The free "Yanshui Moon Harbor Stroll" guided tour kicks off on September 20 – Explore old streets and alleys

▲ The free urban guided tour "Yanshui Moon Harbor Stroll" is expected to officially launch on September 20. (Photo / Provided by Tainan City Government)
 

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

The free urban guided tour "Yanshui Moon Harbor Stroll" is expected to officially launch on September 20, offering free guided services every Saturday afternoon from 3–6 PM and every Sunday morning from 9 AM–12 PM. The Tourism Bureau stated that this is the first walking tour route in the northern part of the Chiayi River area in Tainan. The guided tour will lead visitors to uncover historical traces beneath the modern town’s appearance, strolling through old streets and alleys, waterfront parks, Japanese-style architecture, gourmet dessert districts, religious buildings, and Baroque-style archways.

Guided tours promoted by the Tourism Bureau such as "Historic Strolls of the Ancient Capital – Chih Line & Confucius Temple Line," "Anping Old Street Tour," along with the "Yanshui Moon Harbor Stroll" launched for trial operation in May this year and the "Five Ports Old Town Stroll – Starlight Line & Sunlight Line" introduced in July, have hosted over a thousand sessions and served tens of thousands of visitors as of July this year.

Yanshui, located in the northern part of the Chiayi River area in Tainan, can be considered one of Taiwan’s oldest towns. As evidenced by the well-known saying "First Tainan, second Lukang, third Mengjia, fourth Yanshui," one can see the esteemed historical status Yanshui once held. The guided tour will lead visitors to uncover historical traces beneath the modern town’s appearance, strolling through old streets and alleys, waterfront parks, Japanese-style architecture, gourmet dessert districts, religious buildings, and Baroque-style archways.

The Tourism Bureau stated that Yanshui is definitely not unfamiliar to the public, attracting large crowds of tourists every Lantern Festival who come to experience the barrage of fireworks known as the Beehive Rockets. The "Yanshui Moon Harbor Stroll" walking route will allow visitors to experience a different side of Yanshui—replacing the previous crowded experience with a leisurely pace, letting tourists explore at their own pace. With the guidance of professional tour guides, they will walk through old streets from the Qing Dynasty, two-story street houses from the Japanese colonial period, and Baroque-style streetscapes, catching a glimpse of Yanshui’s former glory through alleyways, ancient paths, and historic buildings, taking a journey through time.

The guided tour service for the "Yanshui Moon Harbor Stroll" is offered every Saturday afternoon from 3–6 PM and every Sunday morning from 9 AM–12 PM, led by professional guides. Each session accommodates approximately 20 people, with each guided tour lasting about three hours. The meeting point is at Qiaonan Old Street (the 7-Eleven next to Yanshui Bridge, No. 1 Nanmen Road, Yanshui District), and visitors can take the Tainan Main Bus Line Brown Line (Brown 1, Brown 2, and Brown 3) to get there.

"Yanshui Moon Harbor Stroll" Route: Moon Harbor Waterfront Park → Yongcheng Theater → Yanshui Dessert City → Octagonal Tower → Xiude Prayer Pavilion → Yanshui Public Temple → Yanshui Catholic Church → Wangye Temple → Houbi Temple