Embrace the Centennial Romance of Tropical Parks – A Mini Adventure Through Tainan Park’s Historic Sites, Ecology, and Ancient Trees
Last updated 2026-09-25 — A grand city always has a public garden that welcomes everyone. Open year-round and 24 hours a day, it’s the perfect way for urban dwellers to connect with nature without venturing far. The ancient capital of Tainan...
By Anna | Photos by MOOK
Special Thanks: Tainan Community College, Tainan City Government Public Works Bureau, Traveler’s Journal MonthlyA grand city always has a public garden that welcomes everyone. Open year-round and 24 hours a day, it’s the perfect way for urban dwellers to connect with nature without venturing far. The ancient capital of Tainan also has such a lovely urban garden — Tainan Park, which this year celebrates its 100th anniversary. Today, this vast green jungle is home to many adorable urban “park residents.” There’s a rich variety of birds — close your eyes and you can easily hear more than three species singing in the treetops. It’s also teeming with insects, squirrels, bats, aquatic plants and animals, as well as precious century-old trees. They’re spreading out their warm arms, inviting us to explore together!
A Mini Adventure Among Giant Trees
Stepping into the old provincial capital, you’ll find not only historic sites, old alleys, and traditional snacks, but also ancient tree parks that take time and care to flourish. Though located near the train station and bus terminal, Tainan Park has long been a place most tourists overlook. Upon arriving in Tainan, people rush to famous attractions and indulge in local delicacies. Perhaps they know Tainan has many ancient trees, but often associate them with historic sites or campuses, unaware that Tainan Park actually houses many treasured old trees.Adorable urban “park residents.” There’s a rich variety of birds — close your eyes and you can easily hear more than three species singing in the treetops. It’s also teeming with insects, squirrels, bats, aquatic plants and animals, as well as precious century-old trees. They’re spreading out their warm arms, inviting us to explore together!
An Intimate Encounter with a Tropical Plant Garden
The site of Tainan Park was once a scenic destination known for Yantan (Swallow Pond), and in 1917, during the Japanese colonial period, it was developed into “Taisho Park,” which also served as a tropical experimental forest. Staff from the Tainan City Government Agriculture Bureau’s Forest and Nature Conservation Division, responsible for maintaining these ancient trees, told us that because the Japanese are from a temperate climate and had a fascination with subtropical plants, they established this experimental forest to observe how the plants grew. Of the 200 protected ancient trees in Tainan City, 72 are in Tainan Park.
Towering Century-Old Rain Trees and Bodhi Trees
Walking along the wooden boardwalk beside Park South Road, you can’t miss the towering century-old rain tree nearby — it’s known as the “Rain Tree Second Brother” of Tainan Park. The taller “Rain Tree First Brother” stands on the hillside near Little Yantan. The rain tree is a deciduous species native to tropical America, with an elegant, tall form, a broad crown, and pinnate leaves.Its compound leaves bloom with pink powder-puff flowers in spring and summer, and its fruit is a woody pod over ten centimeters long. Strolling through this area, if you observe carefully, you’ll find it’s a research site closely linked to the tropical forest experiments mentioned earlier. While examining the growth conditions of these trees, you’ll also discover that among the 200 protected ancient trees in Tainan City, 72 are in Tainan Park.
The area around the Rain Tree Second Brother is enclosed with railings, keeping a comfortable distance between people and the tree. Staff from the forest conservation division explained that the value of ancient trees lies in the emotional bonds formed through interaction with people, but getting too close — such as compacting the soil around their roots — can harden the earth and hinder their growth. Carving into the trees can also make them more susceptible to disease. Everyone is encouraged to avoid actions that could harm these old trees.
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