Tainan Historic Sites - Tripadvisor
Asia
Taiwan
Tainan
Things to do in Tainan
Historic Sites in Tainan

Historic Sites in Tainan, Taiwan

Tainan Historic Sites

Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
  • Traveller favourites
    Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.
  • Traveller ranking
    Highest rated attractions on Tripadvisor, based on traveller reviews.
All things to do
Category types
Types of Attractions
Sights & Landmarks
Museums
Sights & Landmarks
Traveller rating
Neighbourhoods
Good for
45 places sorted by traveller favourites.
We perform checks on reviews
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
Clear all filters

13. Yuhuanggong

8
Historic Sites • Architectural Buildings
West Central District/ North District

28. Yuanhegong

7
Historic Sites • Architectural Buildings
West Central District/ North District
Learn more about this content
Tours, activities and experiences bookable on Tripadvisor, ranked using exclusive Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, popularity, user preferences, price, and bookings made through Tripadvisor.
2
Showing results 1-30 of 45

What travellers are saying

  • sunl29
    London, UK311 contributions
    worth a visit
    spent 45mins -1hour drive to this place. but this place is small where you could just spend 30mins to complete your visit.
    worth a visit though!
    u could rent traditional clothes and match with the photogenic scenes here!
    Review of: Laotanghu Art House
    Written 5 May 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • OrderintheHouse
    Brisbane2,490 contributions
    It’s worth visiting this iconic Department Store just to soak up its history
    In January 2020 my wife and I included a 6 night Wendy Wu private tour of Taiwan as part of our 18 day Asian trip we arranged to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Our tour took in Taipei, Taroko Gorge, Sun Moon Lake, Tainan and Kaohaiung.

    While in Tainan we visited notable attractions such as a walking tour around Anping Old Fort, a visit to Chihkan Tower and a look at the Grand Matsu Temple. We also included a most enjoyable visit to the Hayashi Department Store, very iconic and worth visiting just for its history.

    On our 10 minute walk to the Department Store after visiting the Grand Matsu Temple there was a very pleasant diversion along the way. It was the grand 70 year old Chin Men Theatre with its façade completely covered with four 20 square metre movie posters carefully hand painted by 67-year-old artist Yan Jhen-fa who has been painting film posters since he was 16 years of age. Yan is the last movie poster artist still actively painting in Taiwan, and the Chin Men Theatre is the last cinema displaying such posters in the country. What is truly remarkable here is that Yan is partially blind and vows to continue painting until he can no longer see. The quality of the posters is truly amazing. It is well worth stopping for a look and well worth taking a photo.

    However, I digress, so back now to the Hayashi Department Store. The Store is located in a busy shopping precinct in the West Central District of Tainan. It is simply bursting with history. Hayashi Department Store was known to the Tainan people as "The Five-Stories-House". It was founded by Japanese businessman Hayashi Houichi and officially opened on 5 December 1932, under Japanese Rule, as the second large Department Store in Taiwan. It was the largest department store in southern Taiwan when it opened and boasted advanced facilities for its day such as a state of the art elevator and flush toilets. It is also the only department store in Taiwan with a Japanese Shintoist shrine (the Suehiro Shrine) on its rooftop completed in 1933 and not open to the public. The Store was badly damaged by US air raids during World War II (WWII) and ceased to be a Department Store soon after the War. It was of great interest that we could observe during our visit to the rooftop the pronounced holes in a wall, timely evidence of the US air raids on the building at the end of WWII.

    The Store had been deserted for decades prior to its reopening after restoration in 2014. It now welcomes visitors as the Tainan Cultural Creative Department Store with very distinct and well presented departments on each of its six floors. Each floor adopts a specific themes – floor 1 (Tainan Feast) incorporating a Taiwanese Tea Shop; floor 2 (Innovative Design); floor 3 (Fashion Stylish); floor 4 (Culture Salon); floor 5 (Unique Cuisine) and floor 6 (City Scenery) incorporating the Hayashi Shop, the Observatory and the Shinto Shrine.

    We never purchased anything during our one hour visit to the Store; however we enjoyed just walking around taking in the impressive shopping atmosphere of good old fashioned charm on display here – indeed this Store comes across as a throwback to a previous era. The original elevator could take a maximum of 12 passengers. To preserve the original mechanical tracks structure, the elevator has been rebuilt to a smaller size, to only take 6 persons maximum, for safety reasons. We had to wait in queues to use the elevator because of this restriction. On our way down from the top floor we chose to take the ornate steps down to each floor, rather than having to wait to use the elevator again. This proved a very good move because it enabled us to take a peek at every floor in the Store marvelling at the great way in which the goods are presented for sale. Very impressive was the historic floor indicator dial to let customers know which floor the elevator has stopped at. Also, being able to see the remnants of the very first original wooden elevator box on display on one of the floors was worthwhile.

    This was a most enjoyable visit to a very novel Department Store. You don’t have to buy anything here unless something appeals to you. However it is worth the effort to visit the place just to soak up its amazing history.
    Review of: Hayashi Department Store
    Written 6 June 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • wireless_in_CA
    United States4,664 contributions
    Nature Takes Over
    This was a unique attraction included with the Tait & Co Merchant House admission.

    This tree house was formerly a warehouse that after being abandoned nature sought to reclaim the land. The banyan trees soared above the roofline and the roots and trunks of the tree embedded themselves in and on top of the walls. Each room was a little different and made for an interesting walk. Elevated walkways gave an aerial view of the overall impact but also extended outside the warehouse and led towards the river.

    Worth the visit though it won’t take too long to complete the walk.
    Review of: Anping Tree House
    Written 4 October 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • sack o travels
    Palo Alto, CA31 contributions
    The top floor seems unsafe but nice though
    First build in 1653 by the Dutch, this historical building contains lots of historical facts and has a lovely courtyard, where you can feed fish, eat at the small cafe, or view the beautiful trees. BUT, for the main building the top floor was very unsafe, the planks were constantly making noises when you step on them, which felt very very unsafe.
    Review of: Chihkan Tower (Fort Provintia)
    Written 10 September 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Tainanguesthouse
    Tainan, Taiwan24 contributions
    City of Temples
    This is a city of temples.
     
    Taiwan is a small island, yet you will never get bored living on it. There are fireworks every week, especially in Tainan! We are celebrating birthday of Godssssssss almost every week.

    Taoism is the major religion here, unlike Buddhism, there are over thousands of gods in heaven. And similar to Greek mythology, the relations between Taiwan-gods are so complicated that you think you are watching “House of cards”.

    Imagine each god lives in 1 temple and believers play firework for each birthday. Multiple by thousand. Then imagine the gods are leaving their temples for other gods’ parties… Yes we have the busiest temple festival rundown, even busier than Taiwan international airport we afraid!
     
    The Lantern Festival shown in picture takes place at Pu-ji Temple, celebrating its 350 yrs old. All the lanterns are beautifully painted by local tainanese, from children to artists. This year there are also Stunning Traditional Paper-cuts hidden in nearby lanes. It's worth searching every single corner, both day and night. You will find it romantic, warm and full of blessings. 
    Review of: Pujidian
    Written 19 February 2017
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Phi Somchai
    Bangkok, Thailand3,618 contributions
    Under renovation
    We walked past this building and couldn’t see much as it was under renovation. The exterior was covered with scaffolding and canvas.
    Review of: Former Tainan Weather Observatory
    Written 3 December 2018
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • KrisD_pl
    Warsaw, Poland7,695 contributions
    Ornamented temple
    We did plan to visit but as we were walking by, there was some kind of ceremony in front of the temple. So we watched and then decided to check the interior. Linshui Furen Mamiao is surprisingly richly decorated, gleeming with golden colours. The guidebook says that women come to this temple to ask Lady Linshui to protect their children. Worth a look if you're in the neighbourhood - it's just across the street from Koxinga shrine.
    Review of: Linshui Furen Mamiao
    Written 3 November 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Bryan H
    Portland, OR1,769 contributions
    Nice Wu Garden in the back ....
    We looked at two art exhibitions inside the building while we were there: a Japanese painter on the ground floor, and a photography exhibition of major city scenes in the basement. Both, I felt were mediocre art. We came for the gardens in the back, which we found very relaxing. Water features (with fish and turtles) and grass, trees and bushes and various places to sit down and chill out for a while. There are toilets on the ground floor of the Center right as you go in to the right. If you are tired of fighting scooters and languishing at traffic lights, come here for a respite.
    Review of: Wu Yuan Yiwen Center
    Written 21 December 2018
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • boocat149
    BC58 contributions
    Wandering Tainan Anping Old Streets
    The oldest street in Taiwan has a vibrant day market selling food and souvenirs. I am not certain if this is a delicacy of the region but every few steps we were offered free samples of shrimp crackers.
    Far more interesting are the decorative walls in the Anping back streets. One is fanciful as if a street for kindergarten children with emphasis on cat decoration. Apologies for not having lane numbers but if you just wander around you will come across some fun/interesting areas.
    Near Taiwan Street is Haishan Hall built shortly after Qing Dynasty took over Taiwan. It was used to house Qing naval officers coming from Haishan District of Fujian Province - thus it's name. It was later purchased as a private residence and in 1975 Tainan city purchased the property giving it a monument status.
    My immediate reaction upon entering the courtyard was that it was a bland structure but there is some wonderful stuff to see, Look up at the tile roof and wander on the porch of the main building. I cannot remember where I picked up a brochure that provides history and details of decoration like the Sword Lions that ward off evil.

    Review of: Anping Old Street
    Written 1 February 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tainan
© 2022 Tripadvisor LLC All rights reserved.
Terms of UsePrivacy and Cookies StatementSite MapHow the site worksContact us

This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in Australia. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu.