Field notes from Taiwan's oldest city
The temples, the lanes, the four-in-the-morning beef soup. Written by two people who actually live here, for the kind of traveler who wants the real thing.
Tonight in Tainan
The big three take turns through the week. Here's the rotation.
Schedules shift, so check the day on Google Maps before you set out: Garden, Dadong, Wusheng. The full night market guide
Start with a story
Food
Thinly sliced fresh beef, cooked at your table by a pour of scalding bone broth. It is eaten for breakfast, it is the single most Tainan thing you can put in your mouth, and yes, it is worth setting an alarm for.
Read the beef soup guideOld town
The best-preserved historic lane in Tainan, and the one block where the old city still looks like itself.
Walk the laneNew for 2026
One star, 30 Bib Gourmand picks and 30 Selected: the whole 2026 list, with hours and map links.
See the listDay trip
An hour north, Tainan turns into salt, water and big open sky: a mountain of salt and salt fields that catch the sunset.
Plan the dayWhere to begin
Who we are
Vicky was born and raised right here in Tainan. Jason is the foreigner of the pair, in Taiwan for around a decade, who had to learn the city the hard way. Between us, we cover the parts visitors almost never get.
Meet usFrom the inside
We're slowly opening up private, local-led days out in Tainan. Leave your email and we'll tell you first. No spam, ever.