W
HILE HIS MORNING class
warms up under the
monkey pod trees, Master
Hung introduces the art of
tai chi. It is no easy task to
summarise a practice developed over four
centuries into five major styles, involving
hundreds of routines. Central to all of them,
however, is the earth beneath. ‘When you’re
used to taiji quan,’ says Master Hung, giving
its formal name, ‘you feel the energy coming
from your feet all the way to your fingertips.’
The backdrop is the ancient Confucius
Temple in Tainan. It’s a serene spot, but that
is unimportant: ‘Whether you feel peaceful
depends on you, not your surroundings,’
says Master Hung with a silver-toothed
smile. He moves through a routine with
apparent ease, shifting his weight from one
foot to the other, actions balanced by
counter-actions. The feeling of this Chinese
martial art is better experienced than
- Tainan
Taiwan’s first city is still home to its most cherished traditions, with revered temples
dotted around its streets and masters in ancient arts ready to impart their wisdom
The Place is two years old, but its design pays
homage to many local traditions, such as the
lattice patterns in the city’s heritage houses. The
high-rise hotel has 223 rooms, and each comes
with an angular modern take on a rocking chair.
Large gallery spaces on every floor feature
changing exhibitions, often on local culture (from
US$140; hotelroyal.com.tw/tainan/en).
Find more information at twtainan.net/en-us.
Dan tzai noodles at Du Hsiao Yueh cost US$1.70
(noodle1895.com). Organic local teas at One2
Tea House start at US$4.40(one2teahouse.com).Essentials
Kenting is a 2½-hour drive south from Tainan, or
two hours from Zuoying HSR Station near Kaohsiung- the last stop on the High-Speed Rail line.
explained, but Master Hung has a tip: ‘Your
shoulders are like a lid covering a cooking
pot. If you let your elbows go loose, the
energy will fly away just as steam escapes.’
Chinese culture has been bubbling away
longer in Tainan than in any other city in
Taiwan. It served as the island’s capital until
1887 yet its roots go back to the 1620s, when
the Dutch set up a base here to fight against
Spain. Taiwan’s all-too-interesting 17th
century saw the Dutch kick out the Spanish,
Chinese Ming Dynasty exiles expel the
Dutch and finally Qing Dynasty invaders
defeat the Ming forces. This parade of rulers
left a legacy that stands today, in the walls of
old Dutch forts, and the roofs and pillars of
temples – Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian.
You can taste the history at Du Hsiao Yueh
restaurant. The pork mince in its signature
noodle dish is cooked in a pot that’s been in
use for three decades. Its predecessor, now
in a glass case, dates from 1895. ‘My great-grandfather started the restaurant,’ says Mrs
Hong. ‘We’ve kept his original recipe as a
secret. When you’re dining here, we like you
to feel you’re trying something classical.’
Just across the street, One2 Tea House
is the heir to an even older tradition. The
interior design is modern, but the aim of the
shop’s founders is to tempt teenagers away
from the sugary fancies of bubble tea and
back to the purer tastes of the Chinese tea
ceremony. The Yushan Winter Oolong Tea
comes from plants grown on the island at
1,400 metres. While spring harvest tea tends
to be sweet and floral, leaves picked in winter
lend the brew a more robust taste.
The port area, called Anping, was once the
centre of the island’s trade in the late 19th
century. There are a few relics here of the
times when linen-suited Westerners fanned
themselves in porticoed buildings,
inspecting cargoes stamped ‘Choicest
Formosa Oolong’. The so-called Anping Tree
House is a former British trading post where
the warehouses have been invaded by
banyan trees. Giant roots and limbs snake
across floors and walls – an Industrial Age
version of Cambodia’s temples of Angkor. As
empires have come and gone, the banyan
trees have quietly made their claim.The Chinese tradition of adorning
entrances with images of the
Menshen (Door Gods) is followed
in many neighbourhoods of Tainan