Excerpts from Wikipedia.org
Tainan City (臺南; literally "Southern Taiwan") is the fourth largest city in Taiwan after Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Taichung.
Tainan was established as the capital of Taiwan in 1661 and remained capital until 1887 during the Qing Dynasty. The city is famous for its abundant historic buildings and delicious snack food.
History
Little is known about Tainan prior to the Dutch rule except that it was a settlement of Han Chinese immigrants in the 14th and 15th centuries and was named Tayoan (大圓 from Sirayan). The Dutch established a trading post in 1624 at present-day Anping, and used it as a base of operation for a variety of business they conducted in the region. However, in 1661 the outpost was under siege by a fleet of Ming Dynasty remnants led by Koxinga, who established his own kingdom on Taiwan and renamed the city Tungtu (東都; literally "East Capital") after the Dutch capitulated and withdrawn from the island. In 1684, the Qing Dynasty conquered Taiwan and established "Taiwan Fu" (Taiwan Government) as the first official local government in Taiwan. This was later renamed to "Tainan Fu" in 1885 when Taiwan was established as a province. Because it was formerly the capital of Taiwan, Tainan is also called Fu-cheng (府城; literally "Government City"). Tainan also served as the capital of the Republic of Formosa after the Japanese took Taipei bloodlessly.
Tainan has been historically regarded as one of the oldest cities in Taiwan, and its former name, Tayoan, has been claimed to be the source of the name Taiwan. It is also one of Taiwan's cultural capitals, as it houses the First Confucian School/Temple built 1665 on the island, the remains of the Northern and Southern gates of the old city, and countless other historical monuments.
Tainan claims more Buddhist and Taoist temples than any city in Taiwan.
Tainan's complex history of comebacks, redefinitions and renewals inspired its popular nickname "City of the Phoenix."
Notable Natives
- Wu Hui Ju (吳蕙如), archer and also a member of the team that won the bronze medal for Chinese Taipei in 2004 Summer Olympics in the women's team archery competition.
- Chien-Ming Wang (王建民), MLB pitcher for the New York Yankees. Watch Where Is Taiwan video
- Hong-Chih Kuo (郭泓志), MLB pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- Chin-Lung Hu (胡金龍), MLB infielder for the Lost Angeles Dodgers.
- Ang Lee (李安), an Academy Award–winning film director.