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City guide

Tainan, Taiwan

Tainan, officially Tainan City, is a special municipality in southern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and commonly called the "prefectural capital" for its 263-year history as the capital of Taiwan under Dutch rule, the Kingdom of Tungning and later Qing dynasty rule until 1887.

Type City

Why go

  • Special municipality and oldest city in Taiwan.
  • Served by Wang'an Airport (WOT).

History

Tainan, officially Tainan City, is a special municipality in southern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and commonly called the "prefectural capital" for its 263-year history as the capital of Taiwan under Dutch rule, the Kingdom of Tungning and later Qing dynasty rule until 1887. Tainan's complex history of comebacks, redefinitions and renewals inspired its popular nickname "the Phoenix City". Tainan was classified as a "Sufficiency"-level global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network in 2020, but was not classified in 2022 and 2024.

Airports

Wang'an Airport (WOT) 83 km to the centre
Wang'an, PEN, TW — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Qimei Airport (CMJ) 84 km to the centre
Qimei, PEN, TW — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
296 298 Highway Strip 27 km to the centre
TNQ, TW
Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

台江碼頭
Ferry terminal · 7.2 km from the centre
Outdoor
六孔碼頭
Ferry terminal · 19 km from the centre
Outdoor
Tainan(Anping) - Magong
Ferry route
Outdoor

Where things are

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Photographs

Tainan, Taiwan
Tainan, Taiwan
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Wang'an Airport (WOT); 4 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: TNN has direct flights to 1 destination on 1 airline (incl. Hong Kong). By water: 2 ferry terminals within 20 km (nearest: 台江碼頭, 7.2 km); routes include Tainan(Anping) - Magong.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Tainan, Taiwan. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Trains & rail

Taiwan High Speed Rail
National rail
Taiwan Railway
National rail

Coaches & shuttles

Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport
Intercity coach