Haian Road, during the Qing dynasty, belonged to the district of Five Harbor. In 1993, Haian Road was widened, its markets moved underground, and the construction of parking lots started. Owing to the construction period (1993-2002) and the damages it caused to the surrounding commercial areas as well as residential buildings, the dis-trict lost its previous glamour. The houses that were left standing transformed into an art haven with artistic decors and walls festooned with graffiti. At the same time, such a transformation also attracted several characteristic specialty stores to set up shop. Outdoor cafes, drink shops, pubs, boutique stores, eateries, are all decorated with cre-ative lighting and public art, making the whole street light up in the darkness of the night. Haian Commercial District has rebuilt itself from the rubbles and gained its name as an area full of street art and elegance.
Must-See Spots:
Tainan Jhongjheng Haian Commercial District is situated in the west central district of Tainan. Its network of roads consists of Jhongjheng Road, Simen Road, Haian Road, Guohua Street, and Youai Street, all of which make up the most affluent district of commercial activities in the early days. Besides purchasing the latest trends and fads at the boutique stores on Fucian and Jhongjheng Road, Simen and Jhongjheng Road are lined with goldsmiths and jewellers. The nearby Yongle market is also what the senior generation of local Tainan people call Shueisiangong market, which sells various local dishes such as the famous Danzai noodles, rice dumplings, herbal teas, spring rolls, rice cake, and bowl rice cake, to name a few. Haian Road is the perfect place to sit and catch up with friends, be it in an outdoor teahouse or an indoor cafe, one would surely be pleasantly overwhelmed by its overall decor and artistic atmos-phere. The restaurants, grilled seafood shops, and pubs come alive in the late after-noon, lighting up the night sky.
Suggested Itinerary:
One-day itinerary: Visit Shueisiangong and Guohua Street in the morning to savour traditional dishes. Work off the calories by visiting the boutique stores on Jhongjheng and Fucian Road, taking rest stops at the snack stands and drink shops in the nearby commercial district. Later, visit Haian Road, relax in an outdoor cafe, and enjoy the artistic decor. For dinner, swing round to Sialin district to indulge in the heavenly taste of grilled seafood, putting a perfect end to a wonderful day in Tainan.