[Tamara DeCarter]

As stated, Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan with many historical and quaint streets and sites to visit. Whether a foodie, history buff, shopper, or culturalist Tainan is a city for everyone. Travelers enjoy walking down quaint streets with Dutch architecture, museums, parks, temples, and markets. An easy city to travel around by foot, the Historic District is a must-see with Anping Old Fort  (renamed after it was rebuilt) with replication of its earlier roots as Dutch East India Company’s fortress in the early 1600’s. It’s a historic replica for tourism today as brick from the original fort was used for the Eternal Fortress and further destroyed during Japanese occupation.

 

Another major landmark of Tainan includes the first Confucius Temple built in 1666 before the end of the Manchu Dynasty. Since then it has been reconstructed over 30 times due to wars and natural disasters. However, articles and horizontal boards scriptures along with musical instruments from the Manchu Dynasty have been well preserved. Located in the West District, the Confucius Temple is referred to by a few different names including “Taiwan Confucius Temple” and the “Scholarly Temple” for its known as the first place of public education. Additions to the temple were constructed by the Qing Dynasty and further expansions during Japanese occupation until World War II when it was bombed during Allied invasions. Later, the Chinese Nationalist Party took steps to promote Chinese culture and revive Confucius philosophy and education within the temple. A new tradition began with the Republic of China presenting presidential plaques with Confucius sayings for each president. The temple grounds include Wenchang Pavilion a three story looking pagoda with each floor offering a shrine to a Taoist god. For instance, the third floor is a shrine to the Taoist God of Literature; important for students seeking to do well on exams or gain admission to a school.

 

Other notable attractions and points of interest in Tainan include….

Salt Mountain

Anping Treehouse

Lion’s Baseball game

Taijang National Park

 

[Tamara DeCarter]

Hi!

My name is Tamara DeCarter and this is my 10th year teaching. I've been in the same public school district in Hamden, Connecticut for all 10 of those years. The first 7 years were spent teaching 9th -12th grade to students with a variety of ability levels. During that time I taught U.S. History, AP Psychology, Criminal Law, and Economics. The past 3 years I've been teaching 7th grade social studies called Regional World Studies which includes East Asia as a major unit of study. I've never been to China or Taiwan so I'm excited for the opportunity to explore and share this experience with my students. 

I enjoy traveling, hiking, yoga, reading, and spending time with my dog. During the spring season I'm also busy coaching our high school girls' lacrosse team. I look forward to meeting everyone soon!

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