By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team
The Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, and have you decided where to spend the holiday in the hot summer? In early summer, Tainan not only offers delicious food and historic sites but also features traditional folk activities infused with modern creativity, along with a variety of innovative travel routes to choose from. Experience a different side of Tainan during the festival and enjoy the trendiest 3-day mini-trip here.
Shennong Street. (Photo provided by Tainan City Tourism Bureau)
Tainan’s Dragon Boat Festival races are the oldest dragon boat events in Taiwan.The “2015 Tainan International Dragon Boat Championships” saw a total of 183 teams from various countries register, and the event will be held grandly at Annan Canal from now until June 20.Unlike other cities and counties, Tainan’s dragon boat races are uniquely held at night, with the boats decorated in LED lights that reflect beautifully on the water of Annan Canal, creating a must-see tourist highlight exclusive to Tainan’s Dragon Boat Festival.
Dragon boat racing at Annan Canal. (Photo provided by Tainan City Tourism Bureau)
Additionally, the Dragon Boat Festival holiday coincides with the blooming season of lotus flowers. To offer visitors more diverse options during their Tainan trip, why not head to Baihe to admire the vast expanses of lotus ponds in full bloom? In addition to the exciting Baihe Lotus Season series of events, you can also join the “Blooming Beauty of the Breeze” mini-trip to experience the rural culture of Tainan, including picking lotus seeds, DIY lotus handicrafts, and lotus-flavored meals. Stroll through Tainan and discover the all-new look of its local rural charm.
Lotus flowers in Baihe. (Photo provided by Tainan City Tourism Bureau)
Besides nighttime dragon boat races, your three-day holiday can also include exploring Tainan’s recent old-building revival trend. Whether it’s Shennong Street in the Wuzihgang area—whose narrow, elongated street-front buildings witnessed the prosperity of the old city and now attract art studios, traditional crafts, and exhibition spaces, allowing deeper insights into the historical charm of Wuzihgang through in-depth guided tours offered by the city government—or the hottest trendy old street, Zhengxing Street, where creative cuisine, coffee shops, teahouses, and cultural and creative businesses compete to set up shop, forming a unique pedestrian shopping district with a creative flair. Use your Dragon Boat Festival holiday to take a walking tour of these old buildings while learning about Tainan’s history and its new creative face.
Annan Canal in Tainan. (Photo provided by Tainan City Tourism Bureau)
● 3-Day Itinerary for the Dragon Boat Festival Holiday
D1
Admire lotuses in Baihe District → Enjoy a lotus seed flavor meal (lunch) → Visit the Tudi Gou Rural Art Museum in Houbi District → Explore Guanziling Hot Spring Scenic Area (including Dashian Temple, Volcano Biyun Temple, and Water-Fire Spring) → Dine on Guanziling’s signature clay pot chicken (dinner) → Overnight stay in Guanziling Hot Spring Scenic Area
D2
Visit Chikan Cultural Park (includes lunch) → Explore Lin Department Store → Take a stroll through the Old Town of Wuzihgang (part of Tainan’s Michelin 3-Star Journey) → Visit the Confucius Temple Cultural Park (includes dinner) → Head to Annan Canal (finals of the 2015 Tainan International Dragon Boat Championships) → Overnight stay in downtown Tainan
D3
Visit Anping Cultural Park (includes lunch) → Explore Sicao Dazhong Temple (Jiangtai Green Tunnel) → Visit Qigu Salt Mountain (Taiwan Salt Museum) → Stop by Beimen Visitor Center → Watch the sunset at Jingzijiao Tile-Pond Salt Fields
Tainan’s Lin Department Store has a history of over 80 years and was reopened in 2014 as a cultural and creative department store. (Photo source: Tainan Lin Department Store)
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