Taiwan Teachannel

Fort Zeelandia (安平古堡) is the oldest fortress in Taiwan, and the street that surrounds the fort, also known as Yanping Old Street (延平老街), is believed to be the very first one ever developed by the Dutch colonizers.

Anping Old Street is lined with traditional rammed earth houses (土角樓), low brick houses as well as Western mansions. Built using earth and stalks, these rammed earth houses are cool in summer while warm in winter, which were very common in the time when a large proportion of the population was engaged in agriculture. The rammed earth houses are strong enough to survive earthquakes but are not waterproof, so the outer walls must be covered with cement or straws to keep the rain away. Above the doors of these houses, you may notice some hand-painted images of lions with swords in their mouths. These are what we call “sword lions” who serve as the guardians to protect the occupants. During the Qing dynasty, the patriotic hero Zheng Cheng-gong (鄭成功), better known by his Hokkien honorific Koxinga (延平郡王), and his army were stationed in Anping. After the daily routines, soldiers returned home, hung the lion-emblazoned shields in front of their doors and placed their swords near the lion's mouth. A (smart enough) thief would know that this should be the last place to steal. It worked so well that local residents started to do the same. The sword lion therefore became a symbol of protection in Anping.

Tainan is the city of small eats and everything comes in miniature portions with a very affordable price tag, and you will find myriads of them on Anping Old Street, including, to name a few, fried wontons (扁食), shrimp rolls (蝦捲), milkfish soup (虱目魚湯) and deep-fried sandwich (棺材板). Many of you might be ambitious to try everything in one single day, but let’s face the music: it is almost impossible, simply because there are too many of them. Don’t forget to save your stomach for the yummy dessert. The soft, slippery black tofu pudding will surely delight everyone who has a sweet tooth. Besides yummilicious goodies, you will also be treated to traditional folk games, snacks and desserts on this street of gastronomical fun. Be sure to bring your kids along!

Once a warehouse belonging to Tait & Co. Merchant House over a century ago, the Anping Tree House (安平樹屋) is now a popular landmark in the old city of Tainan, where giant banyan trees have taken over the abandoned building after years of neglect.

In 1845, after China’s defeat in the Second Opium War, the Qing government opened the Anping Harbor to foreigners, and the Scottish trader James Tait was one of the first to set up a merchant house in Anping. The Tait & Co. Merchant House was the biggest merchant house of its time, mainly engaged in the export of granulated sugar and camphor from Taiwan. Before these goods were loaded onto ships, they were stored in the warehouse, which is now known as the Anping Tree House (安平樹屋).

During the Japanese Colonial Era, the trade of camphor and opium was made a government business, which left these foreign merchants with no choice but to leave Taiwan – the Tait & Co. Merchant House was no exception. In 1911, the Tait & Co. Merchant House building was turned into an office and warehouse for the Japan Salt Company. After World War II, it became the offices for the Tainan Salt Works. In 1981, a major renovation was undertaken to bring this historic building up to date, while the renovation of the neighboring tree house was suspended for safety reasons. By 2004, the local government invited designers to gentrify the old warehouse for touristic consumption. They have built wood and metal staircases and viewing platforms, allowing visitors to wind through the trees and view the warehouse from up within the branches.

Having been overgrown with tree roots for the past century, this old warehouse was once thought of as a creepy place, but not anymore. Today, the Anping Tree House (安平樹屋) not only retains the feeling of an ancient ruin but also offers an adventure into a giant brick flower pot. It will surely be a delight for urban explorers and photographers alike.

Commissioned in 1978, the Deyang Battleship was the former torpedo boat destroyer that escorted convoys across the strait. After its retirement, this warship didn’t end up as a piece of "industrial waste." Instead, the local government transformed it into a brilliant exhibition space, which gives a peek to a very fascinating side of this combatant ship. All those alarms on the wall seem to bring us back at that time when relations between Taiwan and China were still tense and emergencies could happen at any time.

Visitors even get to have a glimpse of the armament, inclusive of torpedo tubes for launching torpedoes, a torpedo track, a helicopter apron and a surveillance radar — military buffs will be in heaven. Upon entering the bridge of the destroyer, you will soon realize that it is where the actual commanding was carried out. Give yourself a few seconds and pretend you are one of the patriotic commanders who once protected and fought for his country right on this warship. Today, the Deyang Battleship serves as a floating museum at Anping Harbor and continues to tell its heroic history.

The whole visit can be quite short but will surely make those who once served in the navy feeling nostalgic. Even if you don’t know much about the military, a visit to the Deyang Battleship will simply help you understand more.

During the Dutch rule, the colonizers exchanged cloth for land owned by the plains aborigines. They set up commercial markets in Tainan, making the old city a business hub. However, in response to long-term oppression by the colonial Dutch forces, the local farmers rose up against the colonizers during the Guo Huaiyi Rebellion (郭懷一事件) in 1652. To prevent such uprisings from happening again, in 1653, the Dutch built up the Fort Provintia as the strategic military base and political center.

In 1661, the Dutch were defeated and expelled by the patriotic hero Zheng Cheng-gong (鄭成功), better known by his Hokkien honorific Koxinga (延平郡王), and the Fort Provintia became the island's highest administrative institution. Six months later, Koxinga passed away. His son ruled in his place, and the once-proud Fort Provintia was degraded into an ammunition depot. What’s worse, the fort didn’t survive the civil wars and natural disasters during the Qing dynasty – it was literally in ruins. Later in the late 19th century, several buildings were constructed on its original site. After several major renovations, finally in 1974, the Fort Provintia became what you see today, where the remnants of the castle, Wenchang Pavilion (文昌閣) and Haishen Temple (海神廟) can still be appreciated.

Besides the architecture, nine imposing “Bixi (贔屭) steles” built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong are also worth your attention. Bixi is depicted as a turtle with teeth, able to carry heavy stone tablets on its shell, lying on the ground with its head held high. At the end of 1786, the very first of Taiwan's largest rebellion broke out, and the Qing general Fu Kang-an (福康安) was sent to suppress the armed insurrection with a force of 20,000 soldiers. After his mission was accomplished, Qianlong Emperor (乾隆皇帝) wrote several poems and had them carved on these steles. With a long history of hundreds years, Fort Provintia has gone through many different periods of colonial rule. It is almost like a microcosm of modern Taiwanese history and very worth a visit if you happen to be a history buff.

Eternal Golden Castle was completed in 1876 to protect against the Japanese. As the first modern-era fort built in Taiwan, it occupies a huge three hectare area, on which it sits grandly. It was not until one hundred years later, after the government repaired it in 1976, that the fort came into its own as a tourist attraction. In 1983, the fort was finally called a national first-class historic site.

In addition to seeing a fort of the past with its outside battery, you can also see actors wearing old-style costumes when you visit here. Whenever there is a fake artillery shell explosion or arrow shots fires, the actors will use vivid facial expressions and lifelike sounds to give you a fully immersive experience. They sometimes even fire the remaining working artillery gun in the north-west of the site for the audience’s enjoyment. After you have finished wandering around the old fort, go for a stroll in the grounds, where trees that have been planted around the four walls are a lovely accompaniment to your exploring. So pleasant is the park that some like to bring picnic and eat it on the grass here. You might also like to enjoy the paddle boats for rent in the moat. And if you happen to be here in the evening, look out for any performances or musical events that may be happening.

First established in 1950, the Chin Men Theater is an old three-story building with architecture that looks influenced by old American art deco theaters. The facade covered by enormous hand-painted movie placards of the current shows adds a huge amount of nostalgia for the residents of Tainan.

Playing films that have recently left the cineplexes, this second-run theater was frequented by famed director Ang Lee (李安) while he was a high school student in Tainan, making it a mecca for movie lovers. If you are lucky enough, there may be some occasional free-showings of his films. But the main draw is definitely the nostalgic oil paintings by the local artist Yan Zhen-fa (顏振發). These artworks are so popular that Yan has even started teaching painting classes to keep this dying trade alive. In order to engage with the local communities, the theater once invited kids to submit poster designs for some blockbusters such as Pitch Perfect 2, Penguins of Madagascar, and The Avengers: Age of Ultron. All entries were displayed in the theater lobby and the winning entry eventually served as the main billboard of the movie.

This historic theater is nothing like those big cinema chains. For example, instead of soda and popcorn, the food and beverage offerings at Chin Men Theater are beer, chips and a medley of traditional Taiwanese snacks for you to nibble on. And this is how it has carried memory over generations and still manages to inspire and impress with its old-fashioned cool.