text:
Ta'if

Ta'if (pronounced "Taayef", also written as "Taif") is a city in the Mecca province of Saudi Arabia. With a population of 690,000 people (2020 estimate), it is the sixth most populous city in Saudi Arabia.

The city is at an elevation of 1,879 m (6,165 ft) and is therefore much cooler than any of the nearby larger cities: Mecca, Medina and Jeddah. Ta'if is a popular tourist destination both among Saudis and among the fairly large expatriate community in Jeddah. The nearby upmarket resort town of Al Hada is another popular destination.

Understand
Ta'if literally means 'circulated' or 'encircled' in Arabic. It is said that the name of the city comes from a wall that was built around the city in pre-Islamic times. Certainly the city existed in those times, before the 7th century CE.

There's no direct mention of Ta'if in the Qu'ran, but Sura 43:31 mentions two cities which scholars believe were Mecca and Ta'if. Ta'if does play a role in other Islamic writings. After Khadija, Muhammad's first wife. died in 619 CE, he made his way to Ta'if and tried to spread Islam in the city, but was rudely rejected by the city's chiefs, was pelted with rocks and stones, and was chased out of the city. Bloodied and seriously wounded, he was taken in by a gardener who nursed him back to health. After recovering, Muhammad realised he could no longer enter Mecca because his uncle, Abu Thalib, was no longer there to protect him.

In the years to follow, various battles left the city completely isolated and eventually, the inhabitants of the city were peacefully converted to Islam.

The Ottoman Empire dominated the city for several hundred years until World War I when the Hashemites (the family who traditionally ruled Mecca) led an Arab revolt against them.

In the 1920s, Ta'if was incorporated into Saudi Arabia by the ibn Saud family after a short battle. This was part of the process of founding modern-day Saudi Arabia. At the time Ta'if was a relatively small, unknown city. In the years to follow, the Saudi government has rapidly developed the city, and it is now a popular tourist destination among the Saudis.

In the 1930s, a treaty that established the boundary lines between Saudi Arabia and Yemen was signed here.

Get in
For more information entering the country, see the Saudi Arabia article.

By car
Given Ta'if's highly mountainous geography, almost no highways pass through the city. The only exception is Highway 15, which connects Ta'if to Mecca. Approaching Ta'if, the scenery along it is breathtaking. Most people drive to Ta'if from Jeddah.
 * If you're in Mecca and plan on driving to Ta'if, just go along Highway 15. You'll reach Ta'if in less than an hour.
 * One route is Highway 40 to Mecca, then Highway 15. The journey should take you two hours or a bit more depending on traffic conditions; expect Highway 40 to be completely jammed and packed during the Hajj. Bear in mind that this path will take through Mecca and under Saudi law, non-Muslims are not permitted to enter Mecca.
 * The usual route from Jeddah for non-Muslims starts along highway 40. A few miles outside of Mecca, there is a cutoff referred to as the "Christian bypass", route 298. It is well marked and a police checkpoint to turn non-Muslims away from the holy city is visible a bit beyond it. Turn along this highway to connect to Highway 15 and reach Taif. Time on this route might be about three hours.

By plane
If you're not into long road trips, another convenient way to enter the city is by plane. If flying from Jeddah, you'll easily reach the city in less than 45 minutes. If coming from Riyadh, you'll reach the city in less than 90 minutes.

By train
As of January 2022 Taif is not served by any railway networks. There is a plan to introduce a railway network in the city in the near future.

By bus
The Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) offers bus services to and from the city. A bus ride from Jeddah to Taif would normally take you three hours depending on traffic conditions. There are no VIP trips to the city, however.

There are many ways in which you can book a bus ride to Taif. You can do it at a SAPTCO branch, on the SAPTCO app (iOS, Android), or on the website. The bus fare can be between 50 - 200 SAR, but may change depending on a variety of factors. The SAPTCO app is only in Arabic.

By car
Due to the city's mountainous geography, the best way to get around the city quickly is by car. With an area of 800km², it should take you a couple of hours to cover the whole city.

If you are considering renting a car during your stay in the city, here are a few companies to choose from. As with any service, do your due diligence and research, and do check if your drivers license is valid in Saudi Arabia.

By taxi
Uber is fully operational in Ta'if. You can hail an Uber at the airport without any hesitation. It's a convenient option if you want to cover the whole city quickly, or if you do not feel too comfortable driving on Saudi roads.

By foot
If you are in the main city center, a lot of attractions are within walking distance. Since the climate is not too extreme, Ta'if provides a good outlet for long-distance walks, especially during the summers.

See
Ta'if has been often been called the "best summer destination" in Saudi Arabia. Indeed, this couldn't be any more right because there are a plethora of things to see and do in Ta'if.

Rose plantations
One of Ta'if's biggest exports is rose oil, and it forms an important part of the city's economy and identity. Every spring, the city blooms up with red and pink roses, and more than 300 million roses are cultivated by almost 900 rose plantations each year. Ta'if is sometimes referred to as the "City of Roses" (Arabic:مدينة الورود). The rose oil produced in Ta'if is of top quality; even luxury brands such as Givenchy and Jimmy Choo commonly use it to make their perfumes. Some of the many perfume vendors in the Cairo bazaar will claim their oil comes from Ta'if, but such claims are often dubious.

Shiraz in Iran is also sometimes called the "City of Roses" and also has many gorgeous blossoms in season. However it does not rival Ta'if as a center of rose oil production.

Dams
Ta'if is home to numerous dams, mostly because of the fact that the city is home to many wadis (valleys).

Museums
Ta'if has plenty of museums that can allow you to learn more about Saudi history.

Sightseeing
With such vast mountainous landscapes, why not do something to appreciate how beautiful Ta'if's scenery is?

Parks and recreation
Ta'if has a plethora of parks and recreational facilities. The most popular parks in the city are as follows:

Local markets
Some of the best known local markets are as follows.

Shopping malls
The most well-known shopping malls are as follows.

Drink
As Saudi Arabia is governed by a strict interpretation of Sharia Law, alcohol is illegal throughout the country; see Saudi_Arabia.

Ta'if was once the country's best-known wine region, and still produces fine grapes.

Sleep
True to its reputation as a popular tourist destination, there are numerous hotels in the city.

Stay safe
Ta'if is an extremely safe city. You're unlikely to face any major dangers. As Ta'if is a popular destination among Saudis, people go to great lengths to keep the city safe.

The various safety tips found in the Saudi Arabia article will come in handy. You should try to refer to it often so that your visit can be hassle-free.

Respect
The various respect tips in the Saudi Arabia article will come in handy. Try to refer to it often so that your visit can be hassle-free.

Consider buying some rose oil. Arabs consider it a gift of high respect and gifting it to the locals can leave a lasting impression on them.

Connect
The four mobile operators in Saudi Arabia, incumbent Al Jawal, Emirati rival Mobily, Kuwaiti Zain (Vodafone Network) and STC newcomer Jawwy are fiercely competitive, with good coverage (in populated areas) and good prices.

You should be able to get a prepaid SMS at major airports, or at local shops nearby.

Go next
If you plan on spending some time in the Mecca Province, consider visiting the following cities. The cities are served by Highway 15 and you can reach them in less than an hour.

 * Mecca — Islam's holiest city. Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter.
 * Medina — Islam's second holiest city. Non-Muslims are allowed to enter, but they're disallowed from entering certain areas.
 * Jeddah — the second largest city in Saudi Arabia.

title: Ta'if


text:
Tain

Tain is a town in Easter Ross in the Scottish Highlands, with a population of 3570 in 2020. It's on the coast 40 miles north of Inverness on the A9 and the railway line to Thurso. In Gaelic it's Baile Dhubhthaich, the town of St Duthus. It mostly grew up in Victorian times and has changed little since then. Its main attraction for visitors is the Glenmorangie distillery.

Get in
By train: Six trains run M-Sa from Inverness, taking 70-80 min via Dingwall, Alness, Invergordon and Fearn. Four of them continue north from Tain to Lairg, Golspie (for Dunrobin Castle), Brora, Helmsdale, Thurso and Wick. Sunday has four trains, only one continuing north.

is just east of town centre. It's a platform halt with no ticket office or machines, buy your ticket on board if you start from here. No toilets, but see below for the restaurant. There is level access to Platform 2 (northbound from Inverness) and a ramp to Platform 1.

By bus: Stagecoach Highlands Bus 25X runs from Inverness to Tain via Invergordon. It runs hourly M-Sa taking 75 min; only four buses on Sunday. No bus station, the bus stops are along High Street.

Stagecoach X99 from Inverness to Wick and Thurso also stops at Tain.

Get around
You can walk between town and distillery. That's probably a good plan all round.

Nigg - Cromarty Ferry sails across the mouth of Cromarty Firth Apr-Sept daily every 30 min. In 2022 fares are car + driver £9.50, foot passenger £4.50, and £1 per bicycle.

See

 * is the breezy spit where the ferry used to cross the Dornoch Firth. On 16 Aug 1809 the ferry was overcrowded with people flocking to the fair at Tain: it capsized and 99 were drowned. In 1812 a bridge was built upriver at Bonar Bridge, but it was a longer way round and the ferry continued to sail until 1957. In 1991 the Dornoch Bridge opened and took A9 a shorter route. You can drive up the lane to the Point but it's very narrow. No parking area, pull onto the grass verge and don't obstruct the passing place.
 * village has the Balblair whisky distillery, an old church with a Pictish stone, and Clach Biorach a Bronze Age monument with Pictish carvings.
 * is mostly from 1772 but retains parts of a Premonstratensian monastery of 1238. The order was suppressed in 1609 but the church continued in use until 1742, when they prayed so hard that the roof fell in and killed fifty of the congregation. A new church was built adjacent and that too fell into ruin by 1770. Nothing daunted, they rebuilt on the site of the first collapse, and this is the version you see now, still in use as a Church of Scotland.
 * is the largest of a string of three coastal villages 6 miles southeast of Tain. "Mermaid of the North" is a waif-cum-snake perched on a rock, awash at high tide. The 2007 original lasted five years, good going for a piece of wood in a rough sea, and was replaced in 2014 by a bronze version. Shandwick Stone southwest of Balintore is Pictish, from 780 AD, and nowadays protected by a glass case (as much against frost as vandals). Hilton of Cadboll Stone to the northeast is a magnificently carved Pictish stone of similar date, but the original is now in the National Museum in Edinburgh, with a replica on site.
 * is the largest of a string of three coastal villages 6 miles southeast of Tain. "Mermaid of the North" is a waif-cum-snake perched on a rock, awash at high tide. The 2007 original lasted five years, good going for a piece of wood in a rough sea, and was replaced in 2014 by a bronze version. Shandwick Stone southwest of Balintore is Pictish, from 780 AD, and nowadays protected by a glass case (as much against frost as vandals). Hilton of Cadboll Stone to the northeast is a magnificently carved Pictish stone of similar date, but the original is now in the National Museum in Edinburgh, with a replica on site.
 * ten miles east is a small fishing village, with an attractive harbour, and St Colmóc's Church which now houses the museum open daily Apr-Oct. This itself became a museum piece when the structure was found to be from the 9th century. It's on the site of a Pictish monastery, destroyed by Vikings in 800 AD, and the church was built over the ruin.
 * was built by Robert Stevenson in 1830. It's 53 m (174 ft) tall, with a range of 24 nautical miles (28 miles, 44 km), automated in 1985 and still active. The keepers from time to time noted eathquakes: this coast is the northern continuation of the Great Glen Fault, which cleaves from Shetland through Loch Ness to Donegal.
 * is a tiny village near the historic ferry crossing over Cromarty Firth. Nigg Bay has a bird reserve, but there's a lot of industry based on North Sea oil and gas. Nigg Stone, a finely carved 8th-century Pictish slab, is now kept within th 18th century church. No-one has felt the need to do this with the Cholera Stone out in the graveyard: during the terrible epidemic of 1832 an elder coming out of church saw a puff of mist which he took to be cholera, threw a blanket over it then a stone to keep the cholera pinned there.

Do

 * Duthac Centre stages live shows.
 * Golf: Tain GC is on Chapel Rd east of the railway station. White tees 6109 yards, par 70, visitor round £50-£70.
 * Tain Highland Gathering is held at Glenmorangie Ground just north of the village, with the next on Su 11 Aug 2024.
 * Dornoch Highland Games are next held on Friday 2 Aug 2024.
 * Dornoch Highland Games are next held on Friday 2 Aug 2024.

Buy

 * Tesco in town centre is open daily 8AM-10PM.
 * Asda south edge of town (jcn of A9 and B9174) is open daily 7AM-11PM and has a filling station.
 * ATMs are outside the High St banks and supermarkets, and so they should be, because the inventor of the world's first ATM lived in nearby Portmahomack. John Shepherd-Barron (1925–2010) devised the Barclay cash dispenser, first installed in Enfield, London in June 1967. Withdrawals were limited to £10 as that was "quite enough for a wild weekend". However the system was ponderous, needing the insertion of radioactive cheque-like tokens, and was quickly superseded by those using a magnetic bank card plus PIN.

Eat

 * Sunflowers Cafe on High St is open M-Sa 10AM-2:30PM, Su 10AM-12:30PM.
 * Green's on High St is open lunchtime Tu-Sa, evening meals Th-Sa.

Drink

 * St Duthus Hotel is your best option. Star Inn and Archways are a mite drouthy.
 * Local whisky: Glen Morangie is not the only distillery hereabouts, there's one in Edderton, one in Invergordon and two in Alness.
 * Sutors Gin at Loandhu also makes vodka and, er, hand sanitiser.

Sleep

 * St Duthus Hotel nearby on High St may have rooms but is mostly an eating place.
 * St Duthus Hotel nearby on High St may have rooms but is mostly an eating place.
 * St Duthus Hotel nearby on High St may have rooms but is mostly an eating place.

Connect
As of July 2022, Tain and the A9 have 4G from EE and O2, and a basic mobile signal from Three and Vodafone. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * North you cross into Sutherland towards Dunrobin Castle, Helmsdale, Wick and Thurso.
 * West inland via Bonar Bridge the roads lead out to the wild northwest coast.
 * South is the gentler country of Black Isle, and A9 brings you into Inverness.
 * North Coast 500 is a motoring itinerary looping from Inverness through Ullapool, Thurso and Tain.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Tain


text:
Tainan

Tainan (臺南; Tâi-lâm in Taiwanese, Táinán in Mandarin), in Southern Taiwan, is the oldest city in Taiwan. Tainan is famous for its temples, historic buildings and snack food. It may be even more under-appreciated compared to the current capital, but is well worth a stop on a round-island trip for a quintessentially Taiwanese experience for both stomach and soul.

Understand
Located on the southwestern coast of the country, it has had a complicated past, first starting as a Dutch colony before passing through Chinese warlords, Japanese occupiers and then into Kuomintang hands. This rich history and heady mix of traditional folk culture gives Tainan far more character than the bigger Taiwanese cities, and is a good contrast to the international Taipei.

History
To truly understand the history of modern Taiwan is to trace its beginnings to Tainan. Tainan (and the start of a non-agrarian Taiwan) began in 1624 when the Dutch East India Company set up a colonial base in the Anping District (安平區 Ānpíng qū). The island of Formosa was strategically placed along major trade routes, and so the Dutch were keen to start building up a trading post and fort known as Fort Zeelandia. They were soon besieged by Ming loyalists led by Koxinga, and their surrender ended 38 years of Dutch colonial rule, bringing Taiwan under Han Chinese influence. However, Koxinga's own rule was similarly short-lived as he died four months after the takeover, yet he lives on as a local folk hero and religious icon of sorts. His grandson gave up control to the Qing dynasty, and Tainan was made the capital of Taiwan County of Fujian Province. However, Tainan, and Taiwan as a whole continued to be a Chinese backwater until the Second Opium War in 1858 forced the reopening of Anping port to foreigners, with British merchants stimulating growth in the city. Tainan lost its status as capital after Taiwan was declared a separate province in 1887, with the Qing government deciding to set up the provincial capital in Taipei instead.

Upon secession of Taiwan to Japan after the Sino-Japanese War in 1895, city leaders tried to declare independence (perhaps the first attempt at formal self-governance) although that failed and anti-Japanese sentiment grew into the Tapani Incident in 1915, when Aboriginal and Han Chinese fighters stormed several police stations in Tainan county. The armed uprising was brutally crushed, marking a turning point in relations between the local population and their occupiers as Japan enacted policies designed to assimilate the Taiwanese into the Japanese Empire, including by encouraging them to adopt Japanese names and Shinto religious practices. Modern infrastructure and urban planning transformed Tainan, befitting the largest Taiwanese settlement at the time. The odd impressive colonial building can still be found around the city, standing out against other less inspiring post-war architecture.

After the island was handed back to the Chinese Nationalists, following their retreat from the mainland after the communist victory, Tainan residents were harshly treated under the slightest suspicion of opposition to the new regime instituted by Chiang Kai-shek. Tainan and the rest of southern Taiwan remain strongly pro-independence to this day, since they have not actively thought of themselves as part of China for the last century or so.

Orientation
The city is the fifth largest city on the island after New Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung and Taipei with a population of 1.85 million (2022). For a city of its size by population, Tainan's size by land area is exceptional. Very few buildings are more than 5 to 6 stories in height and most are between two and three stories. Instead, wandering the older winding back alleys holds a lot of charm. Tainan is also extraordinary for its number of temples and shrines, Buddhist and Taoist, large and small, and you'll likely find one hidden around every other corner.

Modern Tainan is centered on the local TRA train station and Zhongshan Road, which runs through West Central District, though Anping District is the historical heart of Tainan. Anping is home to the Anping Old Fort (安平古堡;Ānpíng gu bǎo), the Anping Tree House (安平樹屋 Ānpíng shù wū) (a warehouse with massive banyan trees growing out of it), and numerous restaurants and food stalls. Qigu District in the northeast is noted for its history of salt production and the district's salt fields are also a popular attraction. Yanshui District is infamous for its notoriously fiery fireworks festival. Beyond the city center, the surrounding region is one of the major agricultural centers in Taiwan, and the amount of fresh produce may have inspired much of Tainan's snack food culture.

Talk
Like other Taiwanese cities, most people in Tainan, including taxi drivers, cannot speak English well (except for high school and college students), though some of the older generation can converse in Japanese. However, to help visitors get around, there are free tri-lingual (Chinese, English and Japanese) map-guides available at the railway station. Taiwanese is spoken by many residents of the city, and the Tainan dialect is considered to be the prestige dialect of Taiwanese.

By plane
For flight options beyond the Taiwan Strait, the closest international airport is in Kaohsiung. From there you can take a train, bus, taxi, or rental car for a 45-minute to one-hour journey to Tainan. Flying into Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is also another choice, and you don't have to go into Taipei proper and can just take the HSR train (1½ hours and NT$1350) from Taoyuan.

By train
Tainan is a major stop on the Taipei - Kaohsiung High Speed Rail line (about NT$1500 one way from Taipei). Travel time is 1 hr 45 min from Taipei. The is a bit outside of town (NT$400 by taxi), and you might think it's the wrong stop altogether since the station is surrounded by parking lots and open rice paddies. There are two free shuttle bus routes running from the city to the HSR train terminal: one to the Tainan City Hall, and another to the Chi Mei Medical Center.

You can also take the TRA (slow train) into in the city from Shalun TRA station (linked to the THSR station and NT$25 each way). Besides the THSR, standard TRA rail from Taipei can take 3½-6 hours depending on the type of the train. For example, a class 1 (4 hours) ticket from Taipei will cost NT$758. On the Southern line, trains run very frequently to Kaohsiung (1 hour and NT$70-100), to Taitung (3 hours and about NT$500) and, less frequently, to Hualien.

By bus
Tainan has good inter-city bus connections with other cities in Taiwan. Most of the bus companies have offices on Beimen Rd, north of the train station.

Get around
Tainan is a city which is problematic for pedestrians. Unlike Taipei, most of the sidewalk is essentially privatised, being an extension of the shops and restaurants behind it. The sidewalks are thus frequently blocked by various materials belonging to buildings behind, requiring pedestrians to walk on the roads and take their chances with the cars and motorcycles. Pedestrian crossings are unreliable and often blocked by traffic. If you’re disabled, don’t try and walk.

The best way to travel around the city is by car or motorcycle. Bicycle travel is possible but dangerous for a tourist who has to deal with the various obstacles emerging in the road spaces, which include frequent parked cars blocking the road, aggressive moped users and a general relaxed attitude to traffic rules and regulations amongst all concerned.

You can rent public bikes with an Easycard but you need to link your Easycard online to your credit card since it requires a deposit.

There are taxis and buses (公車 gōngchē), but they are not easy to use for non-Chinese speakers. There is a scooter rental shop next to the Tainan City TRA (slow train) station. Rentals cost around NT$600 per 24 hours. Whether a rental shop will check for a license varies from shop to shop.

All inner city bus routes pass through Tainan Station (train). There is a tourist information booth at the station with friendly staff (English speaking) who can show you how to use the bus system. On Sundays there are two free sightseeing bus routes (88 and 99) which can take you to and back from all the major historical sites. Be careful when getting on buses at the train station, because they stop at two different places depending on which direction they're going. The direction is not obvious unless you read the sign or ask the driver, so make sure not to get on going the wrong way!

The transit cards (Easycard) from Taipei and Kaohsiung can be used on the buses. Many bus stops have electronic displays to tell you when the next bus is coming. Google Maps have (delayed) live update on bus location and are extremely useful. Bus+ is a local app that updates bus location faster.

If you do take a taxi just make sure you have a map you can point at or the business card of your destination. The taxi drivers are very helpful, but sometimes even Chinese speakers take roundabout ways. Uber is widely used by taxi drivers and private cars alike. There are other local apps like Line Taxi and 55688 but they require a local phone number.

There are thousands of scooters and motorbikes packing the streets and if you injure someone while you are driving in Taiwan, the local laws require you to pay for whatever the person you injured cannot. Try getting your insurance company to write a waiver for you to be insured before driving in Taiwan.

See
At first glimpse, Tainan may seem all gray buildings with an alarming number of scooters, but thankfully it doesn't take long to discover its charms. Historical buildings and temples are mostly found in three main clusters: near Chihkan Tower and on Zhongzheng Road, which used to be within old city walls during the Qing Dynasty, and in Anping District.

Temples
Old Taoist religious customs, many of which have been wiped out elsewhere, are cherished and not forgotten here.
 * Tainan Taiwan Koxingas-Shrine-01.jpg
 * Tainan Taiwan Koxingas-Shrine-01.jpg
 * Tainan Taiwan Koxingas-Shrine-01.jpg

Landscapes

 * Qigu Salt Mountain
 * Jingzaijiao Tile-paved Salt Fields
 * Caoshan Moon World (草山月世界), Zuozhen District. An interesting region of mud hills and badlands surrounded by thick bamboo forest and some tropical fruit farms. Take the Green bus from Tainan train station to Xinhua (新化), where it's worth wandering around to grab a bite and see the sights. Then take the Green 13 branch line in the direction of Zuozhen (左鎮) and get out at Ganglin (岡林). Walk past the restaurant and the church then turn right and keep walking. A scooter would make this trip much easier, but keep your eyes open for photo ops along the road. As of June 2017 the published bus schedule is not correct, so make sure to confirm with the staff at Xinhua bus terminal.

Buy
The areas around Zhongshan Road, Beimen Road, and the train station make up the downtown of Tainan. South of the main train station is where you can find various boutique stores that mainly focuses on Japanese fashion and sport equipment stores (a popular place to visit for local students).

Eat
Tainan is often known as "the City of Snacks" (小吃城). In addition to the wide variety of food available at night markets, the city also has an abundance of street vendors specializing in tasty and cheap dishes. Oysters in particular, are favored in Tainan, from the long association with Anping port. Try the oyster omelette (蚵仔煎 kèzǎijiān / o-a chen), and oysters and thin noodles (蚵仔麵線 kèzǎi miànxiàn / o-a mi soa~) which are cooked differently from those up north. Danzai noodles (擔仔麵 dānzǎi miàn) should not be missed either. Coffin toast (棺材板 guāncaibǎn), fried bread stuffed with various ingredients, such as chicken, beans, seafood, vegetables and milk-based sauces, was also invented here.

The area around Tainan is also known for producing high quality beef, so be sure to try some beef soup while you are here.

Night markets

There are over two dozen night markets of various sizes in and around the city. Regardless of size, night markets all possess an abundance of stalls selling clothing, shoes, jewelry, toys, food and drink. Some even have live entertainment. Most night markets are only held on certain days of the week. Check before going.

Local specialties

 * Beef soup
 * Eel noodles
 * Rice cake (碗稞 wǎnkē)
 * Don't forget to try the shrimp rolls (zhou-shi) down along the canal.
 * Andi's Party Corner sells traditional Austrian food and beers, an oddity in Tainan.
 * Rice cake (碗稞 wǎnkē)
 * Don't forget to try the shrimp rolls (zhou-shi) down along the canal.
 * Andi's Party Corner sells traditional Austrian food and beers, an oddity in Tainan.

Desserts
Tainan has a pronounced sweet tooth, and nowhere is this more evident than in their love of sweet treats.
 * Elite Cake (狀元糕 zhuàngyuan gāo)

Drink
There aren't many shiny modern nightspots in Tainan; the city delights in retro bars instead, leveraging on its history and countless number of traditional houses to give an intimate, laidback feel. A smattering of Mandarin or Taiwanese will open more doors in terms of nightlife, otherwise it would be easier to stick to expat hangouts where the owners speak English. Some of the bars provide taxi service if you get too drunk.

Pearl milk tea (珍珠奶茶, zhēnzhū nǎichá), also known as bubble tea, is a must drink in Tainan. Look out for shops where it is made directly to order! The Hanlin Tea House (翰林茶館) is one of two claimants to having invented the drink. Fruit drinks and desserts are always refreshing in the sticky summer heat too.

Western bars

 * Dirty Roger, Dongmen Rd. (close to the railway station).Excellent small bar. Used to be very hip, still very good. Every Music imaginable.
 * The Armory, Gongyuan Rd. Good for beers and sport
 * Willies Second Base, for beers, sport, food and pool upstairs

Sleep
The local heritage and religious festivals of Tainan mostly draws only domestic tourists, so weekends, Taiwanese public holidays and school vacations are particularly busy for hotels. There aren't the masses of Chinese tour buses that crowd touristy Jiufen or Sun Moon Lake, so Tainan is a good place to be if you happen to be in Taiwan during the Golden Weeks in January/February or October. Staying near the train station or Chihkan Tower may help simplify public transport as they are easy landmarks and most buses stop at either place.

Stay safe
Tainan, like the rest of Taiwan, is very safe for tourists with respect to crime. However, you should keep alert when on the roads - the Bureau of Transportation reports an average of 200 deaths and 20,000 injuries per year from traffic incidents in Tainan alone.

Noise
Adding to the constant flow of traffic in the streets, Tainan also host the greatest number of temple parades in the country which means loud fireworks at potentially any time of day. Moreover, fighter jets performing low passes over the city are a frequent occurrence every day (sometimes up to 30 times a day!), so people who are sensitive to such loud events should be wary.

Go next

 * Guanziling – One of Taiwan's best-known hot spring areas.
 * Fo Guang Shan – The largest and most impressive Buddhist monastery of Taiwan, just 1 hour southeast of Tainan.
 * Kaohsiung – The second largest city of Taiwan, and a port city that took over Tainan's place as the Harbor City, one hour south by TRA train.
 * Chiayi – The next northern city and natural jumping off point for the beautiful Alishan, e.g. by the scenic narrow-gauge Alishan Forest Railway.
 * Kinmen – If Tainan is the bastion of Taiwanese identity, then Kinmen is an interesting study at the opposite end of the spectrum as a pair of islands inextricably tied to the Chinese mainland.

title: Tainan


text:
Taining

Taining (泰宁 Tàiníng) is a county in Fujian with a UNESCO Geopark nearby.

Understand
The scenic area of Taining Ancient City is in the center of the county; to the south of the county, 1 km to the Geological Museum, 9 km to the Jinhu Scenic Area, km to Maoer Mountain Scenic Spot; to the west of the county seat to the Zhaixia Grand Canyon 16 km; to the north of the county seat, 21 km to the upper wharf of Shangqingxi Scenic Spot, 17 km to Jiulongtan Scenic Spot, and 10 km to Zhuangyuan Rock; drive to each scenic spot on cement or asphalt pavement, which can be reached within half an hour.

Climate
There is no extreme heat in summer and no severe cold in winter. The four seasons are mild and humid, with sufficient sunlight and abundant rainfall. There is plenty of rainfall in the area.

Get in
From Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and other places directly to Fuzhou, Xiamen, Wuyi Mountain, and then take a car to Taining.

By train
Directly from Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Hefei, Nanchang, Fuzhou, Xiamen and other places to Shaowu, Shunchang, Nanping, Sanming and other places, and then take a car to Taining.

By car
Taining is 76 kilometers to Shaowu, 146 kilometers to Wuyi Mountain, 62 kilometers to Jiangle Yuhua Cave, 184 kilometers to Nanping, 176 kilometers to Sanming, and 85 kilometers to Lichuan, Jiangxi.

By plane
There are passenger flights from Fuzhou, Putian, Shishi, Xiamen, Dongguan, Guangzhou and other places.

Fees and permits
Each scenic spot of Taining Global Geopark has different entrance fees.

By bus
There are buses from the urban area to the Zhaixia Grand Canyon, Jinhu, Shangqingxi, Jiulongtan, Zhuangyuan Rock, and Maoer Mountain Scenic Area.

By taxi
Taining County is very small, and taxis generally do not use the meter.

The rickshaw tricycle is common form ofvtaxi.

There will be white rental vans on Taining Street. After discussing the price with the master, you can go to the scenic area. It is best to leave the contact information of the master to facilitate contact on the return journey.

See
(泰宁国家级风景名胜区)

It is also known as the Jinhu Scenic Area because it is in the upper reaches of the Jinxi River and is rich in sand and gold. The overall shape of Jinhu Lake is arc-shaped, like a crescent moon, from northeast to southwest and then to southeast. There are dozens of small and small streams in the lake area, which gather water from the surrounding 6 counties and cities. The total area of the scenic spot is 136 km².

Jinhu Lake has the beautiful scenery of 72 peaks, 36 rocks, 18 holes, 5 springs, and 2 waterfalls. The "five unique" characteristics of green mountains, beautiful waters, beautiful rocks, strange caves, and strange peaks; the scenic area has a good ecology, with a coverage rate of over 95% of the original secondary forest, excellent water quality, and the blue waters of Danya and Cuifeng. There are many flora and fauna; the climate is pleasant, and suitable for travel in all seasons.

Danshan and clear water are the two major elements that make up the scenery of the Golden Lake: the majestic beauty of the mountains, the beauty and elegance of the water; the green and blue lakes, and the red stone that stretches for dozens of kilometers. The group is connected as a whole, Danya plunges into the center of the lake, and the clear water penetrates into the belly of the mountain; the cliffs are often indented into caves, and the stream flows down to form waterfalls; the lake reflects the majesty of the peaks, the peaks set off the depth of the lake, and the ancient rock temples inlaid along the coast, Many cultural landscapes, such as fishing villages, ancient tombs, etc., are full of twists and turns, and are full of spirituality. They have created rare water Danxia wonders in China, especially Ganlu Temple, Water Yixiantian, Valley Mijin, Tiangong Buddha Statue, and natural Peerless wonders such as the cliffs and rock carvings are breathtaking.

(甘露寺)

The origin of the name of the Ganlu Temple is that the spring water filtered and seeped from the rock formations in the temple is sweet and sweet, just like the nectar. It was built in 1146 CE. It was built by Ye Zuqia of Taining and Northern Song Dynasty to repay his mother’s wish. It is said that Ye Zuqia’s mother came from the city to pray for a child in the incense-saving Guanyin Temple. To rebuild the temple, the cave is as big as the cave.” Later, he got a son. When Ye Zuqia grew up, he was the top high school champion. In order to repay his mother's vow, Ye Zhuangyuan recruited the world's architects to build the temple. However, due to the steep terrain, the temple was unable to start construction for a long time. One day, a craftsman named Zhou Xitou saw a strong man carrying a log placing a thick and straight log on a Y-shaped iron fork. Therefore, he was inspired by Zhou Yitou persuaded the Ye family with a set of words: "The number one scholar in the house is named Ye, one tree and four horizontal lines; this rock is narrow and wide at the top, like the reversed word'Pin'. The first grade official of the dynasty, so the temple was built like this."

On both sides of the temple are natural red rock mountains, the left side is like a bell, and the right side is like a drum. The two are collectively called bell and drum stones. The Ganlu Rock where the "Ganlu Temple" is located is sandwiched in it, so there is a saying that "the temple (miao) is in it with the left bell and the right drum".

The temple is a red building inlaid in the red rocky mountain and integrated with the mountain. The whole temple is made of wood and is bolted to each other without an iron nail. In order to adapt to the special cave structure with a wide top and a narrow bottom, the design of the T-shaped arch uses only a huge beam and column to support the building above, which is very incredible. The spirit of the earth presents a peaceful and peaceful beauty.

(尚书第)

It was a residential building from the Ming Dynasty, commonly known as "Wufutang". It was the mansion of Li Chunye, the Shangshu of the Ministry of War and the crown prince, and it is the largest and best-preserved Ming Dynasty residential building in Fujian. Built during the Tianqi period of the Ming Dynasty, the mansion sits on the west side and faces the east. There are 5 main houses and 8 auxiliary houses, which are divided into 5 gates and arranged along the corridor. Except for the halls, patios, and corridors, more than 120 houses are all made of brick, stone and wood. Each main house has three entrances. The corridors, courtyards, corridors and patios are all paved with granite slabs. The halls are square tiles and the patios have carved stone pillars, flower stands and stone cylinders. The hallway in front of the court is divided into north and south gates, and the north entrance is equipped with a guard of honor and a living room. There are five gate towers in the corridor, with stone plaques inlaid on the front of the gates, which are inscribed with "Shangshudi", "Zhuguo Shaobao", "Fourth Generation and One Product", "Flying on the Stars", "According to the Light of the Sun and the Moon", and "Du The stigma of the plaque is engraved with various delicate patterns. The layout of the entire mansion is rigorous and reasonable, magnificent.

Located to the east of Shangshudi, Shidetang is an ancient building at the end of Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of Ming Dynasty, with a history of more than 500 years. The main house is a series of six west-to-east volcanic-walled hard mountain-style wooden frame buildings, with a simple style and extensive materials. The hall completely preserves the Ming Dynasty residential building model of "three halls and nine buildings". The halls are connected together, safe and comfortable, and show the architectural art of Ming Dynasty residential buildings. Shidetang, Shangshudi and Li's Ancestral Hall together form the Shangshudi complex, with a total area of 12,000 square meters. The building complex contains various functional buildings such as ancient official residences, private houses, ancestral halls, living rooms, auxiliary rooms, large courtyards, and reproduces part of the ancient life scenes. It is one of the most typical and complete ancient residential boutique architectural communities in the south of the Yangtze River. The Second Shengli Street, where Shang Shudi is located, is an ancient street left in the city, where a large number of residential buildings from the Ming Dynasty have been preserved. The residents here drink water daily, and even use wells from the Ming Dynasty. The names of "Longqing" and "Wanli" are engraved on the well circle. In addition to the ancient buildings to see at the Li's Ancestral Hall next to the ticket gate of Shang Shudi, you can also watch Taining's unique Meilin Opera and experience Taining's unique humanistic atmosphere. It has now been converted into a performance hall and is the resident of Taining County Meilin Drama Troupe. When there are tourists visiting, there will be scenes of the Meilin Opera 8 times a day.

(寨下大峡谷)

Also known as the Golden Dragon Valley, it is an excellent place to view the Danxia landform. It has typical red cliffs, caves, lane valleys, line valleys and barrier lakes. Due to the formation of the canyon They are caused by three types of geological processes, namely flowing water erosion, gravitational collapse, and tectonic movement. There are many amazing attractions in the Zhaixia Grand Canyon, such as:
 * The "landslides" of the Tongtian Gorge can shock people's hearts. Due to the overall cliff wall being affected by the 90° vertical gravity, the top of the mountain collapsed and weathered in 1976 and was chopped like a huge monument erected to the sky.
 * Xuantianxia’s [Water Drop Stone Wear] is amazing. The reason for the formation here is that the water flows from the top to the bottom, and it is formed by vertical erosion of the flakes. Because the Danxia landform is a sedimentary topography and is formed by the accumulation of glutenite, the erosion effect is particularly developed.
 * In the "time-space tunnel" of Yitianxia, you can see and touch two geological rock formations that are separated from each other at the same time.
 * Tianqiangyan is the most fascinating part of the Zhaixia Grand Canyon. It is a rare telescopic cave in China, which means that the caves are connected to the caves, and the caves are surrounded by caves. There are small caves in the big cave. Hundreds of Danxia caves of different sizes and shapes look like a sacred cave at the bottom of the valley. The dome of the palace is truly breathtaking.
 * There is a lake hidden at the bottom of Danya Valley in the Zhaixia Grand Canyon, Yanqi Lake, surrounded by green bamboos and trees, the lake is quiet, cold and clear.

(泰宁古城)

It was called "Jincheng Field" in ancient times. In the Western Han Dynasty, it was a hunting place for King Wuzhu of Minyue. The county was founded in the first year of Zhongxing in the Southern Tang Dynasty (958 CE).

Do

 * Taining Cultural Tourism Festival (泰宁文化旅游节): activities, including landscape photography contests, mountain outdoor sports challenges (cross-country running, mountaineering, mountain biking, kayaking, bamboo rafting, inline skating, cross-country skills) and so on.
 * Appreciation of the Merlin Opera (欣赏梅林戏): Taining Meilin Opera was introduced to Meilin Village in Taining County during the Qianlong Period of the Qing Dynasty (1736–1795). The local people have long circulated a folk song: "Eighteen houses in Meilin, nine dan boxes from ten households, playing jingle drums, singing Meilin accent."

Eat
There are hundreds of small noodle shops in the urban area.

Taining has a lot of good and unique delicacies, and you can find restaurants with these delicacies everywhere; come here, might as well try the local delicacies, otherwise it will be for nothing!

 * Biyu Roll -is one of Taining's famous snacks, belonging to Fujian cuisine. The common name is "Leek Rice Cake". According to legend, in the Northern Song Dynasty, Ye Zuqia, a native of the town, had a wealthy family and was hardworking and studious. In order to avoid the hustle and bustle of the city, he lived in seclusion more than 100 miles away from the county town at the age of 16, and now belongs to Dabugang, Dabugang, Shaowu. According to history, in the second year of Xining in the Northern Song Dynasty, when Ye Zuchaia went to the capital for examinations, his mother used leeks and rice to make jasper rolls for him. After Ye Zuqia went to the top high school in Beijing and returned to his hometown, in order to repay his mother's kindness, he put on a big jasper roll feast to entertain relatives and friends.
 * Nuan Mushroom Bun -It is a special delicacy of Taining. It is said to be "Mouse Qu Xiao Cao Bao Shan Zhen". It uses "Mo Qu grass" and rice milk as raw materials, pounded into glutinous rice, plus shiitake mushrooms, black fungus, bacon, Fillings such as bamboo shoots and dried tofu are made into buns. Sage grass is a small grass with hairy leaves. In spring, small yellow flowers bloom in the fields. Every family in Taining makes warm mushroom wrappers to worship the gods of the land and pray for a good harvest in the New Year.
 * Xiancao cake -commonly known as "Jelly" in Taining. There is a local saying that "Emerald Xishi with fairy grass". The raw materials are rice noodles and grass. Rice noodles, immortal grass and well water are boiled in a pot, frozen and agglomerated. Eating jelly in summer can cool down and prevent heatstroke, clear away heat and detoxify.
 * White striped fish -a specialty of Jinhu Lake, in large numbers. Dip it with salt and pepper and potato powder, deep-fry it, it tastes crisp and fragrant, and it is served with soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and garlic mash.
 * Whenever a wedding or funeral banquet, the locals will inevitably want to eat the pounded dumplings, which is the "bottom" of the banquet, commonly known as "satisfaction." The glutinous rice that has been washed and soaked is first steamed in a large steamer, then poured into a stone mortar, pounded into glutinous rice cakes, and then kneaded into various shapes of glutinous rice cakes. Rice cakes can be divided into glutinous rice cakes, champion rice cakes, Qingming rice cakes, Shangyuan rice cakes, and Wupu japonica rice cakes.
 * Assorted pancakes -Taining flavor snacks can be seen everywhere on the streets of Taining. Those who have lived in Taining for a long time may not care about this small detail, but this is one of our local traditional delicacies in Taining. The original is just simple After the rice is ground with soybean milk, it is directly fried. It can still be found in some breakfast snack bars. Later, it was converted to the current filling with various fillings.

Drink
Shangshu Liquor in Taining is commonly known as Jiu Niang. According to legend, Shangshu Liquor was made by combining with local winemaking techniques when Zou Yinglong, the number one scholar in the Southern Song Dynasty, brought back the secret recipe from the palace when he was in the position of Shangshu. The wine is light yellow in color, mellow and delicious.

Taining has one western bar called the Bamboo Bar, owned by two Englishmen. Cheap prices, good music and open till late.

title: Taining