Strolled through Tainan’s Yongle Market and Shennong Street before heading to Anping Tree House

Strolling through Yongle Market, a traditional market in Tainan

Yongle Market and its surrounding area are famous as a gourmet spot in Tainan.

It was very convenient as it was only about a 10-minute walk from the Fuxing Hotel Tainan where I was staying.

From Google Map

Yongle Market is a narrow alleyway about 200 meters long, lined with numerous shops on both sides.

I visited Yongle Market first thing in the morning.

Yongle Market begins just beyond this intersection.

The road isn’t specifically closed off to create a pedestrian zone, so motorcycles whiz past as you walk.

Right around the corner as I entered Yongle Market, there was a shop with a long line of people even in the morning.

Later, I found out that this “Jin De Chun Juan” is one of the three most famous shops in Yongle Market and is a popular spring roll shop.

I was full from breakfast when I passed by, but I wish I had bought one.

Other famous shops in Yongle Market include “Yiwei Pin Wan Guo Yu Geng,” easily recognizable by its red sign with yellow lettering, and “Haowei Hong Shao Tu Gou Yu Geng,” also easily recognizable by its red sign with white lettering.

“Yiwei Pin Wan Guo Yu Geng”: Wan Guo (碗粿) is a dish similar to chawanmushi (savory egg custard) made from ground rice. This shop is famous for its Wan Guo, which contains various ingredients such as pork, shrimp, and shiitake mushrooms, topped with a thick, sweet and savory sauce. The combination of the sweet sauce and the rich flavor of the Wan Guo is a highlight.

“Haowei Hongshao Tumo Yu Geng”: Tumo Yu Geng (fried Spanish mackerel) is a simple dish of fried Spanish mackerel topped with a thick, sweet and sour soup. This restaurant is famous for its “Mian Geng” (with noodles), “Mifen Geng” (with rice noodles), and “Fan Geng” (with rice).

There are also shops that seem to sell fruit-based sweets, making it a pleasant place to simply stroll around.

Just off the main street, down a side street, you’ll find shops that look like they’re frequented by locals.

They had piles of prepared foods and the atmosphere of a cheap and delicious, casual diner.

Walking along the side of that alley, I entered the building of the Yongle Market.

There were many shops selling prepared foods, but there were also many shops selling fresh fish, vegetables, and other ingredients, and we saw locals buying groceries.

As I’ve written in another article, you can also find delicious douhua (tofu pudding) desserts on this street in Yongle Market.

Strolling through Shennong Street in the morning

I went to Shennong Street, which was recommended by a friend who knows Taiwan well, as it was just a short walk from Yongle Market.

It’s only a few hundred meters long, but if you follow the small alleyway, you’ll reach Shennong Street.

This area seems to have many cafes and general stores housed in renovated retro old houses, making it a great place to relax and shop.

Unfortunately, I went too early in the morning and most of the shops weren’t open.

However, the cobblestone street had some old buildings, and some shops had renovated exteriors while retaining their original facades, creating a charming atmosphere for shopping and strolling.

There were many lanterns hanging outside, so the atmosphere might change completely at night.

There was also a white building where you could drink craft beer.

When I saw a temple-like building at the end of Shennong Street, it seemed like I had reached the end of the street.

Next, we’re heading to Anping Tree House, one of the tourist spots I wanted to visit in Tainan.

We’ll be traveling by bus.

Tainan bus stops are easily recognizable by their elaborately decorated white signs.

The fare is a flat 18 NTD, which is about 80 Japanese Yen.

It’s convenient because you can use Taiwan’s EasyCard (electronic money).

From the main street near Shennong Street, head towards Anping Tree House.

I took the bus for about 20 minutes from the Xiejin Primary School bus stop and got off at Fisherman Village.

You can also get off at the Anping Fisherman’s Wharf stop.

GoogleMapより出典

A Taiwanese woman waiting at the bus stop spoke to us in broken English, expressing her concern about our destination.

She said she loved Japan and wanted to visit.

Even on the bus, she seemed to be telling the driver something like, “These people are getting off at Anping Old Street.”

When getting off the bus, you press a stop request button inside the bus, and it stops at the next stop.

Heading west towards Anping Tree House

About 30 minutes by bus from Shennong Street towards the sea lies Anping Tree House, the place I wanted to visit in Tainan.

Originally, it was a key location for foreign trade under Dutch rule.

In 1661, a man named Zheng Chenggong reclaimed the land from the Dutch and named it “Anping.”

Later, before World War II, Taiwan was briefly occupied by Japan.

Western-style rooms were built and used as customs staff quarters.

The Anping area seems to have flourished as a port and trading hub in the past, and even now, there are Western-style buildings reminiscent of the Taisho era.

Anping has many sights to see, but my main purpose this time was “Anping Tree House.”

The branches of banyan trees are entangled around the building, creating a scene that seems frozen in time, similar to Ta Prohm in Cambodia, which I visited previously, and I had wanted to go there.

From GoogleMap

First, we headed to Ta Prohm Anping Tree House in Tainan

Anping Tree House is about a 5-minute walk from where you get off the bus.

There’s a signpost right after you get off the bus, so it’s easy to find.

Anping Tree House opens at 8:30 AM.

The entrance fee is 70 yuan (approximately 300 yen) per adult.

Credit card payments are accepted.

We enter through the main gate.

Upon entering the main gate, I saw a stone monument with inscriptions on it to the side.

Immediately to the side upon entering, you can see a scene where branches are covering the trees.

Further inside, we came across trees that were bent at strange angles.

Further inside, there’s a courtyard-like area and a building that appears to have once been a warehouse or factory, with tree branches entwined everywhere.

The walking paths are well-maintained and very easy to navigate.

Since we visited early in the morning, there was only one other group besides us.

In the courtyard, the caretaker was mowing the lawn.

Inside the building, only the framework of the walls and roof remained.

This was a fascinating space, seemingly untouched by the flow of modern time.

You can also see the view from above by going up the stairs.

Wow, it really does look just like Ta Prohm in Cambodia.

If you keep going straight up the stairs, you’ll reach the coastline.

I’ll check out the observation deck, then head back.

My stay was only about 20-30 minutes, but it was enough time for a morning stroll.

If you go a little later, you can enjoy having tea at the coffee shop on-site or browsing the souvenir shops, so I recommend going at a time that suits you.

Exploring Anping Old Fort and Anping Old Street by bicycle is also recommended.

After visiting Anping Tree House, I strolled along the narrow streets.

After walking a short distance, we came across the Tianhou Temple.

There seemed to be a festival going on inside, and it was very crowded.

Other highlights include Anping Old Fort, with its remaining ancient city walls and cannons, and Anping Old Street, adorned with beautiful lanterns.

Unfortunately, we wandered around too much and missed our chance to see them.

There was also a place to see warships a short drive away, but the heat had drained our energy.

Instead, we found a stylish coffee shop by the water.

It was called “Riverside Coffee.”

It wasn’t open yet because it was too early in the morning, but it seemed like a perfect location to take a break during our stroll.

After that, we walked along the river towards a restaurant famous for its beef soup.

However, for some reason, I was drawn in by the delicious aroma of a diner along the way and ended up making a detour.

Anping Old Street might be just right for a day trip, perhaps incorporating lunch.

We walked around quite a bit, so it was a rather strenuous short trip.

I’m satisfied that we were able to enjoy Taiwan’s tourist spots beyond just night markets and traditional markets.

And if you have the time, I highly recommend trying the beef soup at “Wen Zhang Beef Soup.”

Afterward, we returned to Yongle Market and quenched our thirst with douhua (tofu pudding), which hadn’t been open in the morning.

It was delicious!