Tainan’s rich cultural heritage includes many important public properties. With the revenue obtained from managing historic sites, Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government set up “Tainan City Cultural Asset Development Fund” to restore, maintain, and operate historic sites, with the aim of achieving their independent and sustainable operation.

The operation of historic sites in Tainan is either independent or outsourced.

1. Independently operated sites include Chihkan Tower, Anping Old Fort, Anping Tree House and the former Tait & Co. Merchant House, Eternal Golden Fort, 1661 Taiwan Warship Museum, Tainan Shan-Shang Garden and Old Waterworks Museum, Koxinga Shrine, Anping Oyster Shell Cement Kiln Museum, and Wufei Temple.

2. There are 28 outsourced sites, including Hayashi Department Store, the former Tainan Magistrate Residence, Rende Sugar Refinery, Navy Destroyer Museum, the former Ying Restaurant, the former Julius Mannich Merchant House, and the Tainan Branch of the former Taiwan Governor’s Monopoly Bureau.

Website:https://historic.tainan.gov.tw/

The Taiwan Warship was constructed following a picture depicting a Taiwanese ship in the “Scroll of Foreign Ships,” preserved in the Matsura Historical Museum in Nagasaki, Japan. A great team of experts in Taiwan oceanographic history, shipbuilding historiographers, and master shipbuilders, adopted traditional techniques to bring the picture’s Taiwanese ship to life. This is also the very first self-built 1:1 replica ship project in Taiwan.

The 1661 Taiwan Warship complex exhibits “the Great Tide of the Times: Taiwan Warship,” presenting five public art installations and a digital image projection. In addition to the ship, the other four themes are whale (whaleback dome), cabin (time corridor), shadow (lighting and projection presentation), and mast (performing stage). Together with the projection in the evening, the warship is like a time machine showing visitors the history of Anping from the Dutch colonial period to the present day.

Operated as open-air museum, it strives to present the stories of Taiwan Straits in the seventeenth century, promoting oceanic culture, passing on Tainan’s history and culture, and preserving endangered ship restoration crafts. All in all, the museum contributes to enhancing cultural heritage education and traditional craft preservation.

Location: No. 139, Anying Road, Anping District, Tainan City

Website:http://taiwanwarship.tainan.gov.tw/

During every lunar new year period, visitors crowd into the must-go historic sites in Tainan, such as Chihkan Tower, Anping Old Fort, Anping Tree House and the former Tait & Co. Merchant House, Eternal Golden Fort, and 1661 Taiwan Warship Museum. For this festival period, the Bureau is holding its annual “Come and Enjoy Lunar New Year in Tainan” event. For example, spring festival couplet banners, good luck stickers and red lanterns are decorated in historic sites for visitors to experience and enjoy the traditional lunar new year atmosphere.

When visiting historic sites in the lunar new year period, please join our free tours. Our experienced guides give in-depth tours about the history of Tainan. Additionally, each site plans various activities to attract people to spend their holiday in the city.

For flower lovers, the annual lunar new year daffodil show in Koxinga Shrine is not only a must-see event, but also a location where visitors can feel a joyous festival atmosphere.

Koxinga, based in Tainan, was one of the important historical figures who made Taiwan visible in the world, and connected oceanic cultures in the Southeast Asian region. Born in the Age of Discovery, Koxinga encountered and interacted with many Europeans. Koxinga’s spirit of embracing innovation and variety, is worthy of emulation.

To promote the folk beliefs about Koxinga, local traditional culture, and interaction between cities, the Tainan Historical Records Committee in 1959 conducted research into the actual date that Koxinga landed in Taiwan, and found it was April 29, 1661. In 1963, the Executive Yuan ratified April 29 as the date for the annual Koxinga memorial ceremony and the Minister of the Interior as the host to honor Koxinga. Since then, this annual ceremony has been held in Tainan’s Koxinga Shrine on April 29, with the minister being the chief consecration officer and the mayors of Tainan City and Kinmen County being accompanying consecration officers. Members of the Zheng family association from different parts of the world, and many foreign groups in Asia, have attended for years.

Tainan City embraces several historic sites built during Koxinga’s rule. With the efforts of the city government and the civil groups, places such as Koxinga Shrine and Zheng Family Shrine have become popular tourist spots.

July 7th on the lunar calendar is the birthday of Kui Xing, the god in charge of literature and exams. It is said that the Kui Xing worship culture was introduced to Taiwan in the Qing dynasty. The festival features the statue of Kui Xing worshipped in Wen Chang Pavilion, situated in Chihkan Tower.

Chihkan Kui Xing Festival is organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Tainan City Government, to promote this special culture. In addition to inviting about a hundred students participating in the ceremony, there are also exhibitions related to the history of Kui Xing worship culture. Visitors can not only pray for a stellar performance in exams, but also gain an in-depth understanding of this folk culture.

The first Kui Xing Festival received much recognition and positive feedback, and attracted a great number of exam takers. Consequently, this festival has become one of the major folk ceremonies in Tainan.

Zhu Jiu-ying, famous for his Yan Zhenqing style regular script writing, was a very important calligraphy master and educator in Taiwan. In 1988, Zhu received the National Award of Art - Special Contribution Award in Calligraphy Education. Zhu spent his later years in Anping, Tainan. Located next to the Tait & Co. Merchant House and Anping Tree House, Zhu’s former residence was originally a dormitory of Taiwan Salt Company. In memory of Zhu’s contribution, Tainan City Government restored the residence into a memorial hall in 2008.

Zhu Jiu-ying dedicated his life to promoting calligraphy education. To commemorate Zhu’s contribution and carry on his great work, Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government started to conduct “the National Calligraphy Competition in Commemoration of Zhu Jiu-ying” in 2012.

This annual calligraphy competition has been held for eight years. It encourages calligraphy lovers to participate, and has also struck a responsive chord with the public. The works of winners will be exhibited in the memorial hall, which is a great way for Taiwan’s calligraphy art and education to be passed on from generation to generation.