【2023 Tainan Attractions】Recommended must-see attractions in Tainan’s West Central District

West Central District is the smallest administrative district in Tainan City. After World War II, it was divided into the “Central District” and “West District” of Tainan City. The two districts were originally separated by Ximen Road. Later, due to administrative streamlining, they were collectively called the “West Central District.” The West Central District was the first area developed by the Han Chinese in Taiwan and is still the center of Tainan City. It is characterized by numerous historical sites, rich cultural history, and a mixture of old and new landscapes.

In order to explore the tourist attractions in the west-central area of ​​Tainan, we prepared a short trip to the Confucius Temple Cultural Park. There are many historical sites around here, such as the Wude Hall, the Patriotic Women’s Hall, the Second Museum of Fine Arts, the Judicial Museum, the Hayashi Department Store, the Chihkan Tower, and the Wu Garden. These were all the office areas of the former capital city!

Tainan West Central District Historic Sites | Wude Hall

Wude Hall Zhongyi Elementary School in Tainan City is a happy elementary school. There is an ancient Confucius Temple next to the campus, and it is surrounded by the ancient Chenggong Creek. It even uses the traditional Japanese building Wude Hall as an auditorium. Walking around the campus, there are distinctive buildings and a long history and culture everywhere, which makes many people envious.

The west side of the second floor of Tainan Wude Hall is a martial arts arena, the east side is a kendo arena, and the north side is used as an altar. During the Japanese colonial period, there was also a kyudo arena outside the Wude Hall. Among the existing Wude Halls in Taiwan, Tainan Wude Hall is the largest in scale and has better design and construction materials (reinforced concrete, washed gravel).

Tainan West Central District Historic Sites | Confucius Temple

The Confucius Temple has a beautiful red exterior wall. The green trees growing in the garden sway in the breeze, and their dense branches and leaves sway in the wind, creating a light and shadow chasing effect on the sidewalk. If you look closely, you can even find squirrels hiding in the trees, which is full of vitality.

Tainan Confucius Temple was founded in the 19th year of the Yongli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1665 AD) and is the earliest Confucian temple in Taiwan. At the suggestion of Chen Yonghua, Zheng Jing established the Dacheng Hall, which was originally used to worship Confucius. It was also called the Temple of the First Teacher at the time. Later, the Minglun Hall was established for lectures. During the Qing Dynasty, it was once the place where all the students in Taiwan went to school, so it is also known as the first school in Taiwan. The Confucius Temple has magnificent architecture, solemn atmosphere and fairly complete structure. It is a national first-class historical site.

Tainan West Central District Historic Sites | Patriotic Women’s Museum

This Japanese-style building located next to Lily’s Fruit Shop always attracts a second look from passers-by. When it was still under renovation in the early days, I was always curious about the “Patriotic Women’s Museum”. Now the Patriotic Women’s Museum has become the “Cultural and Creative Plus-Tainan Creative Center” of the Tainan City Government’s Cultural Bureau, focusing on Tainan’s cultural and creative industries, and there are exhibitions for people to watch from time to time.

The establishment of the original Patriotic Women’s Hall originated from the Japanese “Patriotic Women’s Association”. The association’s headquarters in Taiwan was established in Taipei in the 38th year of the Meiji era in Japan. This building is the branch of the “Patriotic Women’s Association” in Tainan.

The front building of the Patriotic Women’s Hall in Tainan was initially used as the Tainan City Party Headquarters of the Kuomintang. It was later sublet by the Red Cross to the American Information Service, which served as a consular and cultural institution. In addition, it also housed the “Tainan American Information Service Library.”

Tainan West Central District Attractions | Tainan Museum of Fine Arts II

The Second Museum of Fine Arts is located right next to the Confucius Temple, Hayashi Department Store, and the Tainan Judicial Museum. It is also close to food areas such as Baoan Road and Guohua Street. It is the most essential place for tourism in Tainan. The area around the Second Museum of Fine Arts alone is enough to keep you entertained for a whole day. Not only is the location great, the museum also has a rich collection, such as the recently opened Tribute to Taiwan and Chen Cheng-Bo exhibitions, etc., plus the photogenic design and layout, it is definitely a new attraction not to be missed when visiting Tainan this year.

Tainan West Central District Attractions | Judicial Museum

The Judicial Museum is a national second-class historical site and was previously the Tainan District Court. The Tainan Judicial Museum has tried its best to preserve the appearance of the original Tainan District Court. It is a typical Western-style building from the Japanese colonial period, with a solemn and majestic atmosphere, and has witnessed the important judicial history of Taiwan. Moreover, it is the work of the same architect as the Presidential Palace in Taipei (Governor’s Office during the Japanese occupation). I am very happy that Tainan has been able to gradually restore such beautiful historical sites, so that people can come to Tainan not only to eat delicious food, but also to explore the depth of this city.

Tainan West Central District Attractions | Hayashi Department Store

Taiwan’s department stores began to develop during the Japanese colonial period. In 1932, Kiku-Yuan Department Store and Hayashi Department Store were opened in Taipei and Tainan respectively. The six-story building was the most advanced in terms of the scale of commercial buildings at the time, and the construction technology and appearance were also the most modern. The interior of the department store sold fashionable products that were popular in Japan at the time, and it caused a great sensation when it opened. The department store has become one of the symbols of a prosperous city. The shrine and observation deck on the top floor are still preserved. The store mainly sells cultural and artistic products and Tainan specialties. The Hayashi Department Store combines history and culture to bring you an intellectual trip to Tainan.

Tainan West Central District Historic Sites | Chihkan Tower

Chihkan Tower was built by the Dutch when they occupied Taiwan. It was originally called “Fort Provintia” and is commonly known as “Fangzi Tower” and “Red Hair Tower”. The Chihkan Towers we see today are mostly Confucian and Taoist temples built by the Han people on top of the Dutch Castle, including the Temple of the Sea God and the Wenchang Pavilion.Nine Beishi steles were moved from the Great South Gate city wall, and the city eventually became what it is today. It has now been listed as a national monument.

Tainan West Central District Historic Sites | Wu Garden

Wu Garden is a Tainan attraction where you can enjoy one of Taiwan’s four famous gardens, Baroque architecture, a Japanese-era cafeteria, and modern buildings all at once! Coming here, you can witness the history from the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, the Japanese occupation era to the modern metropolis. A trip to Wu Garden is like traveling through a period of Taiwan’s modern history. Looking up at the entrance of the Wu Garden Cultural Center, you will see the “Tainan Public Hall” which was completed in 1911 and used as a venue for activities and gatherings. It adopts the Ionic column style of classical Greek architecture and looks exquisite. Tourists and internet celebrities will take photos and check in in front of this building.

Tainan City has the largest number of national historical sites in the country, and the West Central District has the largest number of them. We sincerely welcome you to come and check it out. The West Central District with its large number of historical sites is definitely a good place to visit in the quaint Tainan.