｜Contents｜

003  Feeling the Cultural Dynamic

        Preface by the Mayor

005  A Charming Historical City Full of Rich Cultural Heritage

        Preface by the Director of the Culture Affairs Bureau

007  Opening the Gateway to Cultural Heritage

        Preface by the Director of Tainan Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage

010  A Summary of Tainan City’s Historical Development

        Ho Pei-fu

014  The Features of Tainan City’s Cultural Heritage

        Ho Pei-fu

020  Prehistoric Tainan

        Hsu Ching-pao

028  Sirayan Culture

        Duan Hong-kun（Alak Akatung）

038  Tainan in the Dutch Colonial Period and the Kingdom of Tungning Period

        Chang Hsi-nan

052  Tainan under Qing Rule

        Wu Chien-sheng

066  Tainan in the Period of Japanese Rule and Afterwards

        Wang Yaw-dong

078  A Summary of Tainan’s Intangible Cultural Heritage

        Cheng Tao-tsung

086  Bibliography

090  Appendix1

        Tables of Tainan’s Tangible Cultural Heritage

        Monuments．Historical Architectures．Relics

        Cultural Landscape．Settlement．Antiques

126  Appendix2

        Tables of Tainan’s Intangible Cultural Heritage

        Traditional Arts．Folk Items

｜Preface｜

Feeling the Cultural Dynamic

    The inner value of a city lies in the richness of its cultural heritage, which is also the precious result of a nation’s historic development and the people’s life experiences. Tainan is the capital of Taiwanese culture. All the development , racial integration, and long-term economic and political events were staged in the city, thus bequeathing to Tainan a great deal of cultural heritage. Tangible heritage includes monuments, historical architectures and human settlements, while intangible heritage includes traditional arts, folk culture and crafts. In total, there are more than 250 cultural heritage items. 26 of them are ranked at the highest, or national level, which exceeds every other city in Taiwan. The historical sites include Chih-Kan tower, Tainan Confucius Temple, the vestige of Tayoan City, and the Old Tainan Watercourse, while the folk cultural events include Saikang’s Koah-hiun and Dongshan Bi Xuan Temple’s Greeting the Guanyin and Guanyin Parade. We are proud to have these treasures in Tainan. Therefore, we also have the responsibility to preserve, maintain, and glorify them. and hope that future generations do the same.

    Tainan City has great diversity in terms of cultural heritage. Hence, in addition to cherishing and preserving these treasures, we should be more proactive in promoting and rejuvenating them. Therefore, this book Cultural Treasure – Witnessing the Cultural Heritage of Tainan is part of the plan to promote Tainan City’s culture heritage. Though it is in a brief format, this book has organized, described, and interpreted the complex content of Tainan’s heritage systemically. All the writers in this book are experts in their fields. Using Tainan’s history as a touchstone, together with great attention to detail, these writers describe about the development and features of Tainan’s cultural heritage in different times. All the articles are illustrated and written in a very simple style. Therefore, the book should bring readers a clear view and conceptual framework of the history, culture, and economic and political changes in Tainan City.

    Moreover, this book can also be a useful guide book when you travel around Tainan City. We encourage everyone to follow the descriptions in each chapter when visiting Tainan’s monuments and historical architectures or while experiencing the traditional arts and folk items. By doing so, you will gain a deeper understanding of the development and stories of the city. Hence, we believe you will find Tainan to be a charming and unforgettable city. No matter if you are a long time resident or a first time visitor to Tainan, with this book, you can learn more about this beautiful metropolis and feel its dynamic . You may become more passionate about Tainan and will not only like here, but also fall in love with the culture and scenery.

Mayor of Tainan City

Ching-Te Lai