic ones will be held at Tainan Art Museumwhose mission is to host the most compelling works of ancient, modern and contemporary art in Taiwan. If you want, you can spend an entire afternoon there, the spaces expand for over 4000 square meters divided into two almost adjacent buildings. The first one was created in a former police station from the 1930s, the second one – a polygonal tangle with panoramic terraces – designed from scratch by the duo Joe Shih Architects & Associates (Tainan) and Shigeru Ban Architects (Tokyo).
Once the visit is over, it is forbidden to leave without a break at the tables The Pool, designer cafe with small glassware store under the pentagonal roof on the top floor of building number 2: excellent coffee to be accompanied strictly with a dessert: the mini chiffon cake with strawberries and cream is to die for. If instead it is a no sugar day, a block away there is the essential Tainan Baozi Klinheaven for those soft steamed stuffed buns otherwise known as bao: the mushroom and white truffle ones are addictive.
The Temple of Confucius
Atoning for the fall into temptation takes a moment, just a few steps are enough to find yourself faced with the unmistakable temple of Confuciusone of the most visited and photographed among the hundreds present on every corner of the city: it dates back to 1665 and it was he who had it built Zheng Jing, son of General Koxinga – a fundamental name in Taiwan’s history: first he sent home the Dutch East India Company who occupied the Tainan area for decades – the historian Fort Zeelandiain the coastal neighborhood of Anping it is their work – then opposed the Qing Dynasty’s thirst for conquest of Chinese soil.
Shennong Street and Wushen
At the first signs of sunset it is best to be found in the area of Shennong Street, historic and pedestrian street dotted with lanterns that light up in the evening and little shops where it is difficult to force yourself not to enter. Vintage, handicrafts – including tribal ones, as there are 16 official ethnic minorities on the island –, tote bags – (very trendy in Taiwan), gadgets, souvenirs (nobody is as good as the Taiwanese at inventing all sorts of things), clubs, restaurants… in short, one of those streets where you end up going out in the evening.
Unless you want to move to the crowded night market of Wushen, where the improbable is boiling. Leaving aside the stinky tofu which is understandably not for everyone, the vast majority of food stalls are an invitation to sin. From meat ravioli with shrimp and calamari skewers, from sushi to pancakes, to wafers filled with cream or chocolate. And if you really don’t feel like tasting something (scientifically impossible), just observing what happens is an experience in itself.
Considered by many the gastronomic capital of the islandTainan has a long tradition of producing cane sugar, which has helped to literally sweeten its cuisine. Must-try dishes include danzai noodles, with shrimp, ground pork, sprouts, garlic, coriander and spices. For seafood lovers, milkfish congee, with pepper and chives, is one of the national dishes.
Bubble Tea
The Taiwanese oolong tea is enjoyed all over the world and bubble tea was also invented in Taiwan, it is obvious that on every corner there is a place that prepares it, but that in Tainan there is a density of roasters and specialty coffee shops with few rivals in the world is surprising. Among the most appreciated coffee shops by connoisseurs of the West Central District the lowercase one of Jerry’s Labimmersed in a historic labyrinth of alleys – interspersed with concept stores, clubs and street art – the best known of which bears the name of Snail Alleyfrom a story by the Taiwanese writer Yeh Shih-tao, who spent his last years here.
Author’s Shopping
Nearby is a temple of designer shopping, Hayashi Department Store. Hard to miss, it presides over the intersection of Zhongyi and Jhongjheng streets and has unmistakable features modeled almost a hundred years ago in the deco style, a legacy of half a century of Japanese domination (1895-1945). Five floors of surprises made in Taiwan that start with gastronomy and then go up through fashion, crafts, gift items and design until “climbing” to the roof, where there is a nice café with a view of the city. If that wasn’t enough to fill your trolley, the icing on the cake is the Blueprint Culture & Creative Parkthe former dormitory of an old prison converted into a creative hub with craft markets, restaurants and cafes, art studios and galleries among which Lin’s Ceramics Studio – the teapots are splendid – and it is difficult, it goes without saying, to leave empty-handed.
To organize the trip
Both airlines Taiwan they fly directly from Italy to the capital Taipei,
connected to Tainan by bullet train (from 38 euros) which takes less than two hours to travel
they reach Tainan (a more ecological and interesting solution than an internal flight). Eva Air starts from Milan Malpensa (return from 922 euros), China Airlines () also from Rome Fiumicino (return from 970 euros).
Very useful theEasycardrechargeable card to be used on most forms of transport in Taiwan, including bicycles, but also valid for museums and attractions.
A passport is required, with at least six months of validity from departure. A visa is not required for stays of up to ninety days. At the current exchange rate, 1 euro is equivalent to approximately 34 new dollars. Taiwan (TWD). Credit and debit cards are available at many locations, but you should always carry cash with you as some stores, kiosks and restaurants only accept cash. All 7 Eleven grocery stores have ATMs.
Online tourist information on Tainan. The rich website of the Taiwan Tourism Administration is instead eng.taiwan.net.tw
Out of town
Without finishing too far a couple of interesting options. The Chimei Museum it is a large and curious building immersed in a park that would not be out of place in the center of Vienna or Washington, guardian of the European art collection of the magnate Shi Wen-long and his precious violins. A large Buddhist temple in the Sicao area is the starting point for exploring by boat a long navigable mangrove tunnel that looks like something out of Avatar.
Sleep and eat
In a strategic position to visit the main attractions on foot Tainan downtown attractionsthe modern and comfortable Lakeshore Hotel Tainan. The restaurant is also rightly reported by the Michelin guide Du Hsiao Yueha place par excellence where you can taste the famous danzai noodles. A very particular place to stop for a cup of tea, a snack or something more substantial is Kishu An, a literary café in an architectural context that couldn’t be more Japanese. Among the infinite addresses where you can grab an excellent bubble tea in the centre, Hisakawa it is among those with the most refined and minimalist décor (No. 250號, Section 1, Hai’an Rd, West Central District, Tainan City).
Source: Vanity Fair
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
