North Dist.

Take a right turn after coming out of Tainan Railway Station and a beautiful red building will be seen under the blue sky, behind it the towering Shangri-la Tainan hotel, creating the best view of old and new landscapes in the city. The building was originally the Tainan Office of the Tainan Branch of the Office of the Taiwan Governor General Monopoly Bureau (台灣總督府專賣局台南支局台南出張所); after renovation, it was turned into Tainan Cultural and Creative Park(台南文化創意產業園區). This once solemn building, off-limits to the general public, is now a good place to visit.

Zhen Bei Fang Cultural Park (鎮北坊文化園區) covers almost all of Tainan’s North District. In Qing Dynasty, Zhen Bei Fang was a government and military center and, as a result, many of the old street names had military symbolism such as Datong Street (Ziqiang Street today) and Zongye Street (Chongan Street). The area has an abundance of historic sites such as The Founding Jade Emperor Temple (開基玉皇宮), Grand Guanyin Temple and Black Ghost Well (烏鬼井); in particular,The Founding Mazu Temple is the focal point of Zhen Bei Fang Cultural Park.

Built in 1679 and standing next to Da Guanyin Temple, Xingji Temple(興濟宮) is nicknamed Da Dao Gong Temple(大道公)廟. Enshrining Bao Sheng Da Di (Baosheng Emperor), it is the oldest historic site on bustling Chenggong Road and has been the largest government-built Bao Sheng Da Di temple in Taiwan since the Ming-Zheng (Koxinga) Period(鄭氏時期). The Government Office where the officials that came to worship changed their clothes and rested still stands between the two temples and is connected to both via an octagonal shaped door.

An old stone archway can be seen in Tainan Park. Built in 1815, on it the characters Zhong Dao Chong Wen(重道崇文)(Respecting Principle and Venerating Literature) are carved; they praise wealthy Tainan local Lin Zhao-ying for generously providing the funds for the building of Tainan Confucius Temple.

Located between Tainan Railway Station and Tainan Metropolitan Park, Xi Hua Hall(西華堂)is an oasis of quiet amidst the downtown bustle. Cross the busy road and enter a narrow alley, and it’s like a traveling to another world of tranquility. Built in 1750, Xi Hua Hall enshrines the San Bao Fo (Three Treasure Buddha). 

Down an alley on Zigiang Street, there is a historic site, Wugui Well(烏鬼井)(Black Ghost Well). It is said that the well has always provided an abundant support of water. Dug in 1653, it still has water to this day. In early times, it was a water source for both passing ships and local residents. It is said that the well was dug by black slaves brought to Tainan by the Dutch East India Company in the 1600s. As people in Taiwan had never seen dark-skinned people before they were called wu gui (“black ghosts,”) and this was also the name given the well.