Tainan, the oldest city in Taiwan, is commemorating its 400th anniversary by celebrating its rich and diverse heritage.
In 1624, the Dutch East India Company, seeking to trade with China’s Ming dynasty, arrived at a forested island after failing to take over Macau. They set up a base on a sandbank, building Fort Zeelandia, and named the settlement Tayouan, which evolved into “Taiwan”. They traded with the Siraya people, whose language was Austronesian, linking more closely to Malay, Tagalog, and Māori than Mandarin. Some suggest the name “Taiwan” comes from the Siraya word “tavo-an,” meaning “meeting place”.
This year marks the 400th anniversary of both Fort Zeelandia and Tainan. Celebrations, which started in January with the Taiwan Lantern Festival and will continue through December, emphasize Tainan’s multicultural legacy under the slogan “Tainan, Where You Belong”. The festivities include concerts, exhibitions, and public events showcasing the city’s evolution as a cultural melting pot.
Exploring Tainan’s narrow streets reveals its rich cultural tapestry. Unlike Taipei or nearby Kaohsiung with their modern skyscrapers, Tainan is where history and modernity coexist. Ancient monuments and old buildings stand alongside new developments. The city, boasting more Buddhist and Taoist temples than anywhere else in Taiwan, comes alive with firecrackers and temple processions on weekends.
Fort Zeelandia remains a key historical site in Tainan’s Anping district. Visitors explore the ruins, intertwined with banyan roots, while nearby Kaitai Tianhou Temple, dedicated to sea goddess Mazu, stands as the oldest shrine on the island. Here, traditional practices like throwing pue blocks for divine advice persist. The bustling streets around the temple are lined with vendors selling local street foods, reinforcing Tainan’s reputation as Taiwan’s street food capital.
Before Dutch colonization, Taiwan’s population consisted of various Indigenous groups. The Dutch introduced formal education in 1636, teaching in the Siraya language, and translated the Gospel of Matthew into Siraya. In 1661, Ming rebel Koxinga ousted the Dutch, prompting significant Chinese migration, mainly Hokkien speakers from Fujian. Later, under Qing rule, Tainan became the capital of Taiwan Prefecture, attracting Hakka-speaking settlers. Taiwan’s control shifted to the Japanese in 1895, lasting until the end of World War II. Some older Taiwanese still prefer Japanese over Mandarin due to this period.
Today, Tainan is a city where the past meets the present, celebrating its role as the cradle of Taiwanese culture.
