Tainan
Historic Ancient City
General Information
Other Name: -, , State: Southern Taiwan , Taiwan
Area: 0
Languages Spoken: -
Long Distance Code: +886
Importance: Historic sites
Best Time to Visit: January to December and -
International Access: Road, High speed rail
Description
Tainan is rich in historic sites and cultural heritage.It is blessed with a fertile landscape.There are 166 temples and monasteries and more than 40 Christian and Catholic churches in the city.Location
Tainan is a city found in Taiwan, Taiwan. It is located 22.99 latitude and 120.21 longitude and it is situated at elevation 26 meters above sea level.Climate
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In 1624, Dutch built the first fort in Anping, Taiwan, called "Fort Zeelandia", now known as Anping Old Fort, where has been the administrative center of the Dutch regime, and the hub for trading. The building was originally constructed in square inner fortress and rectangle outer walls. In 1661, the fort was renamed as Anping to commemorate his home town when Guoxingye (Cheng Cheng-Kung) has driven the Dutch out of Taiwan. Therefore, Fort Zeelandia was also known as "King's Fort" or "Taiwan Fort", nicknamed Anping Old Fort.
In Kangxi Emperor's regime of Qing Dynasty, Taiwan was included in the empire that the political center was transferred to Tainan City, causing the decline of the Fort. The red bricks of the Fort have been taken for construction of Eternal Fortress. During the Japanese occupation, the Dutch style buildings in inner fortress were completely destroyed. A square red-bricked step platform was constructed with a western style house on the platform, being served as dormitory for Customs officials, where the memorial hall now is located. It was named Anping Old Fort after Restoration of Taiwan and become an attraction for tourists. The remaining more than 70 meters long south walls of the outer fort with worn-out red bricks, accompanied by the old banyan roots, chanted its odyssey. The fort is the very historical replica over three hundred years.
Tainan Chikanlou（Chihkanlou）is built by the Dutch in 1652. It was originally called Provintia. In Dutch it means eternity. The Chinese called the building "Chikanlou（Chihkanlou）", "Fanzailou" or "Honmaolou". Although Chikanlou（Chihkanlou） has gone through Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty and the Japanese Colonization Period, it basically still maintains its original look.
Chikanlou （Chihkanlou）has been an administration center from the Dutch's occupation period. In 1661, when the Chinese General Cheng Chengkung repelled the Dutch, Provintia was changed to be Chentien governor's mansion. In the early stage of Qing Dynasty when Taijiang River was still running, the tides could reach Chikanlou（Chihkanlou） directly. "The sunset in Chikanlou（Chihkanlou）" was one of the eight famous scenes in Taiwan. In front of Chikanlou（Chihkanlou） there are nine sets of stone turtles carrying plates. There were made in Qing Dynasty and were removed from elsewhere to be located here. The legend says that the stone turtle is one of the dragon's nine sons. It shifted into a turtle because it loved to endure heavy objects. There is also a stone horse with broken legs. The legend says that the stone horse's legs were broken by force because it shape-shifted into a monster at night and harassed the residents. Later, Chikanlou（Chihkanlou） declined due to damages caused by civilian upheaval and lack of management. Chinese style building was added to the original Dutch architectural body. For a time the place hosted the worship for Guanshiyin Budda. During the Japanese colonization period, Chikanlou（Chihkanlou） was changed to be army hospital. There were some restoration and repair. After Taiwan was returned to R.O.C., the wooden structure was changed into steel concrete structure. The main entrance was changed. Thus they created the look of Chikanlou（Chihkanlou）today.
Guanziling is the peak of Zhentou Mountain, Tainan City. The mountain was the residence of Pingpu Tribe until 1898, when Japanese soldiers found a hot spring and developed the area. Guanziling Hot Spring is a famous hot spring in southern Taiwan. The spring water is dark gray and bitter, emerging from the rocks.
Guanziling Tourist District is famous for the hot spring, Hongye Park, Daxian Temple, Biyun Temple and Xiangong Temple. The hot spring is on the side of the mountain, where hotels, restaurants and spring pools can be found. The natural gas and the spring water exist together in the cave, presenting a peculiar view.
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The Confucius Temple in Tainan was built in 1666, it was the first Confucius Temple, before the end of Manchu Dynasty, it was the location of the highest official institute of higher learning in Taiwan. The Taiwan Palace of "Confucianism Study," it owned the incompatible position of culture and education, and was called "The Highest Institute." The Confucius Temple has been through more than thirty times of reconstruction, a part of the building was destroyed during the wars or ruined by nature disasters; the present scale of the Confucius Temple was the look after reconstructing during the time when Japanese were ruling (1917), its elegant and simple localization characteristic takes a distinctive attitude of its own among the Confucius Temples buildings in Taiwan. There are fifteen structures inside the Confucius Temple, the primary sacrifices in the palace is to Confucius divine tablet, on both sides, the sacrifices are to the sixteen pupils of Confucius.
Between the beams and pillars, there hang twelve horizontal described boards awarded by sovereigns of all dynasties since early Manchu Dynasty till today, it is the Confucius Temple in Taiwan to own the most complete royal horizontal described boards of all dynasties. Inside the temple, there are very old trees towering, classical elegant and tranquil, self-becoming a place of its own, the whole space presents a cultural breath, and is presently ranked among the national first-degree historic spots. Speaking of the preservation of the cultural articles in the Confucius, the inscriptional records through all times of repairs, the horizontal described boards awarded by sovereigns of all dynasties, and ceremony and musical instruments from early Manchu Dynasty till nowadays are still kept perfectly, and these are all very precious historical cultural articles that deserve to be carefully appreciated.