Tainan Travel

The Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) held an award ceremony today (12/21) at the MOTC headquarters for the 2019 Taiwan Small Town Touring Year to promote in-depth tourism in small towns. Tainan City nominated "Yanshui District" and "Houbi District" to run for the selection and both were successfully selected as one of the 30 classic towns in Taiwan. The award ceremony was held today (12/21) at the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), where Tainan was represented by Section Chief Ding Ling-Li of the Tainan City Bureau of Tourism, Yanshui District Chief Lu Huang-Nan, and Houbi District Secretary Lin Ji-Cheng. The award was also presented by the Director General of Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Chou Yung-Hui.

The Tourism Bureau of Tainan City Government said that after Anping was selected as one of the top ten small tourist towns in 2012, the classic towns of Yanshui District and Houbi District were selected this time, both of which are scenic spots rich in human culture and in-depth experiential tours.The Yanshui district is home to two major events, the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival, which is one of the world's top three folklore festivals, and the Yuejin Lantern Festival, which is a must-see during the Spring Festival, as well as the rich historical background of Yuejin, which used to be the fourth largest city in Taiwan. During the holiday season, the Tourist Bureau also offers a free walking tour – the Yanshui & Yuejin Walking Tour, which is available for reservation and is ideal for nostalgic and exploratory visitors. The Taiwan International Orchid Show is held in March every year in Houbi, attracting visitors from home and abroad. It is also the hometown of Taiwan's “champion rice”. In recent years, the farming experience has become a feature of the local in-depth tourism, allowing children of all ages to experience the joy of rice planting and the spirit of respecting and cherishing nature.  In addition, the “buffalo spirit” of the Tugou Rural Village Art Museum features many local art creations that have attracted many visitors.

The voting for “Classic Towns of Taiwan” was conducted by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications through online voting and in-person scoring by secret visitors to each town. 30 classic towns were selected, and two towns in Tainan, Houbi District and Yanshui District, were both selected, proving that Tainan has not only ancient monuments and delicious food, but also has diverse tourist attractions in its rural areas, welcoming domestic and foreign tourists to visit.

Christmas and New Year's Day holidays are approaching, and Tainan is decorated with dreamy Christmas trees all over the city, full of romantic and warm atmosphere, and a Tainan New Year's Eve trilogy is held during the inter-year period, from sending the sunset at Yantian, New Year's Eve party and welcoming the dawn at Erliao to Hutoupi hiking, all the way from the tail end of 2018 to welcoming the arrival of 2019.

The Tourism Bureau invites people from all over the country to arrange a small trip to Tainan to bid farewell to the end of the year and welcome the New Year! For more information about Tainan tourist attractions and events, please visit Tainan Tourism website and Tainan Tourism Facebook fan group.