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Tainan,
Taiwan's fourth largest city, is located in the southwestern part of the island
and enjoys a warm climate year-round. The gentle-natured people of the city are
warmly hospitable, and the relatively tranquil life there seems far removed from
the hustle and bustle of modern urban life. With its long history, Tainan is
rich in historic sites and cultural heritage.
Its
unique history has left Tainan with the heritage of tremendous historic sites as
well as has awarded Tainan the reputation of "Cultural City" which is
well known on the island.
Tainan
is Taiwan's temple town. Designated the provincial capital for over 200 years
until the 1880s, Tainan still has a firm grip on Taiwan's traditional culture.
It's also one of the best places in the country to witness Buddhist parades and
festivals. There are hundreds of temples in Tainan: some of the most interesting
are East Mountain, a busy Taoist temple where people come to communicate
with dead relatives or exorcise ghosts, Mito, with its magnificent statue
of the 1000-armed goddess Kuanyin, Chuhsi, Tainan's largest and most
beautiful temple, set in an athletic park, and Kaiyuan, a classical
Buddhist temple with spacious grounds and plenty of pagodas.
Tainan
has around 20 kilometers of beautiful coastal scenery. Farther south along the
coastline lies the amiable and always changing Golden Coast. The flat beach of
the Golden Coast is nearly three kilometers in length. With the shining blue sky
and sparkling ocean, the coast is an attraction to both swimmers and tourists.
Because the area is large enough, resorts have been developed into
multi-dimensional recreation centres with facilities for swimming, sightseeing,
fishing, camping, and lodging. Amid the historical and cultural feasts provided
in Tainan, the Golden Coast offers a unique option for travellers in the area.
Along with all of the other treasures the city has to offer, Tainan is a
recreational paradise with something for everyone.
Tainan
is also a great spot for nightlife and Chinese food.
Night
time in Tainan can be whatever you make it. If you like tranquillity, you can go
to the Kuangfu campus of National Cheng Kung University to stroll quietly and
enjoy the gentle breezes, the aroma of flower blossoms, and the chirping of
myriad insects. It you like noise and bustle, you can go to the night market
near the Far Eastern Department Store on Chungcheng Road and buy some gifts for
friends and relatives. If these suggestions fail to fit your fancy, then go for
a quiet conversation over a cup of fine tea in one of Tainan's unique teahouses.
Among
the many Tainan snacks that are known far and wide are Coffin Cakes, bread in
the shape of a coffin which has been hollowed out and stuffed; nutritious
Passing the Lean Months Noodles, which were developed by the fishermen of former
times to help them get through the slack fishing periods; Pot-side Pancake Soup,
made with rice dough spread on the side of a hot wok and scraped off in pieces;
Rice Dumplings; Rice Pudding flavoured with various sweet or savoury
ingredients; Eel Noodles; Sweet Potato Pork Dumplings; Rice Cakes; Crystal Pork
Dumplings; and Milkfish Congee. These delicacies can be savoured wherever snack
vendors congregate, such as the Hsiaopei Night Market and the Chinatown
marketplace.
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