Tainan

Day One

Took taxi early in the morning from home to Changi Airport Terminal One and met up at 4.30 am.

Cathay Pacific Airways (國泰航空)

The flight CX 650 took off on time at 0650 hours. The aircraft seemed to be a newer series with touch screen panel (left photo below). In-flight breakfast was served soon after take-off (right photo below).
Early lunch at HK Airport Terminal

We landed on Hong Kong at about 10.45 am and had almost two hours inside the airport transit area. Saw a Food Junction located at level 6 of the West Hall Airside Terminal 1, thus decided to have our early lunch there. Saw this 'Chen Fu Ji' (陈福记) Noodle House which looked reasonable (left photo below), thus ordered a dan-dan noodles set that cost a total of HKD 78 (right photo below). Good that I brought some of my remaining Hong Kong dollars in this trip to spend there. Taste was average for the noodles.

✍ Update:
Chen Fu Ji Noodle House at the airport is closed permanently.

Dragon Airlines (港龍航空)

This airline was founded in 1985. Dragon Airlines became a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific in 2008 but continued to operate under its brand.

Boarded our flight KA 436 and it took off smoothly at 1305 hours. Comparing to Cathay Pacific flight we took earlier, this aircraft seemed to be an older series (left photo below). Luckily the flight journey took only 1.5 hours. In-flight lunch was still served although this was a short route (right photo below).

✍ Update:
As part of service integration, Dragonair was renamed as Cathay Dragon in 2016. Cathay Dragon Airlines ceased its operations in Oct 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Transportation to Tainan B&B

After cleared the immigration clearance and collected our luggage, we then took Kaohsiung Metro from Kaohsiung International Airport station (R4) to Zuoying station (R16). The cost for this metro ride was TWD 50 and the journey took about 28-minutes.

At Zuoying metro station, we walked a short distance towards Zuoying THSR station. Got our tickets at TWD 145 per person and took the THSR train at 1536 hours where the ride took only 13-mins. We then took THSR shuttle bus at 1610 hours to Tainan City Hall. The whole journey of this bus ride took about 40-minutes. We arrived at about 5 pm at the City Hall stop where the owner of B&B was waiting to pick us up. Took her sedan car to the Wu House B&B.

Hai'an Road (海安路)

After checked in to our B&B, we then walked towards Hai'an road for our dinner. Hai'an Road has always been a food battlefield in Tainan and many visitors will choose this place as first landmark to eat Tainan food.

Quansheng Eatery (全生小食店)

Founded in 1942, this eatery had been passed down to second and third generations (left photo below). It was located at No. 162, section 1, Hai'an road, West Central District of Tainan City.

Ordered a mixed fish balls soup (各類魚丸湯) at TWD 30 and a bowl of minced pork rice (肉燥飯) at TWD 15 (right photo below). These two items were the signature dish of this store. Indeed the taste for these two dishes was good.


✍ Update:
Quansheng Eatery has ceased operation since 2016. Another similar eatery 'Fusheng Eatery' (福生小食店), opened by its former employees, is located at No. 100 section 1 of Hai'an Road.

Jipin Shrimp Rice (集品蝦仁飯)

Our next stop was the Jipin Shrimp Rice which is located at No. 107, section 1, Hai'an road, West Central District of Tainan City (left photo below). Ordered a shrimp rice (蝦仁飯) at TWD 45 and a bowl of seaweed soup (紫菜湯) at TWD 20 (right photo below).
There were about 10 shrimps per bowl and the shrimps were succulent. Combined with the bright red shrimps and green shallots, this gave a beautiful visual effect. The rice was cooked with bonito soup and shrimp soup thus was flavorful. To me the rice was slightly salty.

Nage Niandai Iced Almond Tofu (那個年代杏仁豆腐冰)

Wanted to have something to drink after dinner. Saw this restaurant selling almond related desserts, thus decided to try (left photo below). It is located at No. 49, Bao'an road, West Central District of Tainan City, which is just besides Hai'an road. Ordered a cup of almond tea (杏仁茶) at TWD 50 (right photo below). Taste was good for this rich almond tea.

Blue Print (藍晒圖)

Located at Hai'an road, this blue print was the work of "Memory of the Wall" by a local architect in 2004. It was located between Hai'an road and Heping street. In the form of blueprints, or engineering blueprints, the old walls were painted in royal blue and the windows and furniture were outlined with white lines to express a three-dimensional sense (photos below).
The tables, chairs and suitcases were installed in half, which outlined the memory of the space before the project (left photo below). At one side of the building, there were stairs to go to the second floor (right photo below).
Plans were laid out by the Tainan City Urban Development Bureau to redevelop this area, and by then these blueprints will be painted off.

✍ Update:
The Blue Print along Hai'an Road has been covered with white paint on 24 Feb 2014. A similar area 'Blueprint Cultural & Creative Park' (藍晒圖文創園區) is built along Ximen Road in 2015.

Shennong Street (神農街)

While walking along Hai'an road, a mural painted of the sedan chair inscribed with words '金華府' caught my attention (left photo below). The Shennong street is Tainan City's most well-preserved old street where many historical buildings from the Qing Dynasty and the Japanese colonial period are conserved (right photo below). The temple '金華府' located along the shennong street is built in 1874 by the Xu family.
After exploring the shennong street, we then took taxi back to B&B which cost TWD 105.


Day Two

After breakfast, we walked towards the nearest bus stop 'Wangyue Bridge'「望月橋」站 to take the tourist bus.

Tainan City Bus

The Tourist Bus Number 99 is a city bus in Tainan to connect passengers from Tainan Transit Station to scenic spots in Anping District and Qigu District such as Koxinga Museum, Confucian Temple and Qigu Salt Mountain.

We boarded the bus at 0945 hours after some waiting. The bus is modern in design (left photo below) with air-condition and comfortable seats (right photo below). Each ride cost TWD 18 and can use EasyCard (悠遊卡) to pay.
We took the city bus all the way to its last stop「鹽田生態文化村」站.

Salt Field Eco-Culture Village (鹽田生態文化村)

This Salt Field Eco-Culture Village is the remains of the Anshun Saltworks (安順鹽場) during the Japanese occupation period in Taiwan. In 1994, the Tainan City government announced the establishment of 'Tainan Sicao Wildlife Sanctuary'. Anshun Salt Fields coincidentally are located in the center of the sanctuary, thus the village combines the characteristic buildings of Anshun Saltworks with the ecological tourism. It is located at No. 12, Lane 101, Dazhong Street, Annan District in Tainan City. There are several attractions around this Eco-Culture Village.

Salt Field Cultural Museum (鹽田文化資料館)

Located besides the Fish Specimen Ecological Museum is the Salt Field Cultural Museum (left photo below) that exhibits the tools used in the salt fields (right photo below).

Salt Field Harvesting Experience (鹽田體驗)

Opposite the museum are the tile-pan salt fields that are in orderly arrangement. The scene seemed to perfect where salt on the fields was piled up into a sharp hill and the sky was reflected on the thin water surface (left photo below). For TWD 50 per person, visitors could experience the work on the salt field but most ended up taking an Instagram photo with the salt pile (right photo below).

Taijiang Fish Specimen Ecological Museum (台江魚類標本生態館)

The Taijiang Fish Specimen Ecological Museum (left photo below) is established when the National Kaohsiung University of Ocean Science and Technology donated a batch of precious fish specimens (about 200 pieces) to the city government in 2007. In addition, personal collection of 100 species of fish specimens, 17 kinds of shrimp and crab specimens, 1 batch of shellfish specimen were donated to this museum by a marine professor. The specimens of various fishes are well preserved in glass bottles (right photo below).
The museum even simulates the scene of fishes in the water (left photo below) and crabs on the shore (right photo below), where the specimens seem to be alive and vivid.

Taijiang Cetacean Museum (台江鯨豚館)

The museum is opened in 2005 (left photo below) and currently displaying in the hall is the skeleton of Bryde's Whale (right photo below). This specimen is actually the first Bryde's whale carcass discovered off the coast of Taiwan, and it is also the first bone specimen of Bryde's whale produced in Taiwan.

Taijiang Bird Ecological Center (台江鳥類生態館)

Opposite the museum is this Bird Ecological Center (left photo below). As we visited on a weekend, binoculars were available for us to watch the birds (right photo below). In addition volunteers were there to educate us on the ecology of the birds.
There are specimens of various bird species on display in the exhibition area (photos below). The illustrations are explained in both Chinese and English.

Admission is free to all the places and opening hours from 0800 to 1700 hours daily.

Qigu Salt Mountain (七股鹽山)

We then took the city bus to the Qigu Salt Mountain stop「七股鹽山」站. It is located at No. 66, Yancheng Village, Qigu District in Tainan City.

The Qigu Salt Field was once the largest solar salt field in Taiwan supplying salt for the domestic agricultural and industrial sector. Through changes in time, solar salt was no longer economically viable, hence the Qigu Salt Field ceased production in May 2002, marking the end of 338 years of solar salt history in Taiwan and the dawning of an era of recreation at the Qigu Salt Mountain.

The six-storey salt mountain looks like a snow mountain from a distance, and the locals even called it the Taiwanese version of Mount Fuji (photos below).
The attraction has a rather peculiar admission policy; admission is TWD 50 per person, TWD 50 per motorcycle or TWD 100 per car. So, if a car is full of 5 passengers, then entrance fee is still TWD 100. And if visitors took City Bus No. 99 which drive directly into the attraction, then no admission is charged to the passengers.

Opening hours from 0900 to 1800 hours daily (Mar to Oct) or 0830 to 1730 hours daily (Nov to Feb).

Fried Milkfish Fillet

Saw this stall selling fried milkfish fillet (left photo below). Since it already passed lunch time, thus bought one pack at TWD 50 to satisfy my hunger. The fillet was slightly dry but the salt added some savory to them (right photo below).
Decided to walk towards the Taiwan Salt Museum which was just about 10-mins stroll from the salt mountain.

Taiwan Salt Museum (臺灣鹽博物館)

The Taiwan Salt Museum is currently the only themed museum on the salt industry in Taiwan and it is located at No. 69, Yancheng lane, Qigu District in Tainan City.

The museum has the shape of two salt piles which is particularly distinctive (left photo below). From a distance, the museum looks like two white pyramids standing in the salt field. Instead of visiting the museum, we spent our time in its souvenir shop to get some memorabilia (right photo below).
Decided to have late lunch at the restaurant located in this museum. Ordered a bento set at TWD 70 (left photo below) and a cup of salted coffee at TWD 40 (right photo below). The bento set tasted average but the coffee was savory.


Seperate admission is required to enter the museum which cost TWD 130 per adult. Opening hours from 0900 to 1700 hours.

We then took City Bus No. 99 from the salt museum and alighted at 'Old Tait & Co. Merchant House / Anping Tree House' stop「德记洋行/安平樹屋」站.

Former Tait & Company Merchant House (原英商德記洋行)

In 1867, British traders established the Tait & Co. merchant house in Anping to handle tea exports, as well as the firm's insurance and banking business. During the Japanese Occupation, it was the office and warehouse of Japanese Salt Company. After World War II, the salt industry in Anping declined, and this area was abandoned. In 1981, a major renovation was undertaken to bring this historic building up to date. Only in 2004 that wood and metal staircases and viewing platforms are built at the warehouse.

This attraction is located at No. 108, Fort Street, Anping House in Tainan City. Admission includes the entrance to both Anping Tree House and Tait & Co. Merchant House.

Anping Tree House (安平树屋)

The Anping Tree House is a former warehouse of Tait & Company Merchant House. The treehouse name refers to the living banyan roots and branches that cover the building (photos below). It does make a good instagramable spot.
Inside the warehouse there are some exhibitions on the history of the merchant house (photos below).

Tait & Co. Merchant House (德记洋行)

The two-storey building was designed in western colonial style with white paint color (left photo below). The ground floor of the building displays the history of immigrants in Taiwan (right photo below).
The upper floor is transformed into a Taiwan Development Wax Museum (台湾开拓史料蜡像馆), where wax sculptures of humans, animals and artifacts are displayed (photos below).

Admission cost was TWD 50 per person (photo below). Opening hours from 0830 to 1730 hours daily.

Yanping Old Street (延平老街)

Also known as Anping Old Street (安平老街), it is the first street in Taiwan to be given a name. More than 300 years ago this was the first street built by the Dutch in Anping. The Old Street is conveniently located near to other famous attractions in Anping, such as Anping Fort, Anping Tree House and Anping Mazu Temple. The street freatures all kinds of old stalls and shops (photos below).
Decided to have some light snacks at this eatery 'Ruizhen Shrimp Wonton' (瑞珍蝦仁餛飩) located at No. 79, Xiaozhong street, Anping District in Tainan City (left photo below). Ordered a marble soda (彈珠汽水) at TWD 20 to try (right photo below). It was my first time trying to press the marble into the drink and only succeeded after several attempts. The drink had the faint ice-cream taste.


We also got some Shrimp Rolls (蝦捲) at TWD 60 (left photo below) and Oyster Omelette (蚵仔煎) at TWD 60 (right photo below) to share. The outer skin of the shrimp rolls was crispy and tasted better with little spicy mustard sauce. Oyster Omelette in Taiwan has this sauce that is salty and sweet. Overall, the taste of the omelette was not amazing but quite satisfactory.
Garden Night Market (花園夜市)

Took taxi from Yanping old street to Garden Night Market which cost TWD 185 and we reached there at about 6.30 pm. The Garden Night Market is located at Section 3, Hai'an Road, North District in Tainan City.

This night market may not have a long history but it has grown rapidly into a huge market with nearly 400 stalls. The market is divided into four zones including food, fashion, general goods, and recreation & leisure. Stalls often put-up large banners overhead to attract customers' attention (left photo below). The sea of banners is one of the market's distinctive sights.

Opted to have beef steak set at TWD 150 (right photo below). Beef steak was small but with the noodles the overall portion was satisfactory.
Opening hours of the night market from 1700 to 0100 hours on every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

After our dinner we then took taxi back to B&B with the fare at TWD 130.


Day Three

Black Bridge Sausage Museum (黑橋牌香腸博物館)

After sumptuous breakfast, we checked out from B&B and took taxi to this museum. We reached at about 10 am and the fare cost TWD 105. The Black Bridge Sausage Museum is located at No. 2, Xinzhong road, South District in Tainan City.

Black Bridge Sausage got its name from its origins at Black Bridge next to Fuqian Road. The outside of the tourism factory looks like a boutique store (left photo below) and the design of its doorway looks grand (right photo below).
We started our museum tour from its third floor and made our way downward. The museum features a lot of nostalgic scenes and street scenes of Tainan from many decades ago (photos below).
What caught my attention was the old items from the 1970's (left photo below) and 1980's (right photo below). This place is like a miniature version of Tainan History Museum.


The sausage and food displays on the second floor are very lifelike and often made me drool over them (photos below).
Besides the western type sausages, there are displays of local snacks in Taiwan which made me even hungrier (photos below).


We browsed the merchandizes of Black Bridge Sausage at its sales area before leaving the museum (photos below).
Admission to the museum is free but do note that pre-booking is required for factory tour. Opening hours from 0930 to 1730 hours (Tue to Sun) and closed on Monday.

We left the museum at about 12 noon and took taxi to Tainan railway station which cost TWD 150 per ride. Initially wanted to take TRA train to Taichung but there was no train service available. Thus we had to take a regional train at TWD 25 from Taichung to Shalun railway station. After which we bought our HSR tickets at TWD 685 per person from Tainan to Taichung HSR station.

Late lunch at Tainan HSR station

As it was still early for our HSR train, we decided to have our lunch at a local eatery '薈麵館' (left photo below). Ordered a bowl of Curry drumstick rice at TWD 250 (right photo below). Taste was typical of most Japanese curry except the drumstick was slightly drier.
After lunch, we then boarded our HSR train to Taichung.