Museum · West Central
Tainan Art Museum
臺南市美術館
Photo: Taiwania Justo, CC BY-SA 4.0The city art museum in two buildings near the Confucius Temple: a 1930s police headquarters and a new building by Shigeru Ban.
History
Building 1 is the former Tainan Police Station, an Art Deco building designed by Umezawa Sutejiro, who also designed the Hayashi Department Store, and completed in December 1931. It stayed a police headquarters after 1945 until the force moved out in the early 2010s, and it began a trial opening as part of the museum in October 2018. Building 2 was designed by Shigeru Ban with the Taiwanese architect Shih Chao-yung, its shape taken from the flame tree (鳳凰木). Building 2 opened on 27 January 2019.
Eat nearby
莉莉水果店Lily Fruit Shop
Fruit shop and ice parlour near the Confucius Temple. Founder Li Ze ran a produce stall in Nanmen Market in the Japanese era. The shop is named after his eldest daughter, nicknamed Lily by American servicemen.
台南度小月擔仔麵原始店本舖Du Hsiao Yueh Danzai Noodles (Original Store)
The original branch of a danzai noodle brand that dates its story to 1895. Hong Yu-tou (洪芋頭), said to be a fisherman, sold noodles near Shuixian Temple to get through the typhoon off-season.
窄門咖啡館Narrow Door Café
A second-floor café open since 1991, reached through a 38 cm gap between two buildings and up an outdoor stair. The converted old house is decorated with a Turkish theme.
保哥黑輪Pao Ko Oden
A bamboo-walled oden shop in a lane in the Confucius Temple area. The story goes that the owner changed trades after his printing works burned down. Diners tick their own order slip.
雙全紅茶Shuang Chuan Black Tea
A black tea shop in a lane off Zhongzheng Road, begun as a stand at the lane's mouth in 1949 and now passing to its third keeper. The tea gets caramel-coloured syrup and is shaken with ice until it foams.
沙淘宮廟海產The Temple-front Eatery
No-frills eatery of about 60 years that began in front of Shatao Temple and kept the name when it moved. It cooks old-fashioned Taiwanese plates, oden and charcoal-grilled seafood. Cash only.