Annan Dist.

The temple is the belief center of Tucheng. Every tourist is impressed by the large and magnificent building, the design of which is based on the Forbidden City in Beijing. It is known as the biggest temple in the Far East. A huge heavenly general statue stands either side of the temple square, they are Shun Feng Er (With-the-Wind Ear)) and Qian Li Yan (Thousand Miles Eye) (順風耳與千里眼). Standing in front of the beautiful temple under blue sky, they are as powerful as if the gods had descended to earth.

Many tourists will already have heard of Sicao Mangrove Reserve (四草紅樹林保護區) and its aquatic green tunnels, and which offer some of the best mangrove forest ecology within Taiwan. Every time a ray of sunlight shoots through the dense mangrove forest, it sprinkles and disperses across the rubber rafts travelling slowly along this watery terrain, and on both sides it is possible to witness curious fiddler crabs and mudskipper amphibious fish that will leave you wide-eyed with surprise.

The year 1661 was an important year in the history of Taiwan. It was the year Koxinga landed in Taiwan and began his operations on the island. It is said that he first set foot on Taiwanese soil at Luermen (鹿耳門). To commemorate the deeds of Koxinga, Orthodox Luermen Matsu Temple(鹿耳門聖母廟) donated land and built Koxinga Memorial Park(鄭成功紀念公園). At the entrance to the park, you can see the majestic red archway and the heroic bronze statue of Koxinga. The Luermen Landing Monument also symbolizes the real beginnings of the making of modern Taiwan.

The National Museum of Taiwanese History (國立臺灣歷史博物館) is situated beside the historically significant Taijiang Lagoon (台江內海). Since the 17th Century, Taijiang Lagoon has attracted traders from both east and west, but due to environmental changes has gradually silted up. The historical museum was established here to give visitors a sense of the transformation of sea into land over time. All parts of the museum, inside and out, are worth savoring.

The mangrove forests on both sides of the waterways grow together towards the center, intertwining to form a dense semi-dome of green shrubbery, stacking layer upon layer to create a deep corridor, not knowing the end and appearing mysterious, thus giving the Sicao Green Tunnel its moniker “Little Amazon”. Tourists from home and abroad come in droves, waiting in line to get on the raft that leads to this green wonderland.

“Eyes of the Feet” Foot Science Experience Center(『腳の眼鏡』足部科學體驗中心)is, as the name suggests, a foot health themed tourism factory. Upon entering the factory lobby, everyone’s gaze is attracted by the colored glass 1,000 hand Guanyin statue(千手觀音). Made by master glass artist Yang Shui-shan, it is very precious, there being just four of these statues in the world. The second floor has displays that explain the origins and development of the tourism factory. Tourists will be stunned by the 3D floating projection guide diamond platform.

Luermen Matsu Temple was rebuilt in 1977 along the lines developed by Chen Tsung-kan. The design followed the concentric arrangement of halls used by traditional Confucian temples. The main hall is encircled by the front hall, rear hall and wing buildings. Two covered galleries then connect the front hall to the main hall. The foundation of the main hall was raised to a height of nine steps while the rear hall was two steps lower. The raised foundations emphasized the importance of the two buildings. At the front of the temple courtyard stands a memorial gateway with three archways.

Zhengmen Temple (鎮門宮) is a small temple at Xikou in Luermen (鹿耳門溪口) with a Ming Dynasty style exterior, facing the Natural Defense of the Capital stone tablet (Fucheng Tianxian;府城天險石碑;). The temple serves as a shrine for the hero Koxinga. It is not as well-known as the Luermen Tianhou Temple (鹿耳門天后宮), but this temple has a unique feature: two "Barefoot Western Door Gods", the idea of painter Lin Zhong Hsin. Lin believed that since Koxinga defeated the Dutch, he should be served by the Dutch.

The Twelve Dian Banyan Trees(十二佃神榕) are located on Alley 43, Section 4, Gongxue Road, in Tainan's Annan District, by the side of Tsengwen River. Because the Tsengwen River was once called the "Green Snake(青暝蛇)", and its frequently changing watercourse often caused flooding, a century ago the local residents planted a banyan tree to symbolize quelling the floods. They certainly didn't expect this tree to become a forest. The area the Twelve Dian Banyan Trees cover is around one square kilometer, forming a magnificent miniature forest.