Chihkan Tower (Fort Provintia)

Chihkan Tower (Fort Provintia)

Chihkan Tower (Fort Provintia)
4
Historic Sites • Historic Walking Areas • Architectural Buildings
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8:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 10:00 PM
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Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
The area
Neighborhood: West Central District/ North District
The West Central District is the most populous and the busiest area. A lot of shops and hotels crowd the district, and the long-standing history results in a variety of street food. In addition to that, this district also has the highest number of temples. This is how it got the name “Tainan’s Pantheon.” Historic buildings are literally ubiquitous. For example, Hayashi Department Store, National Museum of Taiwan Literature, Confucius Temple, Chihkan Tower (formerly Fort Provintia), Sacrificial Rites Martial Temple, Tainan Grand Mazu (name of a goddess) Temple, etc. Recently, the tourism in Tainan has laid emphasis on alleys and lanes. Examples include Fujhong Street specialising in creative handicrafts, as-you-stroll desserts on Jhengsing Street, Shennong Street lined with hundred-year-old ancient houses, Sinyi Street on which the old city gate stands, Sinmei Street where old and new cultures fuse together, and Guohua Street and Baoan Raod famous for all the savoury food. All the traditional and delicious food and flavours are about to burst in your mouth. The North District, on the other hand, is a quiet secret hideaway. Lane 321 on Gongyuan Road used to be a Japanese soldiers’ dormitory. Now a few artists have set up their studios here. There are diversified art styles in each old Japanese-style house. The Garden Night Market on Haian Road is one of the famous night markets in both Tainan and Taiwan, and was the top 12 Facebook check-in location worldwide in 2013.
See what travelers are saying
  • OrderintheHouse
    2,800 contributions
    Our all too short visit to Chihkan Tower was interesting but not spectacular.
    In January 2020 my wife and I included a 6 night Wendy Wu private tour of Taiwan as part of our 18 day Asian trip we arranged to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Our tour took in Taipei, Taroko Gorge, Sun Moon Lake, Tainan and Kaohsiung. While in Tainan we visited a number of historical attractions including the Grand Matsu Temple, the Hayashi Department Store, Anping Old Fort, the Tait and Tait Merchant House, the Anping Tree House and the Chihkan Tower. Chihkan Tower is the current name for the former Fort Provintia, which was a Dutch outpost built in 1653 during the Dutch colonization of Taiwan. Chihkan Tower has proved to be versatile over more than three centuries: it was a Western castle when Taiwan was under Dutch rule, a Chinese-style pagoda in the Qing Dynasty, an army hospital for the Japanese colonists, and is currently a museum testifying to the past glory. In 1886 the original Dutch structure was remodelled with the establishment of the current three main buildings, the Haishen Temple, the Wenchang Pavilion and Penghu Academy. We only had a fleeting twenty minute look at the complex which was probably too short to fully appreciate what it had to offer. We did have a look inside the Wenchang Pavilion, but only saw the Haishen Temple from the outside and did not see the Penghu Academy. We did admire the nicely landscaped gardens throughout the complex. Inside the Wenchang Pavilion is a restored scale model of the original Fort Provintia in a glass viewing case which gives visitors a good insight into what the original fort looked like. There was also a piece of the original roof adornment on display. What we did find interesting was the section of the remains of the brick wall from the original fort. The walls were made of red bricks as the main material and a mixture of water, sugar, glutinous rice and oyster shells as the adhesive, giving these bricks a durability, having lasted over 300 years. The Chihkan Tower complex is obviously an important historical site in Tainan. However given the shortness of our visit we felt we did not get as much out of this place as we did at the Anping Old Fort the next day. In summary we found our visit to Chihkan Tower to be interesting but not spectacular.
    Visited January 2020
    Written June 26, 2020
  • Jesse V
    Fallbrook, California111 contributions
    Well kept temple grounds in the middle of a busy street (under maintenance)
    The tower is under renovation so about half the area is inaccessible. The part that is there is nice, a pretty, serene grounds (not quiet as it’s facing a busy street) and a nice temple area with artifacts and exhibits which was well kept (be careful the stairs inside are uneven and small). It’s a nice place but they still charge full price for half the area so just keep that in mind.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written May 18, 2023
  • Regie Belga
    Dasmarinas City, Philippines11 contributions
    Average
    We went during the Chinese New Year. The architecture is indeed nice. We came late in the afternoon so not much people anymore. 50.00NT$ per person. Nothing much to see other than some historical pieces. Mosquitos abound!
    Visited January 2020
    Written January 25, 2020
  • Leslierx
    Lebanon, Ohio232 contributions
    Spot is lovely amid renovation
    Old Dutch (1653)building, renovated to Taiwan-style architecture after an earthquake destroyed it. Now renovations nearby look to build a newer modern area. Ponds host Koi and turtles. Park inside is serene.
    Visited March 2020
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 9, 2020
  • fabiofort
    Beerta, The Netherlands620 contributions
    one of the most interesting spots in tainan
    tainan is a fantastic city only a couple of hours away from taipei by fast train. i stayed close to the station and borrowed a bycicle. visited the chihkan tower as the first thing. it is an interesting introduction to the history of tainan and the 38 years the city and most of the country were occupied by the Dutch in the 17 th century. beautiful the turtle sculptures by the tower. i would also recommend a visit to anping fort (3 miles from the chihkan tower)
    Visited September 2011
    Traveled solo
    Written October 4, 2011
  • schaferbelinda
    Kaohsiung, Taiwan55 contributions
    Take the 88 bus from Tainan station in the circle : GREAT PLACE TO VISIT
    Buy a day ticket at the 7-11 store in the circle infront of the Tainan train station. There is a map online with the SHUTTLE BUS ROUTES 88 and 89 ...very easy to find. One is a blue route and one a red route. I did the red route to Anping. You sit on the bus or get on and off as you wish where you like the tourist spots..there is a map of all the tourist spots on that route and I will strongly suggest this tourist route.Find accommodation online in Anping and spend some time there. This is a holiday village at the coast with old streets, markets, lots to see and do and a great stay . Enjoy.
    Visited April 2016
    Traveled solo
    Written April 9, 2016
  • Melissa K
    Tainan, Taiwan6 contributions
    Feed the fish
    The temple/ fort is fun but the best part are all the fish. For 10 NT you get a tube of fish food. It is a great place to people watch and has a very calm atmosphere.
    Visited February 2012
    Written August 1, 2012
  • TexasViking
    Plano, Texas114 contributions
    A landmark in Tainan
    My family and I visited Chihkan Tower this summer. After 19 years I have not seen this place, I was very impressed how well the buildings were kept. The garden and the pond with big fish were just beautiful. There were a lot of Chinese architectural details in all the towers. Above all it is a historical site with facts dated back in 17th century. I have read somewhere there is light display on the buildings at night. Good for Tainan government to keep up with this attraction. It is definitely a place to visit in Tainan.
    Written August 5, 2008
  • jasonsd
    Vista, California127 contributions
    I liked it!
    Seems like a lot of people weren’t impressed with this spot, but I liked it. It’s a nice change from the temples that you see throughout the area. A nice peaceful spot to sit under the trees and watch the fish. For only 10NT$ you can feed them which was fun. Though small, it was worth a stroll through. One thing I really liked was the fish roof ends that you can see well from the second floors.
    Visited August 2019
    Traveled solo
    Written August 1, 2019
  • limww
    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia319 contributions
    Historical Site
    It was a Dutch military outpost in the ancient days. The building and its surrounding area were nice. The place was not big so our visit was less than an hour. The operating hours are from 8.30am to 9.30pm, considered quite long. An entrance ticket is required for foreign visitor.
    Visited April 2019
    Traveled with friends
    Written April 24, 2019
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.0
998 reviews
Excellent
260
Very good
460
Average
253
Poor
21
Terrible
4

Leslierx
Lebanon, OH232 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
Old Dutch (1653)building, renovated to Taiwan-style architecture after an earthquake destroyed it. Now renovations nearby look to build a newer modern area. Ponds host Koi and turtles. Park inside is serene.
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

fabiofort
Beerta, The Netherlands620 contributions
Sep 2011 • Solo
tainan is a fantastic city only a couple of hours away from taipei by fast train. i stayed close to the station and borrowed a bycicle. visited the chihkan tower as the first thing. it is an interesting introduction to the history of tainan and the 38 years the city and most of the country were occupied by the Dutch in the 17 th century. beautiful the turtle sculptures by the tower. i would also recommend a visit to anping fort (3 miles from the chihkan tower)
Written October 4, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

schaferbelinda
Kaohsiung, Taiwan55 contributions
Apr 2016 • Solo
Buy a day ticket at the 7-11 store in the circle infront of the Tainan train station. There is a map online with the SHUTTLE BUS ROUTES 88 and 89 ...very easy to find. One is a blue route and one a red route. I did the red route to Anping. You sit on the bus or get on and off as you wish where you like the tourist spots..there is a map of all the tourist spots on that route and I will strongly suggest this tourist route.Find accommodation online in Anping and spend some time there. This is a holiday village at the coast with old streets, markets, lots to see and do and a great stay . Enjoy.
Written April 9, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Melissa K
Tainan, Taiwan6 contributions
Feb 2012
The temple/ fort is fun but the best part are all the fish. For 10 NT you get a tube of fish food. It is a great place to people watch and has a very calm atmosphere.
Written August 1, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TexasViking
Plano, TX114 contributions
My family and I visited Chihkan Tower this summer. After 19 years I have not seen this place, I was very impressed how well the buildings were kept. The garden and the pond with big fish were just beautiful. There were a lot of Chinese architectural details in all the towers. Above all it is a historical site with facts dated back in 17th century. I have read somewhere there is light display on the buildings at night. Good for Tainan government to keep up with this attraction. It is definitely a place to visit in Tainan.
Written August 5, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jasonsd
Vista, CA127 contributions
Aug 2019 • Solo
Seems like a lot of people weren’t impressed with this spot, but I liked it. It’s a nice change from the temples that you see throughout the area. A nice peaceful spot to sit under the trees and watch the fish. For only 10NT$ you can feed them which was fun. Though small, it was worth a stroll through. One thing I really liked was the fish roof ends that you can see well from the second floors.
Written August 1, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

limww
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia319 contributions
Apr 2019 • Friends
It was a Dutch military outpost in the ancient days. The building and its surrounding area were nice. The place was not big so our visit was less than an hour.

The operating hours are from 8.30am to 9.30pm, considered quite long. An entrance ticket is required for foreign visitor.
Written April 24, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GHCDi
San Francisco, CA95 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
Not exactly what I was expecting. No English and little info provided within the tower buildings. Best part is the very pretty garden with fountains and koi fish. Shade trees offer much needed reprieve from summer heat. Warning: Handicap access limited. Only stairs to Tower.
Written June 13, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John H
San Jose, CA308 contributions
Mar 2018 • Solo
I hate to bash on any historical sites, but this place just wasn't worth the time it took to get there. Its a bit out of the way from downtown Tainan. Not well-kept at all. Very dusty inside (and out), and pretty small as well. Tour buses come here, not sure how often. I took a taxi, and on the way back, made the mistake of trying to find a taxi. Ended up walking about 5km before I was able to find a taxi. Normally, I wouldn't mind a walk like that, except I was not use to the heat and humidity.
Written April 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cme1234
Singapore, Singapore434 contributions
Apr 2018
Very small and underwhelming. Absolutely not worth the NT50 entrance fee. Skip this unless you have nothing else better to do.
Written April 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Chihkan Tower (Fort Provintia) (West Central District) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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