Take a slow stroll through Tainan – experience the harmony of old and new on Xinmei Street

▲Wall paintings on Xinmei Street.

Reported and photographed by Yu Jiayun / HowToTrip, Tainan

You may have visited Tainan countless times—riding a scooter through alleys for photos or driving around the city hopping from one food spot to the next—but next time, you might want to ditch all vehicles and explore Tainan’s daily life at a slower pace, just on foot. Without the usual Instagram hotspots or popular queue-worthy snacks, you’ll discover the harmony of old and new in the city: from alleys revitalized by cultural creativity, needlework traditions passed down for decades, to barbecue joints that feel like home.

▲A low-key dessert shop.

Xinmei Street has existed since the Qing Dynasty and was once a bustling place, also known as “New Rice Street.” After the grid-like street planning during the Japanese colonial period, the street gradually declined until recent years when it began to be revitalized in a planned way. What were once ordinary alleys now host specialty homestays, cafés, art galleries, and international cuisine. The injection of new life has brought vitality to Xinmei Street while still preserving its original simplicity and tranquility.

▲Xinmei Street was once also called “Rice Street.”

▲An abandoned site transformed into a market space.

▲Xinmei Street is lined with joss paper shops and incense stores.

Although it’s also part of “alleyway cultural creativity,” Xinmei Street feels quite different from the more well-known Zhengxing Street. Located near the Grand Matsu Temple and Wu Temple, Xinmei Street sees cozy cafés and joss paper shops standing side by side. Heritage homestays in old buildings retain nostalgic outlines without disrupting the original harmony. From wall paintings to flashy, trendy ice cream shops, everything may seem bold, yet it blends seamlessly into the daily life here. It may not be ideal for street photography or social media check-ins, but if you slow down and take a stroll, you’ll find beauty everywhere.

▲A joss paper shop that still stands firmly in the alley.

▲A homestay in a historic building.

▲Wall paintings add an artistic touch.

Along with innovation, an important part of change comes from heritage. On Yongfu Road, near Wu Temple and Chihkan Tower, the centuries-old Fucheng Guangcai Embroidery Shop is a representation of Tainan’s embroidery culture. Many of the common temple items such as table skirts for god altars, the Eight Immortals tapestries hung from beams, and divine robes originate here. The owner, Lin Yuquan, who started learning embroidery at age 16, built his skills step-by-step with a solid foundation. Every line, thickness, and sense of dimension in the designs are meticulously detailed, making each piece as refined as a painting. These hard-earned skills are now passed on to his daughter, allowing the craft to continue thriving.

▲Fucheng Guangcai Embroidery Shop.

Through generations of inheritance, this traditional embroidery culture, once inseparable from the divine, has evolved into new forms—modern elements are integrated into home decorations or canvas bag designs, even becoming subjects for university students’ graduation projects. With every stitch, what’s sewn isn’t just patterns on fabric, but also the devotion and sincerity of Taiwanese people toward their religious faith. The exquisitely refined techniques, honed over many years, have become a silent language flowing through the alleys.

▲%The family crests are all hand-stitched.