Photo: Pbdragonwang, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The museum covers a broad overview of Taiwan's history from prehistoric beginnings to the present, illustrating various eras with large-scale interactive displays and dioramas. Temporary exhibits focus more of the museum's historical artifacts. Most of the exhibitions have clear English explanations. Besides the museum, the building sits in a large park and is architecturally interesting, focusing on harmonious integration with the environment and housing a huge wall of solar panels that generates enough electricity to power the exhibition hall.
The National Museum of Taiwan History is a museum in Annan District, Tainan, Taiwan, covering the history of the island nation of Taiwan and its associated islands.
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台南公園
Beautiful park in a central part of the city. Great for a relaxing walk or a stay of a few hours. It has many beautiful trees, flowers and a pond.
國立成功大學
Fort Provintia / 赤崁樓 / Chìkàn Lóu
Chihkan Tower is the landmark of Tainan and its most famous historic site. In 1653 the Dutch built Fort Providenti in the area, and the Chinese named it Tower of Savages or Tower of Red-haired Barbarians. Even though Chihkan Tower has survived different historical periods, with part of it turned into a temple to the sea god, it retains its rich and graceful architectural aspects. Crammed with various kinds of steles, statues and ponds with colorful fish and nine stone tortoises carrying royal stele carved in Chinese and Manchurian, the courtyard looks like an outdoor museum. Chihkan Tower is particularly attractive at night.
祀典武廟
A large temple complex with a mix of Taoism and Buddhism. Among the numerous statues in the temple are the 18 arhats (look for the one with the long eyebrows). There's a steady flow of worshippers moving through the temple, some lighting incense or casting divination blocks. Behind it is a temple to the sea goddess Matsu.
國立臺灣文學館
Located in a restored colonial-era Japanese building, even with the limited English on display this museum is fascinating. The coffee shop is good too.
A serene destination surrounded by a small park. The temple was built in 1665 as a place to perform rituals and cultivate intellectuals, and is regarded as the first academy of Taiwan. Explore the temple, then go to the incredibly popular shaved-ice store right on the opposite side.