Around Tainan

Today to Tainan, which is short train ride away from Kaohsiung. Tainan is port town and place, where most Chinese arrived into Taiwan island and then spread to other towns. Area around Tainan is vast plain without mountains.

When I just got outside Tainan station several men approached me and tried to sell their taxi and other services. They were circling around that it was not possible to walk. With firm actions and strong determination, I got away. There is tourist office outside station, where can pick some map or ask something.


Image: view on street in Tainan. Pedestrians walk under overhanging second floor. It provides shade against sun or shelter in case of rain. Every house has sidewalk at different level.

Also, when walking in Tainan I felt I am the most popular person in Taiwan, because all taxi drivers gave laud horn signals when seeing me. They probably believed that some kind of rich American tourist has landed in their town.

Here you can see one of central streets in Tainan. Do you think I walking through somebody’s kitchen or these are restaurants by the way ?


Video: Life is going on the streets in Tainan

First to see Chihkan tower, which is major tourist attraction in the town. I circled area several times and then saw organized entrance and ticket booth, which was encouraging to enter Chihkan tower grounds. Chikan made me smile, because in Japanese it means molester.


Image: Chihkan tower

It was built by Dutch colonists in 1653 and named Fort Providentia. Building itself got Chinese style feel and could not really tell it was built by Dutch. So, I assume it was probably rebuilt several times.


Video: Chihkan tower

Anping Old Fort - built by Dutch collonists in 1924 and initially called Fort Zeelandia. There is also tower to have look on surrounding plain and museum with various Dutch things displayed.


Image: tower inside Anping Old Fort


Image: small fort where once was shore line. Canons are also displayed there

Next to see Anpin tree house.

Other
This Chinese style graveyard located not far from fort. Some graves have photos displayed and I thought about similarity to Russian graves. Bigger huts appears to be small mausoleums.

These graveyards are different from those which I saw on East coast of Taiwan. They were mostly Christian style with small crosses.


Image: graveyard in Taiwan