Tainan
A Dutch fort of 1624 at Anping, a Confucian temple of 1665, more temples than any other city in Taiwan, and since this summer its first MICHELIN star.
- Arrival
- Kaohsiung International · KHH
- To the city
- About 50 km north of KHH as the crow flies
- Private jets
- Customs at KHH; Tainan Airport has none
- Best time
- October to April
The city
Where Taiwan’s written history begins.
Tainan is the oldest city on the island. The Dutch East India Company built a fort at Anping in 1624, Koxinga drove them out in 1662, and his son founded the Confucius Temple three years later, the first school of learning in Taiwan. The city stayed the seat of government until 1887, and in 2015 it counted 1,613 registered temples, more than anywhere else in the country.
The season runs from October to April, with afternoons of 24 to 31 °C and no month wetter than 72 mm. From May the south-west monsoon takes over, and July and August each bring over 400 mm. At the table, the city is known for its small eats; Yu Dao, on an island in Anping, became its first starred restaurant in July 2026.
Arriving
Kaohsiung for customs, Tainan for hops.
Kaohsiung International, about 50 km to the south in a straight line, is the international airport for Tainan. Tainan Airport, 6 km from the centre, shares its runways with an air force base and handles a few scheduled routes.
- Shanghai 1 h 35
- Manila 1 h 35
- Delhi 5 h 55
- Dubai 8 h 45 long-range jet
- Geneva 13 h 00 long-range jet
When to go
October to April.
Warmer and drier in winter than the north of the island. From October to April the afternoons stay between 24 and 31 °C and the months are mostly dry. The monsoon rains build in May and peak in July and August, with 419 and 440 mm.
- 24° J 30
- 24° F 45
- 26° M 56
- 29° A 72
- 31° M 172
- 31° J 360
- 32° J 419
- 32° A 440
- 32° S 164
- 31° O 50
- 28° N 33
- 25° D 29
What to see and do
Days in and around Tainan.
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Landmark
Anping
The district where the Dutch raised Fort Zeelandia in 1624, the first foothold of their thirty-eight years on the island.
-
Landmark
Chihkan Tower
Fort Provintia, built by the Dutch in 1653 and known by its Chinese name since 1945.
-
Landmark
Confucius Temple
Founded in 1665 by Koxinga’s son as Taiwan’s first institute of learning.
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Culture
Chimei Museum
Given to the city by Chimei founder Hsu Wen-long and opened in 2015, the domed palace of art stands 150 metres wide on 9.5 hectares.
Official site -
Culture
National Museum of Taiwan History
Opened in 2011 on 20 hectares in Annan, it holds more than 60,000 artefacts on the island's foreign relations, peoples and modern history.
Official site -
On the water
Sicao Green Tunnel
Rafts leave from the Sicao Dazhong Temple, over 300 years old, and glide under mangroves that close overhead into a canopy locals call Little Amazon.
Official site -
Wildlife
Black-faced Spoonbill Reserve
Each winter the rare spoonbills feed in the Qigu lagoons, watched from platforms and a grass-roofed conservation centre built over the water.
Official site -
Wellness
Guanziling Hot Spring
Developed by the Japanese in 1902, the hill town's grey alkaline mud spring rises at about 75 °C and fills bathhouses in the Baihe hills.
Official site
Where to stay
By the station and out at Anping.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Shangri-La Far Eastern, Tainan The tallest hotel in the city centre, a minute’s walk from the railway station, with an outdoor pool shaped like a heart.
- Crowne Plaza Tainan On Zhouping Road, a few minutes on foot from Anping Old Fort, with the sword lions of old Anping on the guest-room doors.
- Formosa Yacht Hotel Open since 2022 and certified five-star by the Tourism Administration in 2025.
Where to dine
A first star, and a handful of modern kitchens.
From the MICHELIN Guide Taiwan 2026. Tainan is better known for its small eats, many of them Bib Gourmands; the tables below are its most ambitious.
- Yu Dao One Michelin star Taiwanese contemporary $$$$ Anping
- FUKAI MICHELIN Guide Modern $$$ East District
- Hara Peko MICHELIN Guide Modern $$$ West Central District
- L’herbe MICHELIN Guide European contemporary $$$ Anping
- Liang Liang Table MICHELIN Guide European contemporary $$$ North District
- Principe MICHELIN Guide French contemporary $$$ North District
Elsewhere in Taiwan
More reasons to come.
- Taipei The National Palace Museum, night markets, and the Taipei 101 tower.
- Beitou Hot springs within the city limits of Taipei.
- Jiufen A hillside village of teahouses above the sea.
- Taroko Gorge Marble cliffs cut by a river, near Hualien on the east coast.
- Sun Moon Lake A mountain lake of tea farms and temples.
Flying to Tainan?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.