AS2010

TAIWAN TOUR

Please access to Taiwan Tourism Bureau (http://eng.taiwan.net.tw)

CITY TOUR

Participants and their accompany persons can make city tours (including Tainan Science-Based Industrial Park and Tainan Industrial Park) any time. We introduce some famous landmarks for you to visit.

1.Anping Matsu Temple

	Koxinga (also called Cheng-Kung Tzeng) brought 3 god's statues from Fuchien province of China as the patron saint of the soldiers in 1661 during Ming Dynasty. After Koxinga took over Taiwan from the Dutch in 1668 during Ching Dynasty, a temple near the ocean and consecrated Matsu was built. The place was in now Anping Elementary School named "Tian-Feng Gong". In 1874, it was renamed as "Tian-Hou Gong". At Japanese colonization in 1895, Japanese killed Ching's soldiers in this temple and buried their bodies here. The residents were afraid of their ghosts, so this temple was neglected. The Japanese changed it to be a public school of Anping. The statues were put at several other temples in Anping. In 1966, this temple was rebuilt at the present place and called the Anping Matsu Temple

2. Koxinga Shrine

		Koxinga is the alias of Cheng-Kung Tzeng, who protected and developed Tainan after Dutch’s governance. Koxinga Shrine is in memory of Cheng-Kung Tzeng’s contribution in Taiwan. This building also displays many old living tools to draw the tourists’ memory of dwelling in past several hundred years.

3.Kaiyuan Monastery

This was originally a villa built by Koxinga’s son Cheng Jin for his mother in 1680. It was rebuilt in 1690, and its name has been changed several times, that’s Haihuei Temple, Kaiyuan Temple, and Haijin Temple. It mainly worships Sakyamuni Buddha and is the oldest monastery in Taiwan. The temple is tranquil, with some old banyan trees grown high into the sky, the linden trees evergreen, and the white walls, red tiles, and smooth ridges of the building resembling a pretty drawing.

4. Cheng-Kung Tzeng’s Landing Memorial Monument

Cheng-Kung Tzeng’s Landing Memorial Monument was established in the Cheng-Kung Tzeng memorial park. Cheng-Kung Tzeng was a famous warrior in the Ming Dynasty. However, the Ming Dynasty was overthrown by the Ching Dynasty. To take revenge on the Ching Dynasty, Cheng-Kung Tzeng decided to take Taiwan as a main station. He expelled the Dutch and developed Taiwan, thus, Taiwanese really appreciated his contribution to Taiwan.

5. The Universality Temple at Shi-Tsao

		When Cheng-Kung Tzeng took over Taiwan, the adjutant general Yo Chen of Tzeng’s vanguard troops eradicated more than 300 Dutch soldiers during the battle of North San-Wei-Dao. These 300 killed Dutch soldiers were buried in the backyard of the Temple. The universality was built in memory of Yo Chen’s merit during the Ching Dynasty

6. Cannon Fort at Shi-Tsao

		The wall with cannon fort at Shi-Tsao was built in 1840 and remodeled in 1841 to prevent the invasion from the British military troops. The wall is 118.6m long, 1.62m wide, and 1.25mhigh, on which 13 cannon forts were installed every 6-8m interval. The Universality Temple is in front of the wall with cannon, which is surrounded by a vast salt marsh and a series of fish ponds. The rear of the Universality Temple is a precious mangrove conservation area.

7. Anping Minor Artillery Fort

		During the Opium War of 1840, Ching court wanted to protect Taiwan from British military troops' invasion. The commander of Taiwan, Ying Yao suggested to build fortress at 17 locations along Taiwan's shore. At that time, there are 5 fortresses built in Anping area. Anping Minor Artillery Fort was one of these Fortresses. Aping Minor Artillery Fort was smaller than Erkunshen Fortress (Also call "Anping Major Artillery Fort"), so we call it Aping Minor Artillery Fort. Different from the western designed fortress of Erkunshen Fortress, this fortress is the representative work for Chinese old type fortress. In 1874, the commander of Taiwan Mau-Chin Chou repaired this fortress. According to the file photo kept from period of Japanese colonization, the fortress on the photo had been equipped with British BP Cannons. In 1980, Tainan City Government repaired the fortress. The army once built a blockhouse on the fortress and repaired it in 1980.

8. Garden Night Market

	From north to south, there are so many night markets. The famous one in Tainan is called "Garden Night Market", which includes different styles of food and merchandises like a supermarket. Many residents and visitors like to visit the Garden Night Market at night to enjoy different styles of food.

9. Golden Coast

Golden Coast along the Taiwan Strait locates in the southwestern part of Tainan City. Tainan residents and tourists like to spend leisure time here in watching sea, walking on the beach, and swimming in sea during daytime. At night, the coast becomes very romantic; people like to take a stroll on the top of seabank and chat at coffee stands accompanied by music.
(Photo Copyright c2009 TTNews http://www.travel-web.com.tw/)

10. Lover’s Wharf at Sin-Da Harbor

Sin-Da Harbor located on the northeast coast of Kaohsiung, is famous for mullet, a kind of high-economy fish. Sin-Da Harbor has become a beautiful and multi-function harbor after being remodeled by Kaohsiung Government. Now, Sin-Da Harbor is a famous fish harbor. Besides, its affiliated Lover’s Wharf has attracted many couples to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

11. Shi-Tsao Wildlife Preserve, Tainan City

The historic fishing village of Shi-Tsao was originally situated on Bei-Shan-Wei Island in the "extinct" Tai-Jiang Inner Sea. In1823, following a change in the course of the nearby Tseng-Wen River, large amounts of sediments were deposited in the Tai-Jiang Inner Sea causing the area to silt up rapidly and creating the "land" upon which Shi-Tsao now sits.

The salt extraction industry moved into the area and the development of salt pans created a new eco-system for both man and animal to exploit. Tiny microscopic invertebrate animals flourished in the salt pans and these in turn attracted a multitude of birdlife (over 200 species have been recorded within the protected area). In addition, small channels built to draw salt water into the desalination pools created a new opportunity for many rare and declining species of mangrove to hold and flourish. Species of mangrove within the Shi-Tsao area include Lumnitzera racemusa, Avicennia marina and Rhizophora mucronata.

The proposed development of a Science and Industrial Park by the Ministry of Economic Affairs in 1990 brought a new threat to the Shi-Tsao eco-system. Whilst everyone agreed that economic development would be hugely beneficial to the local economy, the potential loss of such a valuable wetland eco-system such as Shi-Tsao was of grave concern to local conservationists. Extensive negotiation with both government and local contractors resulted in a "compromise" of 523.848 hectares of land being "set aside" in the interests of conservation. On 30th November 1994 the Council of Agriculture announced the establishment of the "Shi-Tsao Wildlife Preserve in Tainan."

The establishment of the new wetland preserve struck a balance between the interests of the local economy on the one hand and the interests of conservation on the other. It is hoped that this successful compromise can serve a something of a model for future instances where the interests of both conservationists and developers conflict. the designation of part of Shi-Tsao area as a wildlife preserve it is hoped will preserve the region for the enjoyment of future generations to come as well as providing plentiful opportunities for research, education, conservation and eco-tourism.

12. The Black-faced Spoonbill Protecting Wet Land at Cigu of the North Coast of Tsengwen River

Taiwan is a very important station for migratory, the most surprised is Black-faced Spoonbill. Black-faced Spoonbill is rare in the world; even there were less than 300 in 1989. Every winter, Black-faced Spoonbill stay here until spring, and there were about half of all Black-faced Spoonbill stay here as their another home, it is very cheerful for bird-protecting group. For maintain this wet land as a suitable place for Black-faced Spoonbill, government announced to plan this wet land as the protection zone for Black-faced Spoonbill in 2002, keep Black-faced Spoonbill from the threaten of extinction.

13. Shou-Laug Culture Park

The predecessor of Shou-Laug Culture Park is the Jia-Li sugar factory, was the first new sugar-producing company, which was established in Taiwan in 1906 by Meiji Company, Japan. Besides sugar-producing, the Jia-Li sugar factory also ran the business on raw materials and goods as well as tourism with the peak business in 1970. In 1990, since the international sugar price was devalued, the Jia-Li sugar company could not bear the loss and finally closed its business in 1998. Because the Jia-Li sugar company and its history are still deeply affected the local residents, the Leader of Tainan County, Mr. Huan-jhih Su, intended to redesign this block as the present Shou-Laug Culture Park.
There are 6 permanent exhibition halls (Game hall, Si-La-Ya Culture Hall, Sugar Culture Hall, Local Culture Hall, Earthquake Educating Hall, and Theater) in Shou-Laug Culture Park. These six exhibition halls usually display different sugar products and cultures from foreign countries.

Cijin

	Cijin is an offshore district of Kaohsiung City that is the inshore subsidiary island. Cijin links others to become one shoal peninsula. The geographical position can just keep out and float the sand strong wave for the harbor of Kaohsiung. Cijin now becomes the best protective screen of the harbor of Kaohsiung.

In 1967, in order to open up the second port in the harbor of Kaohsiung, the sand spit linking Cijin with Taiwan was cut, make Cijin become the subsidiary island in the shoal once again. Kaohsiung was promoted as the municipality directly under the Central Government in 1979, and put island of Dongsha and peaceful island of Nansha under the administration of Cijin district.

The visiting resources of Cijin are enriched in numerous historical sites under the construction of the municipal government in recent years. Cijin now become a famous scenic area in Kaohsiung City where the visitors like to have sunbath and seafood.