Posted by tainancity on December 15, 2010 · 2 Comments
Julius Mannich Merchant House (Dōngxīng Yángháng 東興洋行) Foreigners were barred from trading in Taiwan for most of the Qing dynasty, but the 1858 Treaty of Tianjin forced open four harbors in Taiwan to foreign traders. Anping was one of them. The five big foreign trading companies of the time were Bains & Co., Boyd & … Continue reading →
Filed under Eating, Urban History · Tagged with Anping, Anping Old Fort, architecture, beer garden, drinking, Eating, Julius Mannich & Co., old house, Tainan, Tait & Co. Merchant House, Taiwan
Posted by tainancity on September 21, 2010 · 4 Comments
Tin Pan Alley If you ever wanted to take advantage of the warm night air and sip your beer under the stars in the heart of the city, then Tin Pan Alley might be the bar for you. This unusual bar and eatery is built like a taco stand in the middle of a derelict … Continue reading →
Posted by tainancity on August 26, 2010 · 3 Comments
The Orient Pub (Táinán Dōngfāng 台南東方) An ever deceptive name, The Orient Pub is a night club and not a pub at all. Most people refer to it simply as The Orient, and often state those words with a modicum of guilt or derision. The nickname, The Dirty Orient, has also been muttered on more … Continue reading →
Posted by tainancity on August 3, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Red Wolf Tavern The location of this bar within walking distance of the Armory has definitely helped its success. Many people hit both places on a Friday or Saturday night. While the Armory remains the mainstay of the expat community, the Red Wolf compliments it as a music venue and sports bar combined. The Red … Continue reading →
Posted by tainancity on March 28, 2010 · 10 Comments
Willy’s Second Base Bar & Grill One of the longstanding expat bars in Tainan, Willy’s Bar & Grill brings in customers for both eating and drinking. This establishment was started by former LA Dodger pitcher Steve Wilson, but he has since moved on to other venues and it’s under new management (two foreigners named Andy … Continue reading →
Posted by tainancity on February 23, 2010 · 1 Comment
The Armory (Bīng Gōng Chǎng 兵工廠) Every Asian city of a certain size has an expat bar. In fact, Tainan has a few places well-populated by foreigners, but The Armory has the distinction of being Tainan’s expat institution. I’ve overheard many people ask why everyone goes to The Armory and the invariable answer is “because … Continue reading →
Posted by tainancity on January 17, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Imma Bakery & Café Tainan is full of bakeries, but any visit to sample what the locals think bread should be will inevitably leave foreigners dismayed, if not horrified. Most bakers in Taiwan think bread is made with white flour, sugar and a whole lot of leaven. The result is a sweet, airy concoction similar to Wonderbread. But people can no … Continue reading →
Filed under Eating · Tagged with baker, bakery, bread, cafe, coffee, drinking, Eating, European, Imma Bakery and Cafe, pastries, Tainan, Taiwan
Posted by tainancity on January 11, 2010 · Leave a Comment
The Underbridge (Qiáo Xià 橋下) There’s a line in the movie Swingers in which they ask why all the cool bars in LA are difficult to find and never have a sign. The first part of the equation – difficult to find – seems true for Tainan as well. It also seems to help if the place … Continue reading →
Filed under Bars and Nightlife · Tagged with bar, Beimen, bridge, Dongmen, drinking, Fuqian, lounge, nightlife, old house, pub, railway, Tainan, Taiwan, The Underbridge, traffic circle
Posted by tainancity on December 4, 2009 · 2 Comments
Shennong Street (Shénnóng Jiē 神農街) Shennong Street is the often considered the best preserved street in Tainan. It is the keystone of the Old Five Channels Cultural Zone and is among one of the must see areas of Tainan in my opinion. The street is named after Shennong, an ancient Chinese ruler who is considered … Continue reading →
Filed under Urban History · Tagged with architecture, art gallery, arts initiative, attraction, Beishi Street, drinking, historic, nightlife, old building, Old Five Channels Cultural Zone, old house, Shennong Street, Taikoo, Tainan, Taiwan, tourist
Posted by tainancity on November 17, 2009 · 2 Comments
Taikoo (Tài Gǔ Bǎihuòdiàn 太古百貨店) Retro bars are becoming a popular trend in Tainan. This one falls on Shennong Street, an arts street where many of Tainan’s oldest surviving houses have been re-ferbished. This bar is built into one of them near the intersection of Kang-le Street. Subtitling itself Mid Century, this bar aims at reviving the 50s … Continue reading →
Filed under Bars and Nightlife, Shopping · Tagged with architecture, bar, drinking, furniture, historic, lounge, nightlife, old house, pub, Shen Nong Street, Shopping, Tainan, Taiwan
Tainan City Guide 