IMAGES ADOBE STOCK; ICC TAINAN


T A IW A N M ICE


TAINAN CULTURE MEETS MODERNITY


FOR A TASTE of that variety, take the High Speed Rail two hours south to Tainan. The oldest city on the island, it was established as a Dutch trading base in the early part of the 17th century, seized by Southern Ming general Koxinga in 1662, then fell under the control of the Qing dynasty in 1683. Under the Qing it was capital of the island for almost 200 years. Today, Tainan’s varied past is visible in the architecture of its compact centre. The genteel Hayashi department store, named after its


Japanese founder, still draws a crowd eight decades since it frst opened its doors. Just a block away, the art deco former police station, of similar age, is one half of the Tainan Art Museum,


while the other half is a new pentagonal structure with fractal elements evoking the blossom of a fower.


Further out from the old city is a sign of the imperatives of the times: Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City. If the name is a bit of a word salad, the intention is clear – to build up the


‘A traditional Taiwanese banquet is an important part of the local culture’


area adjacent to the Tainan High Speed Rail station in order to offer cutting-edge commercial and employment opportunities. It’s here that you’ll fnd the International Convention Center


(ICC), Tainan’s premier MICE venue with its 10,000 sqm Exhibition Center and the two upstairs foors of rooms that make up the Conference Center. GIS’s Chen is a frequent visitor to Tainan and is quick to


mention the area’s distinct food culture as one of its strengths: “A traditional Taiwanese banquet is an important part of the local culture,” she notes. “While most business events in Taipei collaborate with hotels or catering services to provide Taiwanese or international cuisine, Tainan offers greater fexibility in organising authentic banquets.”


CLOCKWISE FROM THIS PICTURE: Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City; Tainan Art Museum; ICC


Tainan 80 BUSINESS TRAVELLER ASIA-PACIFIC NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025


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