Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan. It was the site of the main Dutch colony on the island, and after their defeat it became the country’s first capital under Chinese supervision. It was the capital of the island from 1662 until 1887 when the capital made a brief appearance in Taichung before settling in Taipei. The Japanese did a lot of urban planning and restructuring of the city in the early part of the 20th century, but since then, the city has become more of a historic tourist destination than a cosmopolitan hub. At first glimpse, many people are a little disappointed when the see Tainan. It’s reputation of being the Kyoto of Taiwan feeds a lot of romantic images of a bygone era. Most buildings in Tainan are anything but historic and many streets are the same 7-eleven-filled streets found anywhere on the island. But after visiting a few temples and wandering down a few winding alleys, most people are really taken by the city’s charms. It really is a culture-rich and traditional city, and rarely a week goes by without some special religious celebration or parade.