The Temples of Tainan

Tainan, the old capital of Taiwan, is a city of temples, mystery and and historical sites unlike anywhere else in Taiwan. Exploring the old district of Tainan, secrets and treasures are held at every bend. Burning incense wafts out onto the streets from religious temples and prayer rituals. It is a stunning location with architecture to match even the finest Chinese temples in Beijing. Albeit the scale is not as grandiose, but the craftsmanship, artwork, history and intricate details rank up there with the world's finest.

I hopped on a bus late on Thursday night as I took Friday off for a bit of exploration. The drive down to Tainan is a long one, pushing on four hours. But the five star luxury bus, complete with your own television, makes this ride much easier. Getting in late to Tainan, I decided to check into a cheap hotel right across the street from the bus station. I was tired and didn't feel like searching for accomodation late in the evening. I retired with the first place I found with hopes of waking up early the next day.

I got up the following morning and went to the train station where they have a scooter rental shop behind it. I rented a small 50cc scooter to help me get around town to see the sites. Being more of a motorcycle man, it was quite the experience to drive around on the 50cc. They might be small, but they sure can move!

My first stop was at the Chikan Towers, Tainan's seminal tourist destination. Built by the Dutch in the 17th century, it served as the central administrative office. During this occupation, the Hans Chinese came to call it the "Tower of the Red-Haired Barbarians", fitting for the western powers inhabiting the dweeling. Today, on the tower's front lawn, there is a bronze statue depicting a Dutch soldier (wildly out of proportion) handing control over to the Chinese.

The towers are also famous for the nine tables carried by turtles surrounding the tower. It is believed that these massive stones were produced elsewhere and transferred to the towers.

Behind the Chikan towers is an often overlooked temple. It's such a shame too, as it's the oldest Matzu temple in Tainan. It is small, but the art and decorations speak great worth to it. At the entrance to the to tmeple are large columns.

At the top of the columns, savages are depicted holding up the ceiling. This is in contrast to the lovely painted tiles adorning the walls in the entrance.

Inside, you are hit immediately by the strong embers of incense and antique treasures identifying this as a masterful temple. One particular art piece that struck me was the massive tiger. It is a sculpture of a tiger that is incorporated into a mural, giving the impression that the tiger is emerging off the landscape and into the temple itself. It is a unique and memorable piece of work.

Not far from the oldest Matzu temple is the largest Matzu temple. You could explore this temple for hours and still not come across every last bit it has to offer. But the coolest thing about this temple is not the temple itself but the street it's located on. This street is called fortune teller's alley because of all the old astrologers that live here. If you speak Chinese and are into the sort of thing, then come on down and tempt fate!

Exploring temples can be exhausting work. After these bits of history, I decided it was time to check out another part of Tainan- Anping. This is the oldest part of Tainan and holds some splendors for those willing to make the 3km journey out there. For those travelling by scooter, of course, it is just a quick and painless shoot over there!

Anping is a port town on the Eastern side of Tainan. It is home to the old Dutch fort where the Dutch first set up shop. There is a newly constructed watch tower at the top of the fort offering nice panoramic views of the city.

Below the fort is an old street selling some famous and traditional Chinese snacks and treats. The most famous is an old dried fruit and candy shop that has been selling their dried fruits since the Qing Dynasty. I arrived at this no-nonsense, no frill shop (I think it looks the same now as it did when it first opened, and probably contains some of the original dried fruit) and was surprised to see the hords of people lined up to make their sweet purchases.

The shop is split into two components. The front has shelves with large glass jars in it where you can order your dried fruits by the kilogram- a wholesale option. It's a lovely, oldfashioned way to enter the shop. In the back is where the business takes place. The individual fruits are partitioned out in small bags and you can buy a bag of fruits for NT$50. I purchased some dried Kiwi, Strawberry and Pineapple. As I was checking out, I asked the shopkeep if he had any recommendations. He had an open bag of dried sweet plum and gave me a free sample. I plopped one into my mouth and the sensation overjoyed me. Essentially, you place the sweet and sour dried fruit, no larger than a gumball, into your mouth and you suck on it. Eventually, nothing is left except the pit in the middle which you throw away. It was so good, I bought three more bags right away!

After the dried fruit shop, I returned back to my hotel and washed up for the night. I then went to a very famous restaurant called "Slack Season Noodle Shop". This noodle shop was open before the turn of the century and is famous for serving up cheap and delicious bowls of Danzi Noodles. The food is prepared at the entrance to the restaurant with all the ingredients laid out in plain view.

The tables are small and close to the floor to you have to sit on the small wooden stools reminiscent of tree stumps. The noodles are delicious and have a combination of the freshest ingredients. It is topped off with a single prawn, which I discarded as I prefer not to eat seafood!

After dinner, I hit the pubs and bars for some late night fun before going back to bed. The next day I caught the bus back to Taipei and was home in time for a fun Saturday night out with friends! From the magical history tour bus to Tainan, Michael!