Tainan

Fort Provintia, Dutch-built in 1653 and later crowned with Chinese pavilions. Restoration is nearly done; some scaffolding remains.

Founded in 1665, the oldest in Taiwan, set in a courtyard of banyans and red walls. Taiwan's first school stood on this site.

The old Dutch port: Anping Old Fort, the banyan-swallowed Tree House, and a street selling shrimp crackers and candied fruit.

One restored Qing lane of wooden shopfronts, bars and craft studios. Best at dusk as the lanterns and the bars switch on.

A 1932 art deco store, restored and trading again, with a rooftop Shinto shrine and a period lift still worked by an attendant.

About 1h45 from Taipei. The HSR station is out at Guiren, with a shuttle train into the historic centre in 25 minutes.

Slower than the HSR but drops you in the old centre, walking distance from Chihkan Tower and the Confucius Temple.

Small airport with links to Hong Kong, Osaka and Vietnam. Most visitors still arrive via Taoyuan or Kaohsiung.

October to March: warm, dry and comfortable for walking the old lanes.

May to September, hot and humid with heavy afternoon downpours.

Lunar New Year and the Yanshui fireworks at the Lantern Festival.

Beef soup at dawn: Six Thousand opens around 04:00 and sells out early. Then the Confucius Temple as it opens.

Chihkan Tower and the Grand Mazu Temple, then Yongle Market for danzai noodles and milkfish congee.

Coffin bread and shrimp rolls in the old centre, finished with a bowl of iced red bean and taro.

Bus out to Anping for the old fort, the Tree House and the salt-crusted old street behind it.

Shennong Street as the lanterns come on, then Garden Night Market if it is Thursday to Sunday.

Neoclassical palace out in Rende with the world's largest violin collection and a big Western art hoard. Closed Wednesdays.

Salt mountains, black-faced spoonbills in winter and oyster-raft boat trips through the mangroves, an hour northwest.