Tainan County blends culture and nature into top tourist attractions

Tainan County's top tourist attractions are a blend of local culture and nature, the county's first-magistrate said yesterday in an exclusive interview with The China Post, while noting the region has a lot to offer foreign visitors during the various festivals held year-round.

For instance, the Taiwan international orchid show, the Taiwan coffee festival, lantern festival, and bird-watching for "black-faced spoonbills," and the Yuan Shui firecracker ceremony, all top the list of Taiwan's most popular tourists attractions.

"It is a little bit painful if you don't wear appropriate protection," said Tainan County Magistrate Su Huan-Chih about the Yuan Shui firecracker festival, which he has taken part in for the past three years. Further, he strongly recommended wearing a safety helmet and appropriate clothing before participating in the event.

Hundred of thousands of people from all over the island go to Tainan County each year to join in the annual events held on the 15th day of the lunar calendar after the Chinese New Year. The Yuanshui Fongpao -- Yuanshui firecrackers Festival -- takes place in Yuan Shui Township to commemorate the end of a cholera epidemic in the 19th century. Other famous religious festivals held in Tainan County include the Sigong Shaowangchuan -- a ceremony to burn a Wangchuan boat, or the Pingpu Yeji -- a night festival.

Moreover, some theme exhibition halls such as the Chimei Museum, Donglonggong Culture Exhibition Hall, and Tainan Museum of History are places you wouldn't want to miss when you go to Tainan County, he said.

Su added that Tainan County has come a long way in Taiwan's history. During the Japanese colonial era, hot spring water was first used for treating skin ailments of wounded soldiers before it eventually evolved into its current health and leisure industry. Guanzihling Hot Spring is currently one of the four main hot spring areas in Taiwan, along with Peitou, Yangminshan, and Sihchongsi.

Because this "murky hot spring" is unique in Taiwan -- only Japan and Italy have the same kind of hot spring -- Tainan County has integrated spa treatments with various tourist sites and attractions, such as the Lingding Park or the Haohanpo Hiking Trials, and succeeded in attracting a new crowd to the region.

Source:http://www.chinapost.com.tw/supplement/2007/12/14/134923/Tainan-County.htm