TW · Tainan · 22.99°N 120.19°E

tainan

Taiwan's old capital and snack heaven: beef soup breakfasts, temples and alleys.

Best time
October to March is drier and less hot. Summers are very hot, with afternoon storms and typhoons.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
Fly from KL to Taipei (about 4.5 hours). Then take the High Speed Rail to Tainan, about 1 hour 45 minutes, and the shuttle train from the HSR station into the city. Kaohsiung's airport is closer, about an hour away, if your flight goes there.
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TW · Tainantainan22.99°N 120.19°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Taiwan's old capital and snack heaven: beef soup breakfasts, temples and alleys.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingTainanTW, Tainan
KLtainan
≈ 2,973 km from KL, as the crow flies
Downtown Tainan in 2012.

Photo: Mersh · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Taiwan's oldest city, and its capital for more than two and a half centuries until 1887. It's full of temples, Dutch-era forts and narrow alleys, but most people come to eat: Tainan is the island's snack capital, and breakfast starts early with fresh beef soup.

Makan

  1. Beef soupThin slices of raw beef cooked in the bowl by hot broth. A breakfast tradition.Map ↗
  2. Danzai noodlesSmall bowls of noodles with shrimp and minced pork sauce, a Tainan invention.Map ↗
  3. MilkfishIn porridge or soup, often eaten for breakfast.Map ↗
  4. Coffin breadA thick slice of fried bread hollowed out and filled with creamy stew.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. AnpingThe old harbour district, with the ruins of Fort Zeelandia, an old street of snacks and a warehouse taken over by banyan roots.Map ↗
  2. Chihkan TowerBuilt on the site of a Dutch fort, now Chinese-style pavilions in a garden.Map ↗
  3. Confucius TempleTaiwan's first Confucian temple, calm and shaded in the middle of the city.Map ↗
  4. Shennong StreetA short old street of lantern-lit shophouses, bars and cafés. Best at night.Map ↗
  5. Hayashi Department StoreA restored 1930s department store with a small shrine on the roof.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Many well-known snack stalls sell out early or close one day a week. Eat early and share plates so you can try more.
  • Pork and lard turn up in a lot of dishes, so ask if you avoid them.
  • The sights are spread around the city. Taxis and rental bikes are the easiest way between them.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.