Trip Tips

Tainan can be reached by high-speed train from Taipei in just under two hours. Nearby Kaohsiung International Airport, a 45-minute drive away, has direct flights from Seoul, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. Stay at the Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza Tainan ( 886-6/7028888; shangri-la.com; doubles from $148) for its dependable five-star luxury, or experience the city’s current zeitgeist at Maowu ( 886-6/3912113; maowu.tw; doubles from $250), whose minimalistic rooms are a subdued balance of exposed concrete and wood.