As the oldest city in Taiwan, Tainan is a wonderfully historic place perfect for adding cultural exploration to your travel experience. It has a rather complex history from Dutch occupation to Han Chinese influence and Japanese Colonial Era. To truly understand the history of modern Taiwan is no doubt to trace its beginnings to Tainan.

During this one-day tour, you will be taken on a bamboo raft ride through Sicao Green Tunnel that might bring you the resemblance of Amazon rainforest, which served as the entrance to inland waterways during the Japanese Colonial Era. Sio House is a century-old house that used to serve as an office for storage, selling, and inspection of salt during the Japanese Colonial Era; today, it’s a wonderful place combining sightseeing and cultural history. Anping Old Street is the beginning of everything. Adjacent to the first fortress built in Taiwan, it’s the first street ever developed. Did someone say food? Yes, there are plenty!

In the afternoon, let’s get a bit more artsy at Chimei Museum, known as “one of the world’s most surprising art collections” according to Forbes magazine, giving you a chance to see the world while travelling in Tainan. The founder Mr. Shi Wen-long was born during the Japanese Colonial Era, and he always remembers a museum that offered him spiritual shelter in difficult wartime. He therefore decided to set up a museum in his hometown that belongs to everyone, and that’s the birth of Chimei Museum. Ten Drum Rende Creative Park was once a busy sugar mill but had been left disused for years. After being taken over by the local drumming troupe as a rehearsal space, this mill continues to live its history and allows visitors to peek into the thriving sugar industry during the Japanese Colonial Era. At the end of the day, you will be taking a leisurely stroll along Fuzhong Street that sits right next to the first Confucius temple in Taiwan. There are several food stands worth a try, and the handmade craft market takes place on weekends where there’s an abundance of arts and crafts for you to explore. Some artists even renovated the old houses on the street and transformed them into studios to showcase their talent and creativity. Enjoy your own gentle pace here as slowing down is the only way to savor the beauty of this city.