Taiwan (Post Covid-19 Overseas Visit No 8 - My 20 days Free & Easy Visit to Taiwan) Day 16 - Tainan, Taiwan (March 22 2024)

Anping Canal Park, Tainan, Taiwan

Former Site of Tait & Company, Anping

Tiantan (Tian Gong Temple), Tainan

 

Day 16 March 22 2024 Friday (Tainan) - my 2nd day in Tainan City, today focusing my group's visit to historic sites in Anping District. 

1) Chinese temples in downtown Tainan City nearby LIHO Hotel, Zhongyi Road & Xinmei or Mi (Rice) Street (an old street dating back to Qing Dynasty, 400 years ago) - my solo early morning walk (06.30 > 07.15).  

2) Anping Canal Park, Lane 129, Huanhe St, Tainan City - Anping Canal was completed & opened in 1926, it has a total length of 3,782 meters, it has 5 bridges along the canal, the night view is particularly beautiful ! 

3) Downtown Tainan City nearby to LIHO Hotel, Zhongyi Road. 

4) Shui Xian Gong Morning Market - the market gets its name from Shuixian Temple, over 300 years old, largest wet market in Tainan, lots of food stalls & bargain fashion stalls ! 

5) Xiluo Temple, Heping Street, Tainan - over 300 years, built during the Emperor Kangxi (1718) period, the principal deity is Guang Ze Zun Wang. 

6) Our group's morning breakfast in a rice pudding food stall in Shui Xian Gong Market - savoured a bowl of rice pudding (NT$35) & a plate of Xiaolong bao (5 pieces, NT$35 = Rm5.25) 

7) Hailed a Uber cab (NT$155 = Rm23.25) from a bus stop in Sec 2 Minsheng Road > Former Site of Tait & Co Merchant House, Anping District, Tainan, my group of 4 opted for a Uber ride after waited for sometime for Bus No 2 to show up !  

Walking tour of Anping, Tainan 

1) Former Site of Tait & Co Merchant House - after the signing of Treaty of Tientsin for Qing Dynasty in June 1858 in Tianjin, Anping was one of the harbors in Taiwan which was opened for international trade, Tait & Company was built in 1867 as their merchant house,; during the Japanese rule, the building housed a salt company; in 1979, the building was transformed into a museum with the upper floor became the Taiwan Development Wax Museum, admission fee NT$70 (Rm10.50), located next is Anping Tree House.  

2) Anping Tree House - Zhi Jiu Ying Residence, a former salt warehouse, once known as "Haunted House" for many years ! 

3) Zhi Jiu Ying Residence - located next to Tait & Company, the former residence was originally a dormitory for staff of Tait & Co.

4) Tainan Municipal Simen Elementary School, Anping District  

5) Anping Historic Walking tour 

6) The Former Julius Mannich Merchant House, Anping - a German merchant Dongxing Yangxing (Trading House) is one of the 5 foreign firms in Anping. 

 

7) Xilong Temple, Anping - built in 1738, a place of worship for the Protector Lord from the Chi Clan, the most special feature of the temple is the wall which is actually the ruins of the 300 years old Fort Zeelandia ! 

 

8) Anping Old Fort (Fort Zeelandia) - a fortress built over ten years from 1624 > 1634 by the Dutch East India Company (VOC); on 30 April 1661, Ming dynasty loyalist Zheng Chenggong, Prince of Yanping laid siege to the fortress (defended by 2,000 Dutch soldiers) with 400 warships & 25,000 men.  

8) Tianhou (Mazu) Temple, Anping, Tainan - erected in 1668, rebuilt many times, worship Goddess of Sea & Patron Deity of Fishermen, sailors & any occupations related to the sea & ocean. 

9) Anping Old Street 

10) Goddess of Mercy (Kuan Yin) Temple, Anping 

11) Light refreshment in a Bubble Milk Tea Stall in Anping Old Street - savoured a bowl of ice Bao Bing with pudding & glass jelly ice dessert NT$65 (Rm9.75) 

12) Anping Old Settlement Historical Park, Anping, Tainan

13) Scrubbing oyster shells, Anping Old Street, Tainan - an interesting sight !

14) Anping Recreational Wharf, Tainan 

15) Group Lunch in a local noodle stall nearby Anping Recreational Wharf, savoured a bowl of mihoon & noodle soup totalled NT$90 = Rm13.50

16) Ong Lok Tek Memorial Hall, Minquan Road, Tainan - located in famous Tainan Wu Garden, a Taiwanese scholar & early leader of the Taiwan independence movement, he is considered to be an authority on the Min Nan language family. 

17) Dinner in a local restaurant nearby LIHO Hotel - savoured a bowl of meat ball soup, braised egg, tofu & pork offal + rice = NT$170 = Rm25.50) for 2 ! 

18) Tiantan (Tian Gong Temple), Zhongyi Road, Tainan - "Altar of Heaven" temple dedicated in 1854 to the Jade Emperor, a Taoist deity.