Chihkan Tower (赤崁樓) is where the story of Tainan as a city starts. The Dutch built a fort here in 1653, the Qing added Chinese pavilions on top of its ruined walls in the 1880s, and what you see today is both at once: red brick Dutch foundations under sweeping Chinese roofs, right in the middle of the old town.
It's small. An hour is plenty, and it pairs naturally with the big temples a block or two away.
A short history
The Dutch East India Company built the fort in 1653, after the Guo Huaiyi uprising against Dutch rule, as an administrative and trading centre facing Fort Zeelandia across the old inner bay at Anping. They called it Provintia; locals called it the Red-Haired Tower (紅毛樓). The city's heritage office notes that the walls were bonded with a mortar of sugar water, sticky rice and oyster-shell lime, and parts of those thick walls and arches still stand.
- 1661 to 1662: Koxinga drove out the Dutch and made Provintia the seat of his Chengtian Prefecture.
- 1862: a major earthquake brought down what was left of the Dutch buildings on top.
- 1886: the county magistrate Shen Shouqian built Penghu Academy (蓬壺書院) beside the ruins and put up the Wenchang Pavilion and a rebuilt Sea God Temple on the old fort's base.
- Japanese era: the site became an army hospital, and restoration began in 1944.
- 1965: the pavilions were rebuilt in reinforced concrete, made to look like the original timber, and the entrance moved to Minzu Road.
- 1983: listed as a first-grade historic site; it's a national monument today.
What to see
The stone turtles and their steles
The first thing most people notice: nine stone turtles in a row, each carrying an inscribed stele on its back. They're bixi (贔屭), in legend one of the dragon's nine sons, who loves to carry heavy things. The steles date from the Qing dynasty and were moved here in 1960 from inside the old Great South Gate. Look for the stone horse with broken legs nearby too: the story goes that it turned into a monster at night and troubled the neighbourhood, so its legs were broken.
The two pavilions
The Sea God Temple (海神廟) and the Wenchang Pavilion (文昌閣) stand side by side on the old fort's base. They were put up in the 1880s to encourage learning in the city. Around and beneath them, look for the thick old brick walls and arches: the surviving parts of the Dutch fort.
Restoration in progress: as of October 2026 the city's heritage office says the Sea God Temple and the turtle steles are under restoration, so parts of the site may be closed off. Check before you go if they're the reason you're visiting.
Koxinga and the Dutch
On the lawn outside, a statue shows Koxinga accepting the Dutch surrender.
Good to know
- Hours: 08:30 to 21:30 daily, including public holidays; tickets on sale until 21:00
- Entry: NT$70; NT$35 for students; free under 6 and for Tainan residents with ID. Tickets are also sold online through Klook and KKday
- Address: No. 212, Section 2, Minzu Road, West Central District
- Getting there: city buses stop at the Chihkan Tower (赤崁樓) stop; routes 3 and 5 are among those listed by the temples next door. It's in the walkable old-town core, about 100 metres from the Grand Mazu Temple and the Official God of War Temple
- Closures: the city's historic sites can close over Lunar New Year (in 2026 they closed for two days), so check the heritage office's news if you're visiting then
When to go
Two good options. First thing in the morning, when it opens at 08:30, is quiet and cooler. Or come after dark: it's open until 21:30, the buildings are lit with warm yellow light, and the city's tourism site notes that concerts are often held in the square out front.
Make a loop of it: the Grand Mazu Temple and the Official God of War Temple are a two-minute walk away. → Grand Mazu Temple guide · Tainan temples · Top attractions
Sources
History, hours, fees and the restoration notice from the Tainan Cultural Affairs Bureau historic sites office and its visiting and fee rules. Background from Taiwan Tourism Administration and Travel Tainan. Bus routes from the Grand Mazu Temple and Official God of War Temple. Checked October 2026.