Enter Chihkan Tower and have a dialogue with history in Tainan

Some places don't need too much explanation, just walk in quietly and you will understand its importance. For me, Chihkan Tower is such a place. Walking in the busy alleys of Tainan, suddenly looking up, you will see the building with swallowtail ridge, red brick walls and stacked eaves standing quietly. It is not high or big, but it has a calm aura that makes people slow down. — 📜 Story about Chihkan Tower The predecessor of Chihkan Tower was the "Provintia" built by the Dutch in 1653 AD, which was one of the earliest historical sites of Taiwan's contact with the West at that time. After Zheng Chenggong recovered Taiwan, he converted the original Dutch castle into a Han-style pavilion, and gradually became a place for government offices, education and sacrifices in the Qing Dynasty. The Chihkan Tower we see today is the appearance after many renovations. It combines the architectural features of the Dutch base and the Fujian-style pavilion, and has become one of the few historical buildings in Taiwan where you can see a combination of Chinese and Western styles. 🏛️ Chihkan Tower is not just a building, it is the memory of time in Tainan. The first floor retains the Dutch red brick base and wall structure of the year. The second floor is a typical Minnan wooden pavilion, with flying eaves, window lattices, and octagonal caissons. There are nine "Bi-yi Tuobei" in the courtyard. According to legend, it is a mythical beast that gave birth to nine sons of the dragon, carrying the inscription of the imperial edict of the Qing Dynasty. You can also see the "Dashi Hall" and "Wenchang Pavilion" from the Qianlong period, which are full of traditional humanistic atmosphere. Walking in Chihkan Tower, history is not a book, but bricks, tiles, and every corridor and couplet under light and shadow. 📷 Photo recommendations & notes 📸 Climb up to the second floor to look out over the surrounding streetscapes, capturing the interweaving of traditional architecture and modern cities 📸 The stone tablets and big banyan trees in the courtyard are the perfect background for taking retro and portrait photos 📸 The evening is the most beautiful, with the setting sun, the red walls and eaves blending with the golden light, and the picture is particularly gentle 📸 It is also unique after the lights are turned on at night. It is one of the few historical sites in Tainan that is still open at night (open until 21:00 in the evening) 📍【Chihkan Tower Information Notes】 Location: No. 212, Section 2, Minzu Road, West Central District, Tainan City Opening hours: 08:30–21:00 (open all year round) Tickets: Full ticket NT$70, half ticket NT$35 (free for Tainan residents) Recommended stay time: about 45–60 Minutes Transportation: Near Tainan Station, about 10-15 minutes walk, there are buses/YouBike nearby Nearby tours: Sidian Wu Temple, Datianhou Temple, Yongle Market, Shennong Street 💭 Chihkan Tower is the starting point of a slow trip I especially like standing on the second floor, holding the wooden railing, looking out at the street scene and sky of Tainan. People coming and going, motorcycles shuttling, the aroma of beef soup wafting from the alley, These noises are in sharp contrast with the tranquility in the building, It also makes me understand that history is not stopped in the past, but still lives in the rhythm of this city. The beauty of Tainan takes a little time to slowly understand, and Chihkan Tower is the page that is most worth stopping and reading carefully. 📌"If Anping Fort is the dialogue between Taiwan and the sea, then Chihkan Tower is the intersection of Taiwan and the world." The Provintia Fortress four hundred years ago has become the Chihkan Tower today, still quietly guarding the stories and memories of this land #5月好去处2025