Southern Taiwan
What It Encompasses
Southern Taiwan includes Tainan City, Kaohsiung City, Pingtung County, and Chiayi County. This region represents the heart of traditional Taiwanese culture and the cradle of Han Chinese settlement on the island.
Distinctive Characteristics
The south has a fundamentally different character from the north. Tainan, Taiwan’s oldest city, served as the island’s capital for over 200 years and remains its spiritual and cultural heart. The city’s pace is noticeably slower, its streets lined with centuries-old temples, traditional markets, and family businesses that have operated for generations. This is where you’ll find Taiwan’s deepest culinary traditions and strongest sense of local identity.
Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s third-largest city and primary international port, presents an industrial powerhouse that’s undergone remarkable transformation. Once known primarily for heavy industry and pollution, Kaohsiung has reinvented itself with waterfront developments, public art projects, and a generally more liveable urban environment. It maintains a grittier, more working-class character than Taipei, with a distinct local pride.
Pingtung County, stretching south to Taiwan’s tropical tip, offers beach towns, the surfing haven of Kenting, and indigenous Paiwan and Rukai villages in its mountainous interior. The landscape becomes notably more tropical here, with coconut palms and other vegetation that signal you’ve crossed into a different climate zone.
Chiayi County is like Changhua and Yunlin County, also featuring traditional agriculture because of its flat plains. Besides, it’s also famous for Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, making it one of the must-go county in the south.
Key Highlights
The south is unmatched for food culture and religious heritage. Tainan alone contains hundreds of temples, each with its own history and festivals. The city’s snack culture is legendary: small, inexpensive dishes served from generation-old street vendors and tiny restaurants. Understanding southern food culture provides perhaps the deepest insight into traditional Taiwanese life available to outsiders.
Kaohsiung offers urban experiences distinct from Taipei, particularly its harbour culture and the vibrant Zuoying district with its Lotus Pond temples. Kenting National Park at Taiwan’s southern tip provides tropical beach experiences, though it has become heavily developed and can feel overcrowded during peak seasons.
The south also provides access to Alishan, one of Taiwan’s most famous mountain areas, renowned for its sunrise views, historic logging railway, and tea plantations.
Who Should Prioritise This Region
Southern Taiwan rewards travellers interested in history, traditional culture, and authentic food experiences. It’s ideal for those who want to see Taiwan beyond the modernised, internationalised north, and who are comfortable navigating places with fewer English speakers.
Foodies should absolutely prioritise the south, particularly Tainan. The region also suits those interested in Taiwan’s complex religious landscape, traditional Han cultures, and anyone wanting to experience how the vast majority of Taiwanese people actually live outside the capital.
Beach seekers may be drawn to Kenting, where travellers can participate in various water activities and see coral reefs.
Climate Considerations
Southern Taiwan is noticeably warmer than the north throughout the year. Winters are mild and pleasant (typically 17-26°C), though the coldest fronts can still bring temperatures down to around 10°C for brief periods. This makes the south an excellent winter destination when northern Taiwan is grey and drizzly.
Summers are intensely hot and humid, with temperatures regularly exceeding 35°C and feeling even hotter due to high humidity. The region receives less rain than the north overall, with most precipitation coming in brief, intense afternoon thunderstorms during summer. Typhoons affect the south less frequently than the north and east, though when they do hit, they can be severe.
Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County are genuinely tropical, with warm weather year-round and a distinct dry season from November through March—the best time for beach activities.