歷史古蹟

Due to economic and political power, the prestige of the “Lins of Madou”, the “Lins of Wufeng in Taichung”, and the “Lins of Banqiao in Taipei” were collectively called the “Three Lin Families of Taiwan”. Due to separation, succession, the land value escalation after urban development, the seven deluxe dwellings built in the Qing dynasty were demolished and reconstructed due to the different thoughts of their owners. The “Xin Sifang Cuo” was one of the buildings demolished in earlier times.

After the Dutch built Fort Zeelandia in Anping in 1624, they decided to build a political and economic center Provintia (today’s Chihkan Tower) across the Taijian (called Chihkan by local plain indigenous peoples in that time) for the geopolitical reason. The Dutch also developed Chihkan Street (Rua Provintia) to start the commercial history of busy business in Tainan.

Jin-nan CHEN, leader of the Heaven and Earth Society, in the swordsman novel The Deer and the Cauldron is familiar to everyone. The stereotype of this character is a real person called Yong-hua CHEN of the Kingdom of Tunging who has made great contributions to Taiwan by aiding Jing ZHENG, Prince of Yanping, in Taiwan’s governance, like Liang ZHUGE to the Kingdom of Su in Sichuan. 

The sound of children's laughter rises and falls along with the splashing of water, a canvas with a background of verdant green earth, splashed with golden sunlight and full of colorful flowers. Walk deep into the garden, and red brick houses start to appear. With their gray and black sloping roofs, the buildings open their doors to welcome visitors. After experiencing the joy of the outside world, come into the tranquil space inside and enjoy learning about the history of the waterworks.

The Land Art That Welcomes Visitors

The original Sinhua District Public Hall was built in 1937 during the Japanese period as a public meeting place for the local people. It was registered as a historical building in 2008 and was refurbished by the Tainan City Government to become the Youth Library in 2018. It is the first library in Tainan City to be located within a historical building and the original timber structure was preserved. The library focuses on providing a reading space for young people so the collection includes books on popular science, literature, art, lifestyle and motivation.

"According to historic records and relevant literature, salt fields have existed in Yancheng as early as 1665 during the Kingdom of Tungning. The field was known as Seguchi Salt Field and it was most likely the first of its kind in Taiwan. The former Monopoly Bureau Branch of Taiwan Governor’s Office, which has become a municipal heritage site today, used to be known as the “Yancheng Office”.

What was once a timber-built official residence in the Japanese style owned by the Xinying County Government was built in the 10th Year of the Showa Era (1935) by  Sanpin Honda (本田三一), a Japanese builder. Red cypress was used extensively throughout the house and its fragrance can be smelled when you approach. This precious example of Japanese architecture in Tainan is now usually used as an art space for promoting Taiwanese tea culture and experiencing Japanese tea ceremonies.

There are several houses that are more than one hundred years old in Lane 341 on Zhongzheng Rd. in Xinhua District. No. 19 was once the home of Su You-jhih, a hero in the Anti-Japanese Resistance. The oldest as well as the best preserved in terms of building materials and layout is the No. 31 and 33 “Ancestral Shrine of the Su Family” built in 1840. The ancestors of the Su family were very rich so their house was quite magnificent as well. The beams and pillars in the historic house were all built from high-quality Chinese Fir.

Xinhua was once the home of the Siraya-Pingpu Tribe. Its old name of “Damujiang” is a transliteration of the Siraya name “Tavocan.” The Siraya were the earliest recorded inhabitants of Tainan. They played an important role in the history of greater Tainan and the shaping of the local culture. Tavokan Cultural Area was previously used as a police dormitory. After the restoration it became a mixed-used district with a number of sights including the Martial Arts Hall, Japanese dormitories, Japanese garden, Story House, and Tavokan Plaza.

The building was first built in 1882 as Anping Customs House. During the Japanese Period it was used by the Customs Club and Tainan Archives at different times.  After the end of World War 2 it was used as the Anping District Office at one point. Tainan City Government converted the building into the “Tainan City Yonghan Folk Crafts Museum” after Chiu Yonghan, a well-known businessman, donated his collection to the city.