Situated not far from the southern edge of the Confucian temple (孔廟) is one of Tainan’s most well preserved city gates. With a history stretching back close to 290 years and one side featuring a monument to stories of past times, the gate sits serenely in the public park’s banyan tree forest, its air of superiority to ward off outside enemies long since dissipated.
The Hayashi Department Store (林百貨) was founded in 1932 by Lin Fang-yi in Suehirocho 2-chome (末廣町二丁目), Tainan. It was the first building in Tainan to be equipped with an elevator, and is commonly referred to by elderly Tainan residents as "the five-story building" (五棧樓仔) in Taiwanese. The first is easy to remember, and the ones after easily ignored. After the glory days of Hayashi, Tainan City's second department store was Meili An Foreign Product Store (美麗安洋品店) on Minquan Road (民權路).
Ying Liaoli (Ying Cuisine) was Dream Restaurant during the Japanese Colonial Period, established by Japanese chef Amano Kikuchi, who at the time enjoyed fame as "First Knife in Taiwan". Because it was located in the center of Tainan City adjacent to important official institutions such as Tainan Prefectural Hall, City Co-operative Parliament, Jianan Irrigation Waterway (嘉南大圳) and Kangyo Bank, it was a popular location for banquets and parties among the gentry, and was known as "Tainan's underground decision-making center".
On Xinmei Street(新美街), also known as Divination Lane, there is Kaiji Martial Temple(開基武廟), also known as Guan Di Gang Temple(關帝港廟). Back when boats could still enter the city center, thetemple was not far from a river port. An unusual feature of the temple is the use of door nails instead of Door Gods, as well as an old bell that has been hanging there since 1858. There are also many historic plaques, such as the "Xing Da Dao(行大道)" of the Jiaqing Reign, and the "Li Ren Ji(立人極)" of the Guangxu Reign, all must-see features of the temple.
The Old Five Channels Cultural Zone (五條港文化園區) is one of the most impressive historical sites in Tainan's West Central District (台南中西區). The Taijiang(台江) area gradually silted up around the middle of the Qing Dynasty, but there were still five channels leading from the coast to the city. The area surrounding the five river ports became a busy center of commerce, and served as the foundation for the modern downtown West Central District. The five river ports from north to south were Xingangqiang Port (新港墘港), Fuotou Port (佛頭港), Nanshi Port (南勢港), Nanhe Port (南河港) and Anhai Port (安海港).
The “Premier Academy of Taiwan” (全台首學) has more than three hundred years of history as a Confucian temple, and it would be safe to say that this place is the heart of Tainan as an ancient capital of culture. The seemingly impenetrable red wall which stretches along Nanmen Road (南門路) is of sacred appearance in the sunlight, and embodies the unique charm of the ancient city of Tainan, which has this historical Confucian temple sitting at its heart.
Built in 1752, the site was originally a hut for sailors to rest near a channel. It is said that when settlers came from China, they carried incense from Mazu Temple in Meizhou and placed it in the hut’s attic, but left it behind when they departed. Later, the dim light from the incense could often be seen by passing ships in the Five Channels, guiding them to keep them safe, and this was regarded as a show of power by Mazu. For this reason, a temple was built where the hut stood, and the incense placed in the attic, the temple named Mazulou(媽祖樓).
At the intersection of Kaishan Road and Fucheng Road (開山路與府前路), atop the Shrine's horseback roof, a majestic statue of Koxinga looks out as if he, Tainan’s protector god, is present in the hearts of all the people of Tainan. The shrine is a red Fuzhou style building with Japanese atmosphere. Take a close look at the eight Door Gods on the four doors inside and you will see they all have blue eyes and white skin, looking like Westerners.
Chongqing Temple has a long history, dating back to 1778. Located in a narrow lane behind the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, it enshrines Guanyin Bodhisattva. The temple was moved to its current site in 1916. Despite being relocated and damaged by US bombing in World War II, it is still solemn and imposing.
On June 30th 2013, the Hayashi Department Store(林百貨), the largest of Tainan's old building's, was opened for tours after refurbishment. Crowds lined up from 7 am until the afternoon to enter the "five story building" (五棧樓仔) built in 1932 during the Japanese Colonial Time. It was a very busy part of Tainan, but after the end of the Japanese Colonial Period, the owner returned to Japan, and the Hayashi Department Store was left empty, leaving people to eventually forget about its former glory.