Tainan
Encyclopedia
Tainan City is a city in southern Taiwan
. It is the fifth largest after New Taipei, Kaohsiung
, Taichung
, and Taipei
. It was formerly a provincial city, and in 2010, the provincial city merged with the adjacent Tainan County
to form a single special municipality. Tainan faces the Taiwan Strait
in the west and south. Tainan's complex history of comebacks, redefinitions and renewals inspired its popular nickname "City of the Phoenix."
Tainan was initially established by the Dutch VOC
as a ruling and trading base which called Fort Zeelandia
during the period of Dutch rule on Taiwan. After Dutch colonists were defeated by Koxinga
in 1661, Tainan was remained as the capital of the Tungning Kingdom
until 1683 and afterwards the capital of Taiwan prefecture under the rule of Qing Dynasty
until 1887, when the Qing Dynasty
established Taipei as the new provincial capital. Tainan has been historically regarded as one of the oldest cities in Taiwan, and its former name, Tayouan , has been claimed to be the source of the name Taiwan. It is also one of Taiwan's cultural capitals, for its rich folk cultures including the famous local snack food
, extensively preserved Taoist rites and other living local traditions covering child birth to funeral. The city houses the first Confucian school–temple, built in 1665, the remains of the Eastern and Southern gates of the old city, and countless other historical monuments. Tainan claims more Buddhist and Taoist temples than any other city in Taiwan.
tribe dominated the region around the time the first foreigners arrived. While the Sakam people of Sinkan sub-tribe inhabited in the present day city proper, other Siraya
n sub-tribes including Soelangh, Mattauw and Baccloangh inhabited in the surrounding suburbs.
By late 16th century, Chinese tradesmen and fishermen had set up several bases along the west coast of Taiwan including a sandbar across the Taijiang inner sea off the bay of Sakam. "Tayouan" (大員), meaning foreigners in Sirayan
, was adopted by the Chinese as the name of the sandbar and later become the name of entire island – Taiwan. Slightly north of Tayouan along the shoreline near Beixianwei were Japanese tradesmen’s territories. These settlements were the bases of underground Chinese-Japanese trade.
The early Chinese and Japanese traded with the Sirayan people. They used salt and food to trade for deer hides and dried deer meat. Due to Chinese and Japanese influences, Sirayan gradually changed their culture and lifestyle. They started to use Chinese words in their language, use Japanese tantō
in ritual events, and also migrated inland due to the expansion of newcomers. By the time the Europeans arrived, the influence of Chinese and Japanese traders and fishermen had already changed this region of the once-wild coastline.
and the Penghu islands. In July 1622, V.O.C.
admiral Cornelis Reyersz set sailed for Taiwan in search of a suitable new location to build a trading post. They established a small fort named Orange on Tayouan two years later. The fort was then expanded and renamed Fort Zeelandia
. The settlement was initially designed as a base to attack their Spanish rivals and as a trading post between China and Batavia. Later the post became the Dutch center of trade between China, Japan and Europe.
The area surrounding Zeelandia expanded as a result of the Dutch trading post in the area. In 1625, they built a new settlement called "The Provintia" in the Sakam area as a center for an agricultural colony. Dutch laid out policies to encourage Chinese farmers to migrate to the colony to grow rice and sugar cane. The settlement at Sakam was so successful it had overtaken Batavia, already a large cultivation area, in the 1650s.
After several expeditions
and a forced occupation of the Spanish garrison in Keelung
, the Dutch V.O.C. became the first authority to claim control of Taiwan Island; Castle Zeelandia
was served as the seat of government.
Several incidents, most notably the Hamada Yahee incident (which took governor Pieter Nuyts
as hostage), made the occupation of the area difficult. This was the result of conflicts between the Japanese and the Dutch colonists. Increased Chinese settler activity also diminished the power of the Dutch authorities in the area. Stresses from heavy Dutch taxation on Chinese peasants and the Dutch soldiers' role in the plunder and collapse of Ming dynasty, eventually led to the Guo Huaiyi Rebellion
in 1652. Civil order was only restored after the support of the local Sinkanese, and then a new fort
was built in Provintia to strengthen and maintain the defense of Dutch officials after the rebellion.
, Ming loyalist Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga)
lead a fleet of 25,000 soldiers and entered Taijiang via the narrow waterway of Luermen north of Tayouan. In five days, Zheng took down the Provintia and besieged the Zeelandia
. The siege dragged on for both sides into a nine month stalemate. Zheng took over Zeelandia on February 7, 1662 after a Dutch surrender.
Zheng
renamed Provintia to Dongdu
(東都) or East Capital and Zeelandia to Anping. He sent his troops deep into the plain to establish agricultural settlements. Many suburbs surrounding Tainan City include in their names "Ying", "Jia", and "Tian", all derived from this event.
The city was renamed to Dongning soon after Zheng’s death
in 1662. Chen Yonghua, the civil affair minister introduced Chinese bureaucracy, built the first Confucius temple
on the island, and introduced the method of salt production to coastal areas. Chen also invited the British to set up their trading post in Anping to continue the trade relations between Japan and South East Asia, and to maintain its position as a center of trade.
On July 17, 1683, Qing naval commander Shi Lang
defeated Zheng’s navy in Penghu Islands. Two days later, the fleet landed on Dongning with little resistance. In 1684 after heated discussions, the Qing decided to claim the island to keep it out of the hands of potential enemies. The Taiwan prefecture was established, and Tainan served as the prefecture city "Taiwan-fu" (臺灣府).
Under Qing legislation, building city walls was prohibited in Taiwan. In 1721, a rebellion initiated by Zhu Yiguei broke out in Tainan. The rebels took over the Prefecture City and then the entire island. The rebellion soon became a massacre between the Fujian descendents
and the Guangdong descendents
. It was only after the Qing army, who was dispatched from mainland China, intervened did the restoration of order came about the Prefecture City. After the rebellion, Qing decided to create a boundary around the city for control, by growing bamboo around the perimeter. After several rebellion outbreaks across the island, the Qing started to work on building the city wall of the Prefecture City in late 1780s.
A flood in 1823 brought rich silt from nearby rivers, which formed a widespread new fertile land across the Taijiang bay area between the Prefecture City and Anping. A canal system called "Wutiaogang" was built to keep the port in Prefecture City functioning but prevented large ships from entering the bay.
In the spring of 1874, the Japanese launched a large-scale expedition to Taiwan
. Following this, the Qing sent the imperial commissioner Shen Baozhen to Taiwan to strengthen its defense. In Prefecture City, Shen made several efforts to modernize the defense including: advocating a telegraph cable link between Prefecture City and Amoy
, and inviting French engineers to design the Eternal Golden Castle
in Erkunshen. It is notable that some parts of the castle were built using bricks demolished from Fort Zeelandia. After over 200 years of development the Prefecture City remained as the largest city in Taiwan and a Chinese city with foreign influence. The following is a description of the city by the Scottish missionary William Campbell
in 1870s:
Taiwan became a province
in 1885 and the city was renamed to the name it bears today – Tainan prefecture(台南府). Tainan retained the status as a prefecture city while the capital of Taiwan province moved to Taichung
, then to Taipei
in 1887.
in 1895, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands were surrendered to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki
. After a bloody repression along the western corridor, the Japanese army arrived under the Tainan city gate on October 20, 1895. Liu Yongfu, the great general of the short-lived Republic of Formosa
fled to Amoy, and left the city under the threat of civil disarray. English missionary Thomas Barclay was chosen by local elites and foreign tradesmen to direct Japanese force to enter the city. As a result, Tainan was taken without resistance.
The Japanese
established Tainanken in 1895 but soon changed to Tainanchō in 1901, then Tainanshū in 1920. Tainanshū includes today’s Yunlin
, Chiayi
, and Tainan regions. Tainan served as the capital city. The Japanese introduced modern infrastructure in Tainan, including modern schools, creating a courthouse and a city hall, extensive freight and passenger rail network based on narrow gauge
, a new Anping canal replacing Wutiaogang, new telecommunication facilities, Tainan airport, and an irrigation system
across the Tainan and Chiayi regions. Modern urban designs were also introduced; old narrow streets and city walls were demolished, replaced with wide streets that formed the cityscape of the modern day Tainan city center.
On April 9, 1915, the Xilaian incident
broke out in Yujing
near Tainan. The leader, Yu Qingfang, launched a revolution to establish a Taiwanese nation. The revolution spread across the island, of which both Chinese and indigenous Taiwanese participated. The Japanese sent heavily armed troops to repress the event. The repression soon became a large scale massacre which eliminated many rural villages and thousands of people were killed during the repression, most being innocent villagers. Yu Qingfang was caught on August 22, 1915; more than 800 people were sentenced to death in Tainan court. Over 100 of them were executed and the birthplace of the rebellion, Xilai Temple in Tainan, was demolished. The Xilaian incident was the largest uprising in the history of Japanese colonial rule in Taiwan.
(ROC) took over the island in 1945 after World War II
. Tainan City and Tainan County became separate local entities under Taiwan Province
in 1946. The 228 Incident
broke out on February 28, 1947 in Taipei following widespread civil unrest. Thng Tek-chiong (pinyin: Tang Dezhang), a Taiwanese lawyer and a member of government which set up "The 228 Incident Commission", was arrested by the ROC army on March 11. Claiming him as a separatist and after being questioned and tortured overnight the Chinese executed him the next day in the park in front of Tainan City Hall (now named Tang Dezhang Memorial Park). Tang was pronounced not guilty by court later in March. Like other regions in Taiwan, many political activists in Tainan suffered from KMT repression during this autocratic era
.
Tainan held its first councilor and mayoral election in 1950. On March 19, 2004
, President Chen Shui-bian
was shot in Tainan during his campaign for a new term in office. The city has been a major center for pro-independent movement since the Japanese rule. On October 21, 2008, Chinese ARATS Vice President Zhang Mingqing
was injured when he encountered protestors in Tainan Confucius Temple.
During the second half of 20th century, the city grew into a metropolis with over 1 million inhabitants.
Before any form of exam people would visit the Wenchangdijun, the literacy god, to pray for good luck. One of the Wenchang temples is on the top floor of the Chikanlou
. Many final year high school students preparing for university exams visit the temple in June, before the exam. Those asking for marriage would visit Yuelao, the god for marriages. People also visit temples for many reasons, from simply praying for good luck to celebrating god’s birthday to even consulting with the other world.
A wedding ceremony in Tainan is a series of complex process where perfection will be asked in every detail. Both groom and bride need to prepare 12 specific gifts representing different meanings during their engagement ceremony with more to come in the wedding. People believe this complexity is a sign of being civilized.
Anping residents use a special symbol called Sword Lion to keep bad spirits away. During Zheng’s regime, Anping was a main naval station of Koxinga. When returning home from military drills, soldiers would put lion-face shields on the main gates of their houses and insert their swords crosswise in the lion’s mouth. Locals learned this and incorporate this symbol into the design of their houses as a symbol of security.
s originated from Tainan. Tainan was a center for sugar production industry. As a result Tainan cuisines tend to be sweeter compared to other Taiwanese cuisines. Milkfish
cuisines are very popular in Tainan where locals also call it Guóxìngyú or Koxinga’s fish. People believe the Chinese name of the fish was given by Koxinga. The fish are bred in the farms located in the outskirt coastal areas of the city. Many Tainan restaurants and snack stands have a history that traces back to Qing Dynasty or Japanese colonial era.
Tainan is famous for its diversity and density of temples and shrines. Some of them are the only of its kind on Taiwan Island. Among all, there are officially listed seven Buddhist temples and eight Taoist shrines (七寺八廟).
The seven Buddhist temples are:
The eight Taoist shrines are:
There are many other well-known temples and shrines not on this list, such as the Altar of Heaven temple (天壇) and the re-built Xilai temple (西來庵) etc. They are all the centers of religion in Tainan.
Due to its abundant numbers of temples and shrines, the traditional temple decoration crafters and their business flourishes in Tainan. There are masters still passing their knowledge to maintain the temples in the traditional way.
Music performance is being promoted in Tainan. Tainan City has its own Chinese orchestra and symphony orchestra. There are also private performance groups such as Chimei Mandolin
Performance Group, Chimei Philharmonic Orchestra and Chang Jung Christianity University Symphony Orchestra.
Ten Drum Art Percussion Group (十鼓擊樂團) is a percussion performance group established in the year 2000. The group is dedicated in producing percussion performances that highlights the history, the culture and the image of Taiwan. The group first performed internationally in the festivals during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Following this event, the group has performed in many occasions both internationally and domestically. The group has its own campus located in an old sugar factory in Rende District. The campus provides education on percussion performances at all levels and regular performances to general public.
.As the result, it is also called the First Academy of Taiwan.
The Confucian temple serves as a popular tourist attraction and also preserves ancient Confucian ceremonies, which are conducted on a regular basis. The temple also includes storerooms for the ritual implements and musical instruments that are used in these ceremonies.
,was built in 1653 by the Dutch during their colonization of Taiwan. The fort was surrendered to Koxinga. Since 1945 the site has been known as 'Red-topped Tower' (Chihkan Tower). This name derives from the Taiwanese aboriginal word Chakam.
In addition to the site's architectural and artistic significance, its library of dictionaries and business transactions documents the Siraya language spoken by the native inhabitants of the region during Dutch rule.
To enjoy the lifestyle of Taiwanese, Flower Night Market is good place to visit.It is known as the one of famous night markets
and it is often considered to be the largest night markets of Taiwan, but unlike the others, the night market is open for business three days a week.(Thursday, Saturday and Sunday)
are the so-called "bee hives", essentially multiple launchers of bottle rockets. These rocket forts are actually thousands of bottle rockets arranged row atop row in an iron-and-wooden framework. The setup looks like a beehive full of unleashed gunpowder. When the contraption is ignited, rockets shoot out rapidly in all directions. Dazzling explosives whiz and whirl across the sky and often into the crowd itself, both thrilling and intimidating the spectators.
that borders on a tropical wet and dry climate. The city is characterized by year-round high relative humidity
and temperatures (although temperatures do dip somewhat in the winter months), with a rainy season (April to September) and a dry season (October to March).
, the plan connected major facilities via a system of wide streets and five square-roundabouts. Among the five squares, Tang Dezhang memorial park at the center is the most important crossing point, it connects the old city government with the train station, the airport, military bases and the dock at the end of the Anping cannel. A road corridor from old Anping also terminates here. Many historic monuments and major temples are located within the area bounded by the other four squares, including Chikanlou (former Castle Provintia) and the Confucius Temple.
to the east and the Athletic park complex to the south. The Anping cannel blue belt divides the Fifth Redevelopment Area or New Anping from the rest of the city to form an artificial island. Zhonghua Rd system is an arterial road system, the system now connects major new development areas surrounding old city center. In contrast to the low rise old city center, many high rise buildings are built along these three rings.
River South Region belongs to the Tainan metropolitan area. Satellite towns spread across the region in a radial pattern from the city center. Southern Taiwan Science Park
Tainan campus
is located at the north of the region. According to the Council for Economic Planning and Development
, this region is designated to grow further into suburban sprawl.
Xinying was the seat of the former Tainan County Government and currently serve as the administration center for the region. Yujing is a regional center for the low hills districts east to the city; it is famous for its mango and was the scene of the Xilaian (Ta-pa-ni) Incident
. Jiali is the regional center of the coastal Tainan. It was the base of the Soelangh sub-tribe. Near the bank of the Zengwen River, Madou is the regional center of the lower plain area bears the name of the river. The town was home to the Mattauw sub-tribe.
Politics
. Technically it is at the same level as Province, although Province is being streamlined. The city is led by the elected city mayor and supervised by the city council. Its subdivisions qu or districts do not have the autonomy power, instead they are administration units only. Further to the citywide election, there are urban villages (里 li) and neighborhood (鄰 lin) functioning as primary local autonomy entity.
Currently there are two administration centers, one in Anping District and another in Xinying District. They are former Provincial Tainan city government and Tainan county government respectively. Administration centers manages city wide affairs and developments such as education and city planning. Apart from administration centers, there are district offices functioning as local access point to the governmental services.
, especially in nationwide elections. Before the merger, the Kuomintang
(KMT) have always had more seats in the provincial Tainan city council. In the most recent presidential elections (2008), a narrow majority of the provincial city's residents voted for the eventual winner, Ma Ying-jeou
of the Kuomintang. On the other hand, Democratic Progressive Party
always dominated former Tainan county. In the most recent municipal election, DPP dominated the political demographics of the city.
Hsu Tain-Tsair
of the Democratic Progressive Party was elected with 43.23% of the vote. His closest rival was the Kuomintang legislator Chen Rong-sheng, who garnered 37.40%.
In 2005 Mayor Hsu was re-elected, polling 45.65% to Chen Rong-sheng's 41.40%.
In common with every other city and county in the Republic of China, with the exception of Nantou
, a majority of Tainan residents voted for eventual winner Lee Teng-hui
and vice-president Lien Chan
.
Annan District was originally the An-Shun township of Tainan County, but was merged into Tainan City in 1946. In 2004, Central District and West District were merged into the new West Central district.
Economy
Once relied on traditional manufacturing industry, the approval of Southern Taiwan Science Park
in 1995 transformed the region into a major high-tech industrial hub. Optoelectronics, integrated circuits, green energy and biotechnology are the dominant industry in the park; prominent companies are Chimei-Innolux Corp., United Microelectronics Corp.
and TSMC
. With the establishment of Tainan Technology Park, Shugu (Tree Valley) LCD Park and Yonkang Technology Park, the city now becomes a major center for optoelectronics industry in Taiwan with a completed supply chain. Tainan also plays an important role on Auto parts, food processing, textile, plastics and other traditional manufacturing. Most notable companies including the Uni-president Corp.
, Chimei Corp. and Tainan Spinning Ltd., of which they also headquarters in the city. Overall, industrial production accounts for 62.6% of the gross city product in 2010.
Agriculture is important to the city especially the River North Region. While fishery and fish farming signifies the coastal districts, rice and fruit farms shaped the landscape of the inland agriculture region. The city is famous for its milkfish, oyster, rice, mango, sugar cane, pomelo (文旦), pineapple and lotus seed. Once a dominant industry, salt and sugar production are now declined to almost non-existence. Taiyen (Taiwan salt) co. and Taiwan Sugar Corp., both headquartered in Tainan, now transformed to businesses in biotechnology, quality agriculture, retail and tourism. Among those businesses, orchid farming is the most symbolic for its well known brand name in the floristry world. A nationally founded special plantation district is established with R&D resources in Houbi district.
Tourism is an industry with increasing importance. As the first capital of Taiwan, the wealth resource of cultural heritages and its potential is currently under exploration. In 2010, there are 3.5 million tourist visitors to the city, mostly domestic. There are several high class hotels in the city, including the Shangri-la Hotel near Tainan train station.
Retail and services is the largest employment sector in Tainan, margined at 52% in 2010. Currently the city hosts two Shin Kong-Mitsukoshi department stores and two Far-eastern department stores in the West-Central district. Also there are several shopping precinct around the city, with the strongest presence in East, North and Yongkang districts.
is a major stop on the Taiwan Railway Administration
Western Line, with direct connections to Taipei
, Kaohsiung
, Taichung
, Hsinchu
, and Keelung
. There are also local trains to reach closer destinations.
Taiwan High Speed Rail
Tainan Station
is located just outside the city center, in Gueiren district. The service is accessible to the city center via two connection bus lines, the TRA Shalun Line
and the express way line 86. Using the High Speed Rail
system passengers can reach Taipei
in under ninety minutes.
To improve connections with the HSR station and reduce the outlay for an MRT system, a new rail branch line was opened in 2011 (the Shalun Line
), and some new train stations are also planned to be added in the future.
and 3
run close by and connect via local highways to the city itself. Tainan City has a total of 142.9 km of highways, including national, local, and rural highways.
is located in the South District
of the city. It is a domestic airport, currently operating flights to Kinmen
and Makung
. Previously there were also services to Taipei's Songshan Airport
, but these were dropped in light of falling revenues (generally agreed to be a result of the High Speed Rail commencing operation and rising fuel costs).
Education
Private
Notable natives
The following is a non-exhaustive list of famous people born in Tainan, educated there, prominent in the life of the city, or otherwise associated with the city.
Sports
Tainan is home to the Uni-President Lions
, who play their home games at the Tainan Municipal Baseball Stadium. It is also the birthplace of Chien-Ming Wang
, Hong-Chih Kuo
, Tai-Yuan Kuo
, En-Yu Lin
, and many other prominent Taiwanese baseball players.
Monterey, California
, United States (1965) Gwangju
, South Korea (1968) San Jose, California
United States (1977) Kansas City, Missouri
United States (1978) Pasay City
, Philippines (1980) Cavite City
, Philippines (1980) Tagaytay City
, Philippines (1980) Trece Martires City
, Philippines (1980) Columbus, Ohio
United States (1980) Kinmen
, Taiwan (1981) Santa Cruz de la Sierra
, Bolivia (1981) Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape
, South Africa (1982) Orlando, Florida
United States (1982) Gold Coast, Queensland
, Australia (1982) Fairbanks, Alaska
United States (1983) Oklahoma City
, United States (1986) Huntsville, Alabama
United States(1986) Carbondale, Illinois
United States(1991) Leuven
, Belgium (1993) Ra'anana
, Israel (1999) Zacapa
, Guatemala (2003) Elbląg
, Poland (2004) Ribe
, Denmark (2005) Keçiören
, Turkey (2005) Cagayan de Oro, Philippines (2005) Kanpur, India (2005)
, Japan (2009) Almere
, Netherlands (2009)
See also
External links
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. It is the fifth largest after New Taipei, Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
, Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
, and Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
. It was formerly a provincial city, and in 2010, the provincial city merged with the adjacent Tainan County
Tainan County
Tainan County was located in southern Taiwan. The name "Tainan" means "Southern Taiwan". Formerly a county of the Republic of China , Tainan County was merged with Tainan City at the end of 2010 to form a single special municipality....
to form a single special municipality. Tainan faces the Taiwan Strait
Taiwan Strait
The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait, formerly known as the Black Ditch, is a 180-km-wide strait separating Mainland China and Taiwan. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to East China Sea to the northeast...
in the west and south. Tainan's complex history of comebacks, redefinitions and renewals inspired its popular nickname "City of the Phoenix."
Tainan was initially established by the Dutch VOC
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
as a ruling and trading base which called Fort Zeelandia
Fort Zeelandia (Taiwan)
Fort Zeelandia was a fortress built over ten years from 1624–1634 by the Dutch Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, in the town of Anping on the island of Formosa, present day Taiwan, during their 38-year rule over the western part of it...
during the period of Dutch rule on Taiwan. After Dutch colonists were defeated by Koxinga
Koxinga
Koxinga is the customary Western spelling of the popular appellation of Zheng Chenggong , a military leader who was born in 1624 in Hirado, Japan to Zheng Zhilong, a Chinese merchant/pirate, and his Japanese wife and died in 1662 on the island of Formosa .A Ming loyalist and the arch commander of...
in 1661, Tainan was remained as the capital of the Tungning Kingdom
Kingdom of Tungning
The Kingdom of Tungning was a government that ruled Taiwan between 1661 and 1683. A pro-Ming Dynasty state, it was founded by Koxinga after the Ming government in mainland China was replaced by the Manchu-ruled Qing Dynasty...
until 1683 and afterwards the capital of Taiwan prefecture under the rule of Qing Dynasty
Taiwan under Qing Dynasty rule
The Qing Dynasty ruled Taiwan from 1683 to 1895. The Qing court sent an army led by general Shi Lang and annexed Taiwan in 1683.-History:Qing Emperor Kangxi annexed Taiwan because he wanted to remove the remaining resistance forces against the Qing Dynasty...
until 1887, when the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
established Taipei as the new provincial capital. Tainan has been historically regarded as one of the oldest cities in Taiwan, and its former name, Tayouan , has been claimed to be the source of the name Taiwan. It is also one of Taiwan's cultural capitals, for its rich folk cultures including the famous local snack food
Taiwanese cuisine
Taiwanese cuisine has several variations. In addition to the following representative dishes from the people of Hoklo ethnicity , there are also Aboriginal, Hakka, and local derivatives of Chinese cuisines .Taiwanese cuisine itself is often associated with influences from mid to southern...
, extensively preserved Taoist rites and other living local traditions covering child birth to funeral. The city houses the first Confucian school–temple, built in 1665, the remains of the Eastern and Southern gates of the old city, and countless other historical monuments. Tainan claims more Buddhist and Taoist temples than any other city in Taiwan.
Early History
Archaeological revelations of Zuozhen people in the township of Zuozhen suggest that the Tainan region has been inhabited for at least 20,000 to 31,000 years. The SirayaSiraya
The Siraya are an indigenous people of Taiwan. The Siraya settled flat coastal plains in the southwest part of the island and corresponding sections of the east coast; the area is identified today with Tainan City and Taitung County...
tribe dominated the region around the time the first foreigners arrived. While the Sakam people of Sinkan sub-tribe inhabited in the present day city proper, other Siraya
Siraya
The Siraya are an indigenous people of Taiwan. The Siraya settled flat coastal plains in the southwest part of the island and corresponding sections of the east coast; the area is identified today with Tainan City and Taitung County...
n sub-tribes including Soelangh, Mattauw and Baccloangh inhabited in the surrounding suburbs.
By late 16th century, Chinese tradesmen and fishermen had set up several bases along the west coast of Taiwan including a sandbar across the Taijiang inner sea off the bay of Sakam. "Tayouan" (大員), meaning foreigners in Sirayan
Siraya language
Siraya is a Formosan language spoken until the end of the 19th century by the indigenous Siraya people of Taiwan. Dialects of Siraya included Taivoa and Makatao....
, was adopted by the Chinese as the name of the sandbar and later become the name of entire island – Taiwan. Slightly north of Tayouan along the shoreline near Beixianwei were Japanese tradesmen’s territories. These settlements were the bases of underground Chinese-Japanese trade.
The early Chinese and Japanese traded with the Sirayan people. They used salt and food to trade for deer hides and dried deer meat. Due to Chinese and Japanese influences, Sirayan gradually changed their culture and lifestyle. They started to use Chinese words in their language, use Japanese tantō
Tanto
A is one of the traditional Japanese swords that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The tantō dates to the Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon but evolved in design over the years to become more ornate...
in ritual events, and also migrated inland due to the expansion of newcomers. By the time the Europeans arrived, the influence of Chinese and Japanese traders and fishermen had already changed this region of the once-wild coastline.
Dutch Colony
Early Dutch colonists had attempted but failed to control MacauMacau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
and the Penghu islands. In July 1622, V.O.C.
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
admiral Cornelis Reyersz set sailed for Taiwan in search of a suitable new location to build a trading post. They established a small fort named Orange on Tayouan two years later. The fort was then expanded and renamed Fort Zeelandia
Fort Zeelandia (Taiwan)
Fort Zeelandia was a fortress built over ten years from 1624–1634 by the Dutch Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, in the town of Anping on the island of Formosa, present day Taiwan, during their 38-year rule over the western part of it...
. The settlement was initially designed as a base to attack their Spanish rivals and as a trading post between China and Batavia. Later the post became the Dutch center of trade between China, Japan and Europe.
The area surrounding Zeelandia expanded as a result of the Dutch trading post in the area. In 1625, they built a new settlement called "The Provintia" in the Sakam area as a center for an agricultural colony. Dutch laid out policies to encourage Chinese farmers to migrate to the colony to grow rice and sugar cane. The settlement at Sakam was so successful it had overtaken Batavia, already a large cultivation area, in the 1650s.
After several expeditions
Dutch pacification campaign on Formosa
The Dutch Pacification Campaign on Formosa was a series of military actions and diplomatic moves undertaken in 1635 and 1636 by Dutch colonial authorities in Formosa , aimed at subduing hostile aboriginal villages in the south-western region of the island...
and a forced occupation of the Spanish garrison in Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
, the Dutch V.O.C. became the first authority to claim control of Taiwan Island; Castle Zeelandia
Fort Zeelandia (Taiwan)
Fort Zeelandia was a fortress built over ten years from 1624–1634 by the Dutch Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, in the town of Anping on the island of Formosa, present day Taiwan, during their 38-year rule over the western part of it...
was served as the seat of government.
Several incidents, most notably the Hamada Yahee incident (which took governor Pieter Nuyts
Pieter Nuyts
Pieter Nuyts or Nuijts was a Dutch explorer, diplomat, and politician.He was part of a landmark expedition of the Dutch East India Company in 1626–27, which mapped the southern coast of Australia. He became the Dutch ambassador to Japan in 1627, and he was appointed Governor of Formosa in the same...
as hostage), made the occupation of the area difficult. This was the result of conflicts between the Japanese and the Dutch colonists. Increased Chinese settler activity also diminished the power of the Dutch authorities in the area. Stresses from heavy Dutch taxation on Chinese peasants and the Dutch soldiers' role in the plunder and collapse of Ming dynasty, eventually led to the Guo Huaiyi Rebellion
Guo Huaiyi Rebellion
The Guo Huaiyi Rebellion was a peasant revolt against Dutch rule in Taiwan which took place in 1652. Sparked by dissatisfaction with heavy Dutch taxation and extortion by low-ranking Dutch officials and servicemen, the rebellion initially gained ground before being brutally crushed by a coalition...
in 1652. Civil order was only restored after the support of the local Sinkanese, and then a new fort
Fort Provintia
Chihkan Tower , formerly Fort Provintia in West Central District, Tainan City was built in 1653 by the Dutch during their colonization of Taiwan. The fort was surrendered to Koxinga. Since 1945 the site has been known as 'Red-topped Tower'...
was built in Provintia to strengthen and maintain the defense of Dutch officials after the rebellion.
Zheng’s Regime
At the dawn of April 30, 1661, after being defeated by the Manchus in NanjingNanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, Ming loyalist Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga)
Koxinga
Koxinga is the customary Western spelling of the popular appellation of Zheng Chenggong , a military leader who was born in 1624 in Hirado, Japan to Zheng Zhilong, a Chinese merchant/pirate, and his Japanese wife and died in 1662 on the island of Formosa .A Ming loyalist and the arch commander of...
lead a fleet of 25,000 soldiers and entered Taijiang via the narrow waterway of Luermen north of Tayouan. In five days, Zheng took down the Provintia and besieged the Zeelandia
Siege of Fort Zeelandia
The Siege of Fort Zeelandia , which took place in 1661 and 1662, ended the Dutch East India Company's rule over Taiwan and began the Kingdom of Tungning's rule over the island...
. The siege dragged on for both sides into a nine month stalemate. Zheng took over Zeelandia on February 7, 1662 after a Dutch surrender.
Zheng
Koxinga
Koxinga is the customary Western spelling of the popular appellation of Zheng Chenggong , a military leader who was born in 1624 in Hirado, Japan to Zheng Zhilong, a Chinese merchant/pirate, and his Japanese wife and died in 1662 on the island of Formosa .A Ming loyalist and the arch commander of...
renamed Provintia to Dongdu
Kingdom of Tungning
The Kingdom of Tungning was a government that ruled Taiwan between 1661 and 1683. A pro-Ming Dynasty state, it was founded by Koxinga after the Ming government in mainland China was replaced by the Manchu-ruled Qing Dynasty...
(東都) or East Capital and Zeelandia to Anping. He sent his troops deep into the plain to establish agricultural settlements. Many suburbs surrounding Tainan City include in their names "Ying", "Jia", and "Tian", all derived from this event.
The city was renamed to Dongning soon after Zheng’s death
Koxinga
Koxinga is the customary Western spelling of the popular appellation of Zheng Chenggong , a military leader who was born in 1624 in Hirado, Japan to Zheng Zhilong, a Chinese merchant/pirate, and his Japanese wife and died in 1662 on the island of Formosa .A Ming loyalist and the arch commander of...
in 1662. Chen Yonghua, the civil affair minister introduced Chinese bureaucracy, built the first Confucius temple
Taiwan Confucian Temple
The Taiwan Confucian Temple is a Confucian temple on Nanmen Road in Tainan City, Taiwan. -History:The Tainan Confucius Temple, also called the Scholarly Temple was built in 1665 when Cheng Ching, son of Koxinga approved of the proposal by Chief of General Staff Chen Yung-hua to construct the...
on the island, and introduced the method of salt production to coastal areas. Chen also invited the British to set up their trading post in Anping to continue the trade relations between Japan and South East Asia, and to maintain its position as a center of trade.
Early Qing Dynasty Rule
Shi Lang
Shi Lang was a Chinese admiral who served under the Ming and Qing Dynasties. He was commander-in-chief of the Manchu fleets which destroyed the power of the Zheng family in the 1660s, and led the conquest of the Kingdom of Tungning in 1681.-Early life and career:Shi Lang was born to a...
defeated Zheng’s navy in Penghu Islands. Two days later, the fleet landed on Dongning with little resistance. In 1684 after heated discussions, the Qing decided to claim the island to keep it out of the hands of potential enemies. The Taiwan prefecture was established, and Tainan served as the prefecture city "Taiwan-fu" (臺灣府).
Under Qing legislation, building city walls was prohibited in Taiwan. In 1721, a rebellion initiated by Zhu Yiguei broke out in Tainan. The rebels took over the Prefecture City and then the entire island. The rebellion soon became a massacre between the Fujian descendents
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
and the Guangdong descendents
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
. It was only after the Qing army, who was dispatched from mainland China, intervened did the restoration of order came about the Prefecture City. After the rebellion, Qing decided to create a boundary around the city for control, by growing bamboo around the perimeter. After several rebellion outbreaks across the island, the Qing started to work on building the city wall of the Prefecture City in late 1780s.
A flood in 1823 brought rich silt from nearby rivers, which formed a widespread new fertile land across the Taijiang bay area between the Prefecture City and Anping. A canal system called "Wutiaogang" was built to keep the port in Prefecture City functioning but prevented large ships from entering the bay.
Late Qing Dynasty Rule
After 174 years of maritime restriction, the Qing reopened Anping port as part of the Tianjin treaty in 1858 followed by the establishment of the Anping Custom in 1864. Western merchants started to reside and build their trading posts in town near the remains of Fort Zeelandia.In the spring of 1874, the Japanese launched a large-scale expedition to Taiwan
Taiwan Expedition of 1874
The , usually referred to in Taiwan and mainland China as the Mudan incident , was a punitive expedition launched by the Japanese in retaliation for the murder of 54 Ryukyuan sailors by Paiwan aborigines near the southwestern tip of Taiwan in December 1871...
. Following this, the Qing sent the imperial commissioner Shen Baozhen to Taiwan to strengthen its defense. In Prefecture City, Shen made several efforts to modernize the defense including: advocating a telegraph cable link between Prefecture City and Amoy
Amoy
Xiamen, or Amoy, is a city on the southeast coast of China.Amoy may also refer to:*Amoy dialect, a dialect of the Hokkien lects, which are part of the Southern Min group of Chinese languages...
, and inviting French engineers to design the Eternal Golden Castle
Eternal Golden Castle
The Eternal Golden Castle , alternatively but less well known as Uhrkuenshen Battery , is a defensive castle in Anping, Tainan, Taiwan. The castle was built in 1874 by the famous Qing official Shen Baozhen in order to safeguard the coast and to defend the island against Japanese invasions.In 1895,...
in Erkunshen. It is notable that some parts of the castle were built using bricks demolished from Fort Zeelandia. After over 200 years of development the Prefecture City remained as the largest city in Taiwan and a Chinese city with foreign influence. The following is a description of the city by the Scottish missionary William Campbell
William Campbell (missionary)
William Campbell was a Scottish missionary to Taiwan. He wrote extensively on topics related to Taiwan and was also responsible for founding the island's first school for the blind. Interested in the early history of the island , his knowledge of the time was such that he was called "without...
in 1870s:
Taiwan became a province
Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province is one of the two administrative divisions referred to as provinces and is controlled by the Republic of China . The province covers approximately 73% of the territory controlled by the Republic of China...
in 1885 and the city was renamed to the name it bears today – Tainan prefecture(台南府). Tainan retained the status as a prefecture city while the capital of Taiwan province moved to Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
, then to Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
in 1887.
Japanese Colonial Era
As a consequence of the Chinese losing the first Sino-Japanese WarFirst Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
in 1895, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands were surrendered to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki
Treaty of Shimonoseki
The Treaty of Shimonoseki , known as the Treaty of Maguan in China, was signed at the Shunpanrō hall on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and Qing Empire of China, ending the First Sino-Japanese War. The peace conference took place from March 20 to April 17, 1895...
. After a bloody repression along the western corridor, the Japanese army arrived under the Tainan city gate on October 20, 1895. Liu Yongfu, the great general of the short-lived Republic of Formosa
Republic of Formosa
The Republic of Formosa was a short-lived republic that existed on the island of Taiwan in 1895 between the formal cession of Taiwan by the Qing Dynasty of China to the Empire of Japan by the Treaty of Shimonoseki and its invasion and occupation by Japanese troops...
fled to Amoy, and left the city under the threat of civil disarray. English missionary Thomas Barclay was chosen by local elites and foreign tradesmen to direct Japanese force to enter the city. As a result, Tainan was taken without resistance.
The Japanese
Taiwan under Japanese rule
Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was a dependency of the Empire of Japan. The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan's general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century....
established Tainanken in 1895 but soon changed to Tainanchō in 1901, then Tainanshū in 1920. Tainanshū includes today’s Yunlin
Yunlin County
Yunlin County is a county in the western part of Taiwan, the Republic of China. Yunlin is located to the right of the Taiwan Strait, the east of Nantou County and sharing a border with Changhua County divided by the Zhuoshui River. Yunlin is one of the counties of Taiwan that is part of the Chianan...
, Chiayi
Chiayi County
Chiayi County is a county in southwestern Taiwan surrounding but not including Chiayi City. Its historical name in Taiwanese Hokkien derives from Tsirosen in the Formosan languages...
, and Tainan regions. Tainan served as the capital city. The Japanese introduced modern infrastructure in Tainan, including modern schools, creating a courthouse and a city hall, extensive freight and passenger rail network based on narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
, a new Anping canal replacing Wutiaogang, new telecommunication facilities, Tainan airport, and an irrigation system
Chianan Canal
Chianan Canal is an irrigation system built for promoting the agricultural productions of Chianan Plain of Taiwan. The name "chia-nan" was derived from two place names among its surrounding area called Chiayi and Tainan...
across the Tainan and Chiayi regions. Modern urban designs were also introduced; old narrow streets and city walls were demolished, replaced with wide streets that formed the cityscape of the modern day Tainan city center.
On April 9, 1915, the Xilaian incident
Ta-pa-ni Incident
The Ta-pa-ni Incident was one of the largest armed uprisings against Japanese rule in Taiwan. Alternative names used to refer to the incident include the , after Silai Temple where the revolt began, or the Yu Ching-fang Incident, after the leader Yu Qingfang.-Consequences:Modern Taiwanese...
broke out in Yujing
Yujing, Tainan
Yujing is a rural district in eastern Tainan City, Taiwan. It is famous for its cultivation of mangoes.After a 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit southern Taiwan in March 2010, pillars were severely damaged at Yujing Junior High School forcing school officials to cancel some classes.* Area: 76.3662 km²*...
near Tainan. The leader, Yu Qingfang, launched a revolution to establish a Taiwanese nation. The revolution spread across the island, of which both Chinese and indigenous Taiwanese participated. The Japanese sent heavily armed troops to repress the event. The repression soon became a large scale massacre which eliminated many rural villages and thousands of people were killed during the repression, most being innocent villagers. Yu Qingfang was caught on August 22, 1915; more than 800 people were sentenced to death in Tainan court. Over 100 of them were executed and the birthplace of the rebellion, Xilai Temple in Tainan, was demolished. The Xilaian incident was the largest uprising in the history of Japanese colonial rule in Taiwan.
Post War and Republic of China
The Republic of ChinaRepublic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(ROC) took over the island in 1945 after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Tainan City and Tainan County became separate local entities under Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province is one of the two administrative divisions referred to as provinces and is controlled by the Republic of China . The province covers approximately 73% of the territory controlled by the Republic of China...
in 1946. The 228 Incident
228 Incident
The 228 Incident, also known as the 228 Massacre, was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan that began on February 27, 1947, and was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang government. Estimates of the number of deaths vary from 10,000 to 30,000 or more...
broke out on February 28, 1947 in Taipei following widespread civil unrest. Thng Tek-chiong (pinyin: Tang Dezhang), a Taiwanese lawyer and a member of government which set up "The 228 Incident Commission", was arrested by the ROC army on March 11. Claiming him as a separatist and after being questioned and tortured overnight the Chinese executed him the next day in the park in front of Tainan City Hall (now named Tang Dezhang Memorial Park). Tang was pronounced not guilty by court later in March. Like other regions in Taiwan, many political activists in Tainan suffered from KMT repression during this autocratic era
White Terror (Taiwan)
In Taiwan, the White Terror describes the suppression of political dissidents, as well as public discussion of the 228 Incident in Taiwan under the period of martial law, which lasted from May 19 1949 to July 15 1987, 38 years, and 57 days...
.
Tainan held its first councilor and mayoral election in 1950. On March 19, 2004
3-19 shooting incident
The 3-19 shooting incident was an assassination attempt on President Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Annette Lu while they were campaigning in Tainan on March 19, 2004, the day before Taiwan's presidential election...
, President Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
was shot in Tainan during his campaign for a new term in office. The city has been a major center for pro-independent movement since the Japanese rule. On October 21, 2008, Chinese ARATS Vice President Zhang Mingqing
Zhang Mingqing
Zhang Mingqing is, as of 2008, the vice chairperson of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits .On a visit to Taiwan in October 2008, Zhang was attacked by pro-independence protesters in Tainan . There was a scuffle during which he was pushed to the ground. The assault was filmed...
was injured when he encountered protestors in Tainan Confucius Temple.
During the second half of 20th century, the city grew into a metropolis with over 1 million inhabitants.
Culture
Tainan claims its name as one of the Taiwanese cultural capitals for its abundant historic monument and citizen lifestyle. The city is dotted by Taoist temples, Buddhist temples as well as churches. Many of them are among the oldest on Taiwan Island. The city also has its own unique traditions and cuisines developed by Chinese frontiers over its long history.Folk cultures
The lives of Tainan citizens are closely related to many Chinese gods and temples. Parents bring their children to Qiniangma, the children’s goddess, to wish for good will. Traditionally Chinese people step into adulthood when they are 16. In Tainan there is a big ritual celebration for all 16-year-olds on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, Qiniangma’s birthday. This extended celebration is unique to Tainan: In the past, families with children working in the harbor took the advantage of this ceremony to show the employers that their children should be paid in adult rate after this day.Before any form of exam people would visit the Wenchangdijun, the literacy god, to pray for good luck. One of the Wenchang temples is on the top floor of the Chikanlou
Fort Provintia
Chihkan Tower , formerly Fort Provintia in West Central District, Tainan City was built in 1653 by the Dutch during their colonization of Taiwan. The fort was surrendered to Koxinga. Since 1945 the site has been known as 'Red-topped Tower'...
. Many final year high school students preparing for university exams visit the temple in June, before the exam. Those asking for marriage would visit Yuelao, the god for marriages. People also visit temples for many reasons, from simply praying for good luck to celebrating god’s birthday to even consulting with the other world.
A wedding ceremony in Tainan is a series of complex process where perfection will be asked in every detail. Both groom and bride need to prepare 12 specific gifts representing different meanings during their engagement ceremony with more to come in the wedding. People believe this complexity is a sign of being civilized.
Anping residents use a special symbol called Sword Lion to keep bad spirits away. During Zheng’s regime, Anping was a main naval station of Koxinga. When returning home from military drills, soldiers would put lion-face shields on the main gates of their houses and insert their swords crosswise in the lion’s mouth. Locals learned this and incorporate this symbol into the design of their houses as a symbol of security.
Tainan cuisine
Many well known Taiwanese cuisineTaiwanese cuisine
Taiwanese cuisine has several variations. In addition to the following representative dishes from the people of Hoklo ethnicity , there are also Aboriginal, Hakka, and local derivatives of Chinese cuisines .Taiwanese cuisine itself is often associated with influences from mid to southern...
s originated from Tainan. Tainan was a center for sugar production industry. As a result Tainan cuisines tend to be sweeter compared to other Taiwanese cuisines. Milkfish
Milkfish
The milkfish is the sole living species in the family Chanidae. - Description and biology :...
cuisines are very popular in Tainan where locals also call it Guóxìngyú or Koxinga’s fish. People believe the Chinese name of the fish was given by Koxinga. The fish are bred in the farms located in the outskirt coastal areas of the city. Many Tainan restaurants and snack stands have a history that traces back to Qing Dynasty or Japanese colonial era.
Temples
The seven Buddhist temples are:
- Kaiyuen Temple, originally the royal gardens of the Tungning KingdomKingdom of TungningThe Kingdom of Tungning was a government that ruled Taiwan between 1661 and 1683. A pro-Ming Dynasty state, it was founded by Koxinga after the Ming government in mainland China was replaced by the Manchu-ruled Qing Dynasty...
, became a Buddhist temple in 1690. - Zhuxi Temple, founded in the Tungning Kingdom period.
- Fahua Temple, founded in the Tungning Kingdom period.
- Mituo Temple, founded in the Tungning Kingdom period.
- Longshan Temple, founded in the Qing Dynasty.
- Chongqing Temple, founded in the Qing Dynasty.
- Huangbo Temple, founded in the Qing Dynasty but demolished by the Japanese. The worshiped statues were migrated to the Altar of Heaven temple.
The eight Taoist shrines are:
- Datianhou Gong (大天后宮), the Grand Sea Goddess temple. Originally the residence of the King Ningjing of the Tungning KingdomKingdom of TungningThe Kingdom of Tungning was a government that ruled Taiwan between 1661 and 1683. A pro-Ming Dynasty state, it was founded by Koxinga after the Ming government in mainland China was replaced by the Manchu-ruled Qing Dynasty...
. - Sidian Wumiao (祀典武廟), the Official God of War temple, built in 1665.
- Dongyue Dian (東嶽殿), the God of Hell temple, built in 1673.
- Fuchenghuang Miao (府城隍廟), the temple of the Prefecture City God, built in 1669.
- Longwang Miao (龍王廟), the shrine of the East Sea Dragon God, built in 1716 but demolished by the Japanese.
- Fengshen Miao (風神廟), the Wind God temple, built in 1739. It is the only Wind God temple on Taiwan Island.
- Yaowang Miao (藥王廟), the Medicine God temple, built in 1685.
- Shuixian Gong (水仙宮), the Water Gods temple, built in Qing Dynasty after Wutiaogang was constructed.
There are many other well-known temples and shrines not on this list, such as the Altar of Heaven temple (天壇) and the re-built Xilai temple (西來庵) etc. They are all the centers of religion in Tainan.
Due to its abundant numbers of temples and shrines, the traditional temple decoration crafters and their business flourishes in Tainan. There are masters still passing their knowledge to maintain the temples in the traditional way.
Music
Nanyin and Shisanyin were the first Chinese music families to introduce to Tainan; Nanyin is performed mostly for entertainment while Shisanyin is performed in the Confucius worship ceremony. There are two Nanyin clubs in Tainan: Zhenshengshe, a 200-year-old club once dissolved in the 1980s for ten years and Nanshengshe, a 95-year-old club performing globally.Music performance is being promoted in Tainan. Tainan City has its own Chinese orchestra and symphony orchestra. There are also private performance groups such as Chimei Mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
Performance Group, Chimei Philharmonic Orchestra and Chang Jung Christianity University Symphony Orchestra.
Ten Drum Art Percussion Group (十鼓擊樂團) is a percussion performance group established in the year 2000. The group is dedicated in producing percussion performances that highlights the history, the culture and the image of Taiwan. The group first performed internationally in the festivals during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Following this event, the group has performed in many occasions both internationally and domestically. The group has its own campus located in an old sugar factory in Rende District. The campus provides education on percussion performances at all levels and regular performances to general public.
Museums and parks
On top of its plentiful living culture, Tainan host several museums and parks. The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is in the former city hall; National Museum of Taiwan History is in the Annan district; Chimei Museum is in the Rende district; Taijiang National Park follows the coast; Anping Historic Scenic Park includes the entire old Anping town and the north ward of Anping harbor; and Siraya National Scenic Area includes the Wushantou reservoir built by Yoichi Hatta. In the city center, many historic monuments from Zheng’s regime, Qing dynasty, and the Japanese colonial era are preserved including the Confucius temple, two major city gates and former city hall.Tourism
Tainan is a tangible sense of history and pleasing city, which is the site of several spectacular religious festivals. As well as its string of forts, the first capital of Taiwan has some 300 ancient sanctuaries, from the island's first Confucian temple to its first Taoist temple.Taiwan Confucian Temple
The Taiwan Confucius Temple, also called the Scholarly Temple was built in 1665 when Cheng Ching,son of Koxinga so as to offer lectures and cultivate intellectuals. It was the first learning institute of children when Taiwan was ruled by Qing DynastyTaiwan under Qing Dynasty rule
The Qing Dynasty ruled Taiwan from 1683 to 1895. The Qing court sent an army led by general Shi Lang and annexed Taiwan in 1683.-History:Qing Emperor Kangxi annexed Taiwan because he wanted to remove the remaining resistance forces against the Qing Dynasty...
.As the result, it is also called the First Academy of Taiwan.
The Confucian temple serves as a popular tourist attraction and also preserves ancient Confucian ceremonies, which are conducted on a regular basis. The temple also includes storerooms for the ritual implements and musical instruments that are used in these ceremonies.
National Museum of Taiwan History
The Museum is located in Annan District,The construction of the Exhibition and Education Building began in 2005, and opened in 29 October 2011.The main objectives of this museum are included collection, categorization, preservation, research, exhibition, education and promotion of artifacts related to Taiwan’s history and culture. Visitors will also be able to learn and understand more about the history and culture of Taiwan through the exhibitions and educational activities of the Museum.National Museum of Taiwan Literature
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature researches, catalogs, preserves, and exhibits local literary artifacts. As part of its multilingual, multi-ethnic focus. The museum is housed in the former Tainan City Hall constructd in 1916,as Tainan was also famous for its historical significance.Fort Provintia
Formerly Fort ProvintiaFort Provintia
Chihkan Tower , formerly Fort Provintia in West Central District, Tainan City was built in 1653 by the Dutch during their colonization of Taiwan. The fort was surrendered to Koxinga. Since 1945 the site has been known as 'Red-topped Tower'...
,was built in 1653 by the Dutch during their colonization of Taiwan. The fort was surrendered to Koxinga. Since 1945 the site has been known as 'Red-topped Tower' (Chihkan Tower). This name derives from the Taiwanese aboriginal word Chakam.
In addition to the site's architectural and artistic significance, its library of dictionaries and business transactions documents the Siraya language spoken by the native inhabitants of the region during Dutch rule.
Shopping and Recreation
As Tainan is the one of Metropolitan areas in Taiwan, it have lots of department stores,shopping mall and prestigious boutiques.Several world's luxury brands have branches or counters in Tainan.To enjoy the lifestyle of Taiwanese, Flower Night Market is good place to visit.It is known as the one of famous night markets
Night markets in Taiwan
Night markets in Taiwan are street markets in Taiwan that operate in urban or suburban areas. They are similar to those in areas inhabited by ethnic Chinese, such as Southeast Asia...
and it is often considered to be the largest night markets of Taiwan, but unlike the others, the night market is open for business three days a week.(Thursday, Saturday and Sunday)
Bee hives
In Yanshui District,the most important prominent fireworks in Lantern FestivalLantern Festival
The Lantern Festival ; is a festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar year in the Chinese calendar, the last day...
are the so-called "bee hives", essentially multiple launchers of bottle rockets. These rocket forts are actually thousands of bottle rockets arranged row atop row in an iron-and-wooden framework. The setup looks like a beehive full of unleashed gunpowder. When the contraption is ignited, rockets shoot out rapidly in all directions. Dazzling explosives whiz and whirl across the sky and often into the crowd itself, both thrilling and intimidating the spectators.
Climate
Tainan has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
that borders on a tropical wet and dry climate. The city is characterized by year-round high relative humidity
Relative humidity
Relative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
and temperatures (although temperatures do dip somewhat in the winter months), with a rainy season (April to September) and a dry season (October to March).
The Great Cross Street
Earliest form of the city was designed by Dutch colonist. Cornelis Jansz. Plockhoy, the designer of this new settlement laid a 25-30m wide main street (on today’s Minquan Rd Sec. 2) across the settlement and radial roads run deep into agricultural developments . Han Chinese settlement “Heliaogang Jie” (today’s Zhongyi Rd) later crosses the main street of Provintia and formed the so called Shizi Dajie (十字大街) or The Great Cross Street.Japanese Redevelopment Program
The foundation of the cityscape of Tainan today was laid under the urban redevelopment programs carried out by Japanese colonial government. The city center adopts a Haussmann's approachHaussmann's renovation of Paris
Haussmann's Renovation of Paris, or the Haussmann Plan, was a modernization program of Paris commissioned by Napoléon III and led by the Seine prefect, Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, between 1853 and 1870...
, the plan connected major facilities via a system of wide streets and five square-roundabouts. Among the five squares, Tang Dezhang memorial park at the center is the most important crossing point, it connects the old city government with the train station, the airport, military bases and the dock at the end of the Anping cannel. A road corridor from old Anping also terminates here. Many historic monuments and major temples are located within the area bounded by the other four squares, including Chikanlou (former Castle Provintia) and the Confucius Temple.
Three Ring Belts
A three-belt system was adopted by the provincial city official : the green boulevard ring, the blue belt Anping cannel and the Zhonghua road system. The green boulevard ring system connects the Shuipingwen Park to the west, Tainan Park to the north, NCKUNational Cheng Kung University
National Cheng Kung University is a national university in Tainan City, Taiwan. Its abbreviation is NCKU. In Chinese, its name is shortened to 成大...
to the east and the Athletic park complex to the south. The Anping cannel blue belt divides the Fifth Redevelopment Area or New Anping from the rest of the city to form an artificial island. Zhonghua Rd system is an arterial road system, the system now connects major new development areas surrounding old city center. In contrast to the low rise old city center, many high rise buildings are built along these three rings.
The River South Region
Beyond the city center, Tainan city can be divided into two regions: the River South Region and the River North Region bounded by the Zengwen River.River South Region belongs to the Tainan metropolitan area. Satellite towns spread across the region in a radial pattern from the city center. Southern Taiwan Science Park
Southern Taiwan Science Park
Southern Taiwan Science Park is an industrial park established by the government of Taiwan. It consists of Tainan Science Park and Kaohsiung Science Park, covering and , respectively.-Overview:...
Tainan campus
Tainan Science Park
Tainan Science Park of Taiwan is located in Xinshi, Shanhua and Anding Districts of Tainan City with a total area of , and is a part of the Southern Taiwan Science Park .-History:...
is located at the north of the region. According to the Council for Economic Planning and Development
Council for Economic Planning and Development
Council for Economic Planning and Development is a government agency responsible for drafting overall plans for national economic development in the Free Area of the Republic of China. It also assesses development projects, proposals and programmes submitted to the Executive Yuan...
, this region is designated to grow further into suburban sprawl.
The River North Region
This region is one of the major agricultural centers in Taiwan. There are several regional centers; some of them are just as old as Tainan city. These centers are: Xinying, Yujing, Jiali and Madou.Xinying was the seat of the former Tainan County Government and currently serve as the administration center for the region. Yujing is a regional center for the low hills districts east to the city; it is famous for its mango and was the scene of the Xilaian (Ta-pa-ni) Incident
Ta-pa-ni Incident
The Ta-pa-ni Incident was one of the largest armed uprisings against Japanese rule in Taiwan. Alternative names used to refer to the incident include the , after Silai Temple where the revolt began, or the Yu Ching-fang Incident, after the leader Yu Qingfang.-Consequences:Modern Taiwanese...
. Jiali is the regional center of the coastal Tainan. It was the base of the Soelangh sub-tribe. Near the bank of the Zengwen River, Madou is the regional center of the lower plain area bears the name of the river. The town was home to the Mattauw sub-tribe.
Politics
Government
Tainan City is a special municipality, which is the highest level local government under Local Government Law of Republic of ChinaRepublic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
. Technically it is at the same level as Province, although Province is being streamlined. The city is led by the elected city mayor and supervised by the city council. Its subdivisions qu or districts do not have the autonomy power, instead they are administration units only. Further to the citywide election, there are urban villages (里 li) and neighborhood (鄰 lin) functioning as primary local autonomy entity.
Currently there are two administration centers, one in Anping District and another in Xinying District. They are former Provincial Tainan city government and Tainan county government respectively. Administration centers manages city wide affairs and developments such as education and city planning. Apart from administration centers, there are district offices functioning as local access point to the governmental services.
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Elections
The city has generally been seen as a powerbase for the Democratic Progressive PartyDemocratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
, especially in nationwide elections. Before the merger, the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
(KMT) have always had more seats in the provincial Tainan city council. In the most recent presidential elections (2008), a narrow majority of the provincial city's residents voted for the eventual winner, Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman...
of the Kuomintang. On the other hand, Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
always dominated former Tainan county. In the most recent municipal election, DPP dominated the political demographics of the city.
2001 Mayoral elections
Hsu Tain-Tsair
Hsu Tain-tsair
Hsu Tain-tsair , a Taiwanese politician, served as the mayor of Tainan City from 2001 to 2010. Born in Tainan County , Hsu got his PhD candidacy in economics in the United States, where he started participating in the independence movement of Taiwan...
of the Democratic Progressive Party was elected with 43.23% of the vote. His closest rival was the Kuomintang legislator Chen Rong-sheng, who garnered 37.40%.
2005 Mayoral elections
In 2005 Mayor Hsu was re-elected, polling 45.65% to Chen Rong-sheng's 41.40%.
Presidential elections
A majority of city residents have voted for the winning candidates in every presidential election since the position was first chosen by popular vote in 1996.1996 Presidential election
In common with every other city and county in the Republic of China, with the exception of Nantou
Nantou City
Nantou City is located in the northwest of Nantou County, Taiwan, Republic of China. It lies between the Bagua Mountains and the Maoluo River and is the seat of Nantou County. Freeway No. 3 serves Nantou City...
, a majority of Tainan residents voted for eventual winner Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui is a politician of the Republic of China . He was the 7th, 8th, and 9th-term President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000. He presided over major advancements in democratic reforms including his own re-election which marked the first direct...
and vice-president Lien Chan
Lien Chan
Lien Chan is a politician in Taiwan. He was Premier of the Republic of China from 1993 to 1997, Vice President of the Republic of China from 1996 to 2000, and was the Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2000 to 2005...
.
2000 Presidential election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| President | Vice president | ||||
| Independent | James Soong James Soong James Soong Chu-yu , is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. He founded and chairs the People First Party, a smaller and more conservative party in the Kuomintang -led Pan-Blue Coalition.... |
Chang Chau-hsiung Chang Chau-hsiung Chang Chau-hsiung is the vice-chairman of People First Party of the Republic of China since 2000.Born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Empire of Japan, Chang was a physician who graduated from National Taiwan University with an MD in 1967. He worked in the university hospital as a part-time attending... |
114,299 | 27.53% | |
| Kuomintang Kuomintang The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused... |
Lien Chan Lien Chan Lien Chan is a politician in Taiwan. He was Premier of the Republic of China from 1993 to 1997, Vice President of the Republic of China from 1996 to 2000, and was the Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2000 to 2005... |
Vincent Siew Vincent Siew Vincent C. Siew Wan-chang is the incumbent Vice President of the Republic of China. He was the first Taiwanese-born Premier of the Republic of China and former vice-chairman of the Kuomintang .-Biography:... |
107,679 | 25.93% | |
| New Party | Li Ao Li Ao Li Ao , is a writer, social commentator, historian, and independent politician in the Republic of China .He is considered by many to be one of the most important modern Chinese essayists today, although critics have termed him an intellectual narcissist... |
Elmer Fung Elmer Fung Elmer Hu-hsiang Fung was a member of the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China on Taiwan between 1999 and 2002.-Biography:Fung earned a Ph.D... |
580 | 0.14% | |
| Independent | Hsu Hsin-liang Hsu Hsin-liang Hsu Hsin-liang is a Taiwanese politician, formerly Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party . He was a supporter of the Pan-Blue Coalition from 2000 to 2008 but then supported the DPP in the 2008 presidential election.-Biography:... |
Josephine Chu | 1,408 | 0.34% | |
| Democratic Progressive Party Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,... |
Chen Shui-bian Chen Shui-bian Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan... |
Annette Lu Annette Lu Annette Lu Hsiu-lien , was the Vice President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008, under Chen Shui-bian. She announced her intentions to run for President of Taiwan on March 6, 2007, but withdrew in order to support DPP presidential nominee, Frank Hsieh... |
191,261 | 45.06% | |
2004 Presidential election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| President | Vice president | ||||
| Democratic Progressive Party Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,... |
Chen Shui-bian Chen Shui-bian Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan... |
Annette Lu Annette Lu Annette Lu Hsiu-lien , was the Vice President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008, under Chen Shui-bian. She announced her intentions to run for President of Taiwan on March 6, 2007, but withdrew in order to support DPP presidential nominee, Frank Hsieh... |
251,397 | 57.77% | |
| Kuomintang Kuomintang The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused... |
Lien Chan Lien Chan Lien Chan is a politician in Taiwan. He was Premier of the Republic of China from 1993 to 1997, Vice President of the Republic of China from 1996 to 2000, and was the Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2000 to 2005... |
James Soong James Soong James Soong Chu-yu , is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. He founded and chairs the People First Party, a smaller and more conservative party in the Kuomintang -led Pan-Blue Coalition.... |
183,786 | 42.23% | |
2008 Presidential election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| President | Vice president | ||||
| Democratic Progressive Party Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,... |
Frank Hsieh Frank Hsieh Frank Hsieh Chang-ting is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party in the Republic of China. He was the mayor of Kaohsiung City until his appointment as President of the Executive Yuan by president Chen Shui-bian on February 1, 2005. He announced his resignation from the post of... |
Su Tseng-chang Su Tseng-chang Su Tseng-chang is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party. He is the former Premier of the Republic of China. Su actively campaigned for the Presidential nomination of the DPP, but finished second to Frank Hsieh in the nomination process... |
216,815 | 49.29% | |
| Kuomintang Kuomintang The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused... |
Ma Ying-jeou Ma Ying-jeou Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman... |
Vincent Siew Vincent Siew Vincent C. Siew Wan-chang is the incumbent Vice President of the Republic of China. He was the first Taiwanese-born Premier of the Republic of China and former vice-chairman of the Kuomintang .-Biography:... |
223,034 | 50.71% | |
Administrative districts
Tainan has 37 districts (區 qu):| Name | Hanzi Chinese character Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages... |
Population (2010) | Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anping District | 安平區 | 62,520 | 11.0663 |
| Annan District | 安南區 | 177,960 | 107.2016 |
| East District East District, Tainan East District is a district located in Tainan City, Republic of China .... |
東區 | 194,608 | 14.4281 |
| West Central District | 中西區 | 79,286 | 6.2600 |
| South District South District, Tainan South District is a district located in Tainan City, Republic of China .... |
南區 | 126,293 | 27.2681 |
| North District North District, Tainan North District is a district located in Tainan City, Republic of China .... |
北區 | 131,939 | 10.4340 |
| Xinying District | 新營區 | 78,155 | 38.5386 |
| Yongkang District | 永康區 | 217,194 | 40.275 |
| Baihe District | 白河區 | 31,514 | 126.4046 |
| Jiali District | 佳里區 | 59,290 | 38.9422 |
| Madou District | 麻豆區 | 45,953 | 53.9744 |
| Shanhua District | 善化區 | 43,443 | 55.309 |
| Xinhua District | 新化區 | 44,116 | 62.0579 |
| Xuejia District | 學甲區 | 27,943 | 53.9919 |
| Yanshui District | 鹽水區 | 27,220 | 52.2455 |
| Anding District | 安定區 | 30,200 | 31.2700 |
| Beimen District | 北門區 | 12,504 | 44.1003 |
| Danei District | 大內區 | 10,903 | 70.3125 |
| Dongshan District | 東山區 | 23,182 | 124.91 |
| Guanmiao District | 關廟區 | 36,109 | 53.6413 |
| Guantian District | 官田區 | 22,284 | 70.7953 |
| Guiren District | 歸仁區 | 65,816 | 55.7913 |
| Houbi District | 後壁區 | 26,002 | 71.2189 |
| Jiangjun District | 將軍區 | 21,633 | 41.9796 |
| Liujia District | 六甲區 | 23,787 | 64.5471 |
| Liuying District | 柳營區 | 22,746 | 61.2929 |
| Longqi District | 龍崎區 | 4,395 | 64.0814 |
| Nanhua District | 南化區 | 8,919 | 171.5198 |
| Nanxi District | 楠西區 | 10,687 | 109.6316 |
| Qigu District | 七股區 | 24,857 | 110.1492 |
| Rende District | 仁德區 | 69,228 | 50.7664 |
| Shanshang District | 山上區 | 7,912 | 27.8780 |
| Xiaying District | 下營區 | 26,165 | 33.5291 |
| Xigang District | 西港區 | 25,242 | 33.7666 |
| Xinshi District | 新市區 | 34,794 | 47.8096 |
| Yujing District | 玉井區 | 15,442 | 76.366 |
| Zuozhen District | 左鎮區 | 5,531 | 74.9025 |
Annan District was originally the An-Shun township of Tainan County, but was merged into Tainan City in 1946. In 2004, Central District and West District were merged into the new West Central district.
Economy
Once relied on traditional manufacturing industry, the approval of Southern Taiwan Science Park
Southern Taiwan Science Park
Southern Taiwan Science Park is an industrial park established by the government of Taiwan. It consists of Tainan Science Park and Kaohsiung Science Park, covering and , respectively.-Overview:...
in 1995 transformed the region into a major high-tech industrial hub. Optoelectronics, integrated circuits, green energy and biotechnology are the dominant industry in the park; prominent companies are Chimei-Innolux Corp., United Microelectronics Corp.
United Microelectronics Corporation
UMC was founded as Taiwan's first semiconductor company in 1980 as a spin-off of the government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute .-Overview:...
and TSMC
TSMC
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Limited or TSMC is the world's largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry, with its headquarters and main operations located in the Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan.-Overview:...
. With the establishment of Tainan Technology Park, Shugu (Tree Valley) LCD Park and Yonkang Technology Park, the city now becomes a major center for optoelectronics industry in Taiwan with a completed supply chain. Tainan also plays an important role on Auto parts, food processing, textile, plastics and other traditional manufacturing. Most notable companies including the Uni-president Corp.
Uni-President Enterprises Corporation
Uni-President Enterprises Corporation is an international food conglomerate based in Tainan, Taiwan. It is the largest food production company in Taiwan as well as Asia, and has a significant market share in dairy product, foods and snacks, and beverages markets. It is also responsible for...
, Chimei Corp. and Tainan Spinning Ltd., of which they also headquarters in the city. Overall, industrial production accounts for 62.6% of the gross city product in 2010.
Agriculture is important to the city especially the River North Region. While fishery and fish farming signifies the coastal districts, rice and fruit farms shaped the landscape of the inland agriculture region. The city is famous for its milkfish, oyster, rice, mango, sugar cane, pomelo (文旦), pineapple and lotus seed. Once a dominant industry, salt and sugar production are now declined to almost non-existence. Taiyen (Taiwan salt) co. and Taiwan Sugar Corp., both headquartered in Tainan, now transformed to businesses in biotechnology, quality agriculture, retail and tourism. Among those businesses, orchid farming is the most symbolic for its well known brand name in the floristry world. A nationally founded special plantation district is established with R&D resources in Houbi district.
Tourism is an industry with increasing importance. As the first capital of Taiwan, the wealth resource of cultural heritages and its potential is currently under exploration. In 2010, there are 3.5 million tourist visitors to the city, mostly domestic. There are several high class hotels in the city, including the Shangri-la Hotel near Tainan train station.
Retail and services is the largest employment sector in Tainan, margined at 52% in 2010. Currently the city hosts two Shin Kong-Mitsukoshi department stores and two Far-eastern department stores in the West-Central district. Also there are several shopping precinct around the city, with the strongest presence in East, North and Yongkang districts.
Rail
Tainan StationTainan Station
Tainan Station is a railway station of the Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line located in the East District, Tainan City, Taiwan...
is a major stop on the Taiwan Railway Administration
Taiwan Railway Administration
The Taiwan Railway Administration is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China responsible for managing, maintaining, and running passenger and freight service on 1097 km of conventional railroad lines in Taiwan...
Western Line, with direct connections to Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
, Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
, Hsinchu
Hsinchu
Hsinchu City is a city in northern Taiwan. Hsinchu is popularly nicknamed "The Windy City" for its windy climate.Hsinchu City is administered as a special municipality within Taiwan . The city is bordered by Hsinchu County to the north and east, Miaoli County to the south, and the Taiwan Strait...
, and Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
. There are also local trains to reach closer destinations.
Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail line that runs approximately along the west coast of the Republic of China from the national capital of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung...
Tainan Station
THSR Tainan Station
THSR Tainan Station is a Taiwan High Speed Rail station located in Guiren District, Tainan City, Taiwan. In addition to busing ,passengers can arrive downtown or Southern Taiwan Science Park by Shalun Station closed to the station .-Overview:The station is an elevated structure with two side...
is located just outside the city center, in Gueiren district. The service is accessible to the city center via two connection bus lines, the TRA Shalun Line
Shalun Line
The Shalun Line is a branch line of the Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line in Tainan City, Taiwan. It was built to link the Western Line to the Taiwan High Speed Rail Tainan Station, speeding up transit times between downtown Tainan and the THSR station, with services running from Nanke...
and the express way line 86. Using the High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail line that runs approximately along the west coast of the Republic of China from the national capital of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung...
system passengers can reach Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
in under ninety minutes.
Mass Rapid Transit
There have been muted plans for a Tainan MRT system. However, there has not been any progress on the issue for several years.To improve connections with the HSR station and reduce the outlay for an MRT system, a new rail branch line was opened in 2011 (the Shalun Line
Shalun Line
The Shalun Line is a branch line of the Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line in Tainan City, Taiwan. It was built to link the Western Line to the Taiwan High Speed Rail Tainan Station, speeding up transit times between downtown Tainan and the THSR station, with services running from Nanke...
), and some new train stations are also planned to be added in the future.
Road
National Highway Nos. 1National Highway No. 1 (Taiwan)
National Highway No. 1 is the first freeway in Taiwan. It begins in Keelung City at the intersection of Ziao 2nd Road and Jhong 4th Road and ends in Kaohsiung City at the intersection of Jhongshan 4th Road and Yugang Road, giving it a total length of 372.8 km...
and 3
National Highway No. 3 (Taiwan)
National Highway No. 3 is the second North-South freeway in Taiwan. It begins in Keelung City at Jijin Interchange on the Provincial Highway No. 2 and ends in Linbian, Pingtung on the Provincial Highway No. 17....
run close by and connect via local highways to the city itself. Tainan City has a total of 142.9 km of highways, including national, local, and rural highways.
Air
Tainan AirportTainan Airport
Tainan Airport is a commercial airport located in South District, Tainan City, Taiwan. It is shared with Republic of China Air Force Tainan AFB. In January 2011, the Civil Aeronautics Administration approved the airport to handle international flights in the future.It is the third busiest...
is located in the South District
South District, Tainan
South District is a district located in Tainan City, Republic of China ....
of the city. It is a domestic airport, currently operating flights to Kinmen
Kinmen
Kinmen , also known as Quemoy , is a small archipelago of several islands administered by the Republic of China : Greater Kinmen, Lesser Kinmen, and some islets. Administratively, it is Kinmen County of Fujian Province, ROC. The county is claimed by the People's Republic of China as part of its...
and Makung
Makung
Makung is the county seat of Penghu, in Taiwan Province, Taiwan . Makung is on the western part of the main Penghu Island....
. Previously there were also services to Taipei's Songshan Airport
Taipei Songshan Airport
Taipei Songshan Airport or Taipei Sungshan Airport is a midsize commercial airport and military airbase located in Songshan, Taipei, Taiwan...
, but these were dropped in light of falling revenues (generally agreed to be a result of the High Speed Rail commencing operation and rising fuel costs).
Education
- National University of TainanNational University of TainanThe National University of Tainan was founded in 1898.- External links :*...
(國立臺南大學) NUTN used to be the Institute of Teachers' In-service Education in 1988, promoted and renamed National Tainan Teachers College in 1991. In 2004, it was established as National University of Tainan until now. The motto of NUTN includes benevolence, intelligence, sincerity and uprightness. - National Cheng Kung UniversityNational Cheng Kung UniversityNational Cheng Kung University is a national university in Tainan City, Taiwan. Its abbreviation is NCKU. In Chinese, its name is shortened to 成大...
(國立成功大學), one of the leading universities in Taiwan, is located in the East District. It is famous for its engineering programs. In 1931, NCKU was established as Tainan Technical College, located on the present Cheng-Kung Campus, with a total area of 183,000 square metres. As the number of colleges expanded, it was upgraded to a provincial university in 1956, then national university in 1971. Today, National Cheng Kung University serves nearly 21,000 students through 9 colleges, 39 departments, and 49 graduate institutes. - Tainan National University of the ArtsTainan National University of the ArtsTainan National University of the Arts is an arts university in Guantian District, Tainan City, Taiwan. The campus is set in countryside and beside the campus there is a reservoir...
(國立臺南藝術大學) TNNUA exists to prepare talented individuals for careers in visual and performing arts, sound and image design, building arts, conservation arts, and art history and critique. The university emphasizes learning through individual attention and independent work creation. It is a public institution first established in 1996. - Tainan Theological College and SeminaryTainan Theological College and SeminaryTainan Theological College and Seminary is a private Presbyterian educational institution in Tainan City, Taiwan. Founded in 1876 by Thomas Barclay, a missionary from Scotland, the seminary is still in operation today.-References:...
(臺南神學院) was established in 1876 by Thomas Barclay. - Chang Jung Christian UniversityChang Jung Christian UniversityChang Jung Christian University is a privately funded, research-intensive, Presbyterian, co-educational university located in Tainan, Republic of China...
is a private university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan. CJU offers masters and doctoral degree programs and aims to promote fraternity, justice, and service for Taiwan. It is located south of the city, in Gueiren. - Southern Taiwan University of TechnologySouthern Taiwan University of Technology-Presidents:*President Shin Wen-Bing *President Chang Hsin-Hsiung *President Tai Chein -Motto:The university's motto is Trust, justice, sincerity, honesty....
(南台科技大學), founded in 1969, is located near the northeastern border of Tainan City, within a 30-minute driving distance from the Tainan Airport. - The Tainan University of TechnologyTainan University of TechnologyThe Tainan University of Technology , also known as Tainan Tech , is a private university serving approximately 10,000 students in the Tainan metropolitan area in southern Taiwan...
(臺南應用科技大學) is a private university founded in 1964. The university offers graduate degrees in music, visual art, and applied sciences.
Senior high schools
Public- National Tainan First Senior High SchoolNational Tainan First Senior High SchoolNational Tainan First Senior High School is a public senior high school in Tainan City, Taiwan. The school was established in 1922. It is often considered one of the most prestigious high schools in Taiwan, usually only accepting students who rank in the top 3 percentile of the Taiwan Basic...
- National Tainan Second Senior High SchoolNational Tainan Second Senior High SchoolNational Tainan Second Senior High School , located in the North District of Tainan City, was established in May, 1914, during the period of Japanese colonial control and it was the first senior high school in middle and southern Taiwan. The school is one of the most prestigious high schools in...
- National Tainan Girls' Senior High SchoolNational Tainan Girls' Senior High SchoolNational Tainan Girls' Senior High School is located in the central-western region of Tainan City Taiwan.-External links:*...
- National Hsin Hua Senior High School
- National Chia-Chi Girls' Senior High School
- National Tainan Commercial Vocational School
- National Tainan Industrial Vocational School
- The Affiliated Senior Industrial Vocational Continuing Education High School of National Cheng Kung University
- National Tainan Marine & Fishery Vocational School
- Municipal Tainan Nan-Ning Senior High School
- Municipal Tainan Tu-Cheng High School
Private
- Feng-Ho Senior High School
- Chang Jung High School
- Sheng Kung Girls' High SchoolSheng Kung Girls' High SchoolSheng Kung Girls' High School is an all-girl junior and senior high school located in Tainan City, Taiwan. Founded originally in Tienjin, China by the Catholic Sheng Kung Concent it moved to its present location in 1964.- Statistics :...
- Nan Ying Vocational High School of Business & Technology
- Salesian Technical School
- Chang Jung Girls' Senior High School
- Deguang Catholic High School http://www.tkgsh.tn.edu.tw/
- Kuang Hua Girls' Senior High School
- Tainan Liuhsin Senior High School
- Kuen-Shan Senior High School
- Ying-Hai High School
Notable natives
- Momofuku AndoMomofuku Ando, ORS, was a Taiwanese-Japanese businessman who founded Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd. He is famed as the inventor of instant noodles and cup noodles.- Early life :...
(安藤百福) (1910–2007), founder of Nissin Foods and inventor of instant noodlesInstant noodlesInstant noodles are dried or precooked noodles and are often sold with packets of flavoring including seasoning oil. Dried noodles are usually eaten after being cooked or soaked in boiling water for 2 to 5 minutes, while precooked noodles can be reheated or eaten straight from the packet... - Thomas Barclay (1849–1935), Christian missionary, lived in the city from 1875 to 1935
- William CampbellWilliam Campbell (missionary)William Campbell was a Scottish missionary to Taiwan. He wrote extensively on topics related to Taiwan and was also responsible for founding the island's first school for the blind. Interested in the early history of the island , his knowledge of the time was such that he was called "without...
(1841–1921), Christian missionary, lived in the city from 1871 to 1917 - George ChangGeorge ChangGeorge Chang Tsan-hung is a Taiwanese politician and Taiwan independence activist. He was the mayor of Tainan City from 1997 to 2001.- Early years :...
(張燦鍙) (born 1936), politician, former mayor of Tainan (1997–2001) - Chin-Feng ChenChin-Feng ChenChin-Feng Chen is a baseball outfielder who was the first player born in Taiwan to play in Major League Baseball.He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers during - season, but only sparingly. In 2005, Chen was reluctant to accept the designate for assignment back to Dodgers' Las Vegas 51s AAA team,...
(陳金鋒) (born 1977), first Taiwanese-born player to play Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... - Chen Wei-Ling (陳葦綾), 2008 Olympic bronze medal-winning weightlifter
- Mao Gao-wen (毛高文) (born 1936), chemist, former president of National Tsinghua University (1981–1987) and Minister of EducationMinistry of Education (Republic of China)The Ministry of Education of the Republic of China is responsible for incorporating educational policies and managing public schools throughout the Free Area of the Republic of China. The ministry is a cabinet level governmental body of the Executive Yuan...
(1987–1993) - Hsu Shih-HsienHsu Shih-HsienHsu Shih-hsien was a Taiwanese academic and politician. She was the first female PhD in Taiwan, and the first female mayor of a Taiwanese city – she was twice elected mayor of Chiayi City in central Taiwan. Hsu's daughter is former Minister of the Interior Chang Po-ya.-References:...
(許世賢) (1908–1983), first female Taiwanese PhD - Chin-Lung HuChin-Lung HuHu Chin-lung is a Taiwanese professional baseball player. He is currently an infielder for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. Hu, along with his countryman Fu-Te Ni , has the shortest surname in Major League Baseball history...
(胡金龍), MLB infielder for the New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League... - JutoupiJutoupiJutoupi is a Taiwanese pop artist who brought a new musical style to Asia in 1994. Through his Funny Rap album series, Jutoupi focused on difficult topics, such as sex and political issues, through a mixture of Mandarin, Taiwanese, and English...
(born 1966), recording artist - Kao Ching-yuenKao Ching-yuenKao Ching-yuen is a Taiwanese businessman. Kao was born in a moneyless family located in Syuejia, Tainan. He is the founder and chairman of Uni-president, the largest food corporation of Taiwan, based in Tainan, mainly actives in Taiwan, Mainland China and Southeast Asia. Kao began to serve as a...
(高清願) (born 1929), businessman, founder and chairman of Uni-president - Hong-Chih KuoHong-Chih KuoHong-Chih Kuo is a Major League Baseball pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. When Kuo made his debut in , he became the fourth MLB player from Taiwan ....
(郭泓志), MLB pitcher for the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming... - Tai-Yuan KuoTai-Yuan KuoKuo Tai-yuan, ; , born March 20, 1962), is a retired Taiwanese NPB baseball pitcher and currently a baseball coach. With 117 wins accumulated during his 13 seasons in the Seibu Lions, Kuo set the record of being the international player who achieves most wins in the NPB history, and is widely...
(郭泰源), retired pitcher for the Seibu LionsSeibu LionsThe are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based west of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Prince Hotels, which in turn is owned by the Seibu Group...
, foreign player with the most wins in Nippon Professional Baseball history - Ang LeeAng LeeAng Lee is a Taiwanese film director. Lee has directed a diverse set of films such as Eat Drink Man Woman , Sense and Sensibility , Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon , Hulk , and Brokeback Mountain , for which he won an Academy...
(李安) (born 1954), Academy Award–winning film director - Chen-Yuan LeeChen-Yuan LeeChen-Yuan Lee , was a Taiwanese pharmacologist and political activist. He is famous for his research on snake venom. He was a recipient of the prestigious Redi Award from the , and was also a former president of the society. He was a former dean of the National Taiwan University College of Medicine...
(李鎮源) (1915–2001), pharmacologistPharmacologyPharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
and political activist, famous for research on snake venomSnake venomSnake venom is highly modified saliva that is produced by special glands of certain species of snakes. The glands which secrete the zootoxin are a modification of the parotid salivary gland of other vertebrates, and are usually situated on each side of the head below and behind the eye,... - Lien Heng (連橫) (1878–1936), historian, writer of The General History of Taiwan
- En-Yu LinEn-Yu LinLin En-yu, , is a Taiwanese professional baseball pitcher. After serving in Chinese Taipei's National Training Team in 2003 and 2004, he was drafted by the Macoto Cobras of the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Republic of China in early 2005 and stayed with the team until the end of 2006...
(林恩宇), baseball pitcher currently playing for Tohoku Rakuten Golden EaglesTohoku Rakuten Golden EaglesThe is a baseball team founded in 2004; it played its first season in the Japanese Pacific League in 2005. It is simply called Rakuten . The team was created to fill the void left by the merger of the Orix Blue Wave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, after the 2004 season due to financial difficulties,... - Lin Hsin-iLin Hsin-iLin Hsin-i , a Taiwanese businessman. He served in the Democratic Progressive Party administration as Minister of Economic Affairs between 2000 and 2002, then as Vice Premier between 2002 and 2004....
(林信義) (born 1946), businessman and politician, Minister of Economic Affairs (2000–2002), Vice Premier (2002–2004) - Lin MoseiLin MoseiLin Mosei was a Taiwanese academic, educator, and the first Taiwanese to receive a Doctor of Philosophy degree. He was additionally an esteemed calligrapher, and was a baptized Christian....
(林茂生) (1887–1947?), first Taiwanese philosophy PhD, academic, educator and calligrapher thought to have been killed following the 228 Incident228 IncidentThe 228 Incident, also known as the 228 Massacre, was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan that began on February 27, 1947, and was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang government. Estimates of the number of deaths vary from 10,000 to 30,000 or more...
. - Ong Iok-tekOng Iok-tekOng Iok-tek was a Taiwanese scholar and early leader of the Taiwan independence movement. He is considered to be an authority on the Min Nan language family and the Taiwanese language....
(王育德) (1924–1985), scholar and authority of the Taiwanese Hokkien dialects - Judy OnggJudy OnggJudy Ongg is an actress, singer, author and woodblock-print artist from Taiwan. Born in Taipei, she graduated from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, and after that, she changed her nationality from taiwanese into Japanese. Her career has spanned more than four decades.Judy made her film debut in...
(翁倩玉) (born 1950), actress, singer, author and artist - Shi Wen-long (許文龍) (born 1928), businessman, founder of Chi Mei Corporation
- Su Nan-chengSu Nan-chengSu Nan-cheng , a Taiwanese politician, is a Senior Advisor to ROC President Chen Shui-bian. He was a mayor of Tainan, serving from 1977 to 1985, and an appointed mayor of Kaohsiung, serving from 1985 to 1990. He was the speaker of the ROC National Assembly in 1999. Su was in the Kuomintang and was...
(蘇南成) (born 1936), politician, former mayor of Tainan (1977–1985) and advisor to Chen Shui-bianChen Shui-bianChen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan... - Robert SwinhoeRobert SwinhoeRobert Swinhoe FRS , was an English naturalist who worked as a Consul in Formosa. He discovered many Southeast Asian birds and several, such as Swinhoe's Pheasant, are named after him.-Biography:...
(1836–1877), first British consul sent to Tainan 1861; ornithologist, highly regarded researcher writer on the natural history and zoology of Taiwan and China. - Chien-Ming WangChien-Ming WangChien-Ming Wang is a Taiwanese Major League Baseball pitcher. He was initially signed as an amateur free agent by the New York Yankees for the 2000 season, and played for the Staten Island Yankees...
(王建民), MLB pitcher for the Washington NationalsWashington NationalsThe Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium... - Wu Hui JuWu Hui JuWu Hui-ju is an athlete from Republic of China. She competes in archery.-2004 Summer Olympics:Wu represented the Republic of China at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She placed 10th in the women's individual ranking round with a 72-arrow score of 649. In the first round of elimination, she faced...
(吳蕙如), archer and also a member of the team that won the bronze medal for Chinese Taipei in 2004 Summer Olympics in the women's team archery competition - Jacky WuJacky WuWu Jing , sometimes credited as Jacky Wu or Jing Wu, is a Chinese martial artist, actor and film director. Wu is perhaps best known as Hawkman / Jackie in 1996 film Tai Chi Boxer and Kong Ko in 2006 film Fatal Contact.-Personal life:At age six he was sent to the Beijing Sports Institute at Shichahai...
(吳宗憲) (born 1962), entertainer and talk-show host
Sports
Uni-President Lions
The Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions are a professional baseball team based in Tainan City, Taiwan. The organization is named after the Uni-President Corporation, one of Taiwan's largest conglomerate whose sub-company Uni-President Baseball Team Company oversees operations of the team...
, who play their home games at the Tainan Municipal Baseball Stadium. It is also the birthplace of Chien-Ming Wang
Chien-Ming Wang
Chien-Ming Wang is a Taiwanese Major League Baseball pitcher. He was initially signed as an amateur free agent by the New York Yankees for the 2000 season, and played for the Staten Island Yankees...
, Hong-Chih Kuo
Hong-Chih Kuo
Hong-Chih Kuo is a Major League Baseball pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. When Kuo made his debut in , he became the fourth MLB player from Taiwan ....
, Tai-Yuan Kuo
Tai-Yuan Kuo
Kuo Tai-yuan, ; , born March 20, 1962), is a retired Taiwanese NPB baseball pitcher and currently a baseball coach. With 117 wins accumulated during his 13 seasons in the Seibu Lions, Kuo set the record of being the international player who achieves most wins in the NPB history, and is widely...
, En-Yu Lin
En-Yu Lin
Lin En-yu, , is a Taiwanese professional baseball pitcher. After serving in Chinese Taipei's National Training Team in 2003 and 2004, he was drafted by the Macoto Cobras of the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Republic of China in early 2005 and stayed with the team until the end of 2006...
, and many other prominent Taiwanese baseball players.
Twin towns — Sister cities
The following municipals are sister cities to Tainan City:Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, United States (1965) Gwangju
Gwangju
Gwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister...
, South Korea (1968) San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
United States (1977) Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
United States (1978) Pasay City
Pasay City
The City of Pasay is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the north by the country's capital, Manila, to the northeast by Makati City, to the east by Taguig City, and Parañaque City to the south.Pasay City was one of the original four...
, Philippines (1980) Cavite City
Cavite City
The City of Cavite is a fourth class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. The city occupies a hook shaped peninsula jutting out into Manila Bay. Cavite City used to be the capital of the province...
, Philippines (1980) Tagaytay City
Tagaytay City
The City of Tagaytay is a second class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. Only away from Manila via Aguinaldo Highway, it is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Tagaytay City provides a good view of the Taal Volcano...
, Philippines (1980) Trece Martires City
Trece Martires City
The City of Trece Martires is a third-class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. The city serves as the seat of government of the Cavite, where many of the provincial government offices are located...
, Philippines (1980) Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
United States (1980) Kinmen
Kinmen
Kinmen , also known as Quemoy , is a small archipelago of several islands administered by the Republic of China : Greater Kinmen, Lesser Kinmen, and some islets. Administratively, it is Kinmen County of Fujian Province, ROC. The county is claimed by the People's Republic of China as part of its...
, Taiwan (1981) Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia and the largest city in the country...
, Bolivia (1981) Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape
Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape
Port Elizabeth is one of the largest cities in South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province, east of Cape Town. The city, often shortened to PE and nicknamed "The Friendly City" or "The Windy City", stretches for 16 km along Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa...
, South Africa (1982) Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
United States (1982) Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Australia (1982) Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
United States (1983) Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, United States (1986) Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
United States(1986) Carbondale, Illinois
Carbondale, Illinois
Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, in the state of Illinois, within the Southern Illinois region. It is located at the junction of Illinois Route 13 and U.S. Route 51, southeast of St. Louis, Missouri, on the northern edge of the Shawnee National Forest...
United States(1991) Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
, Belgium (1993) Ra'anana
Ra'anana
Ra'anana is a city in the heart of the southern Sharon Plain of the Central District of Israel with a population of 68,300, . Ra'anana is bordered by Kfar Sava on the east and Herzliya on the southwest...
, Israel (1999) Zacapa
Zacapa
Zacapa is a city in eastern Guatemala, along the Río Grande de Zacapa. It is renowned locally for its manual crafting of cigars, hard dry cheese and a flavored cake made with said cheese ....
, Guatemala (2003) Elbląg
Elblag
Elbląg is a city in northern Poland with 127,892 inhabitants . It is the capital of Elbląg County and has been assigned to the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. Before then it was the capital of Elbląg Voivodeship and a county seat in Gdańsk Voivodeship...
, Poland (2004) Ribe
Ribe
Ribe , the oldest extant Danish town, is in southwest Jutland and has a population of 8,192 . Until 1 January 2007, it was the seat of both the surrounding municipality, and county...
, Denmark (2005) Keçiören
Keçiören
Keçiören is a metropolitan district of Ankara Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, a crowded district in the northern part of the city of Ankara. According to 2010 census, population of the district center is 817,262 The district covers an area of , and the average elevation is...
, Turkey (2005) Cagayan de Oro, Philippines (2005) Kanpur, India (2005)
Friendship cities
Tainan City also celebrates friendly relationships with four other municipalities, although they are not considered official sister cities. Penghu County, Taiwan (2004) Sendai, Japan (2006) Nikkō, TochigiNikko, Tochigi
is a city in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Approximately 140 km north of Tokyo and 35 km west of Utsunomiya, the capital of Tochigi Prefecture, it is a popular destination for Japanese and international tourists...
, Japan (2009) Almere
Almere
Almere is a planned city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, the Netherlands, bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde. The municipality of Almere comprises the districts Almere Stad, Almere Haven, Almere Buiten, Almere Hout, Almere Poort and Almere Pampus .Almere is the youngest city in the...
, Netherlands (2009)
See also