Would you like to experience an unforgettable summer packed with all kinds of fun? Then come to Tainan! The city government’s Tourism Bureau is organizing events to please every sense, giving you the coolest choice of ways to beat the summer heat and make it your best friend. There are mango and lotus flower festivals, tasters for water recreation, partying on the beach, and much more. Visitors from everywhere are warmly welcomed to saturate your senses in the sunshine, sand, music, romance and delicious flavors of summer in Tainan.
On smoldering summer days, you won’t want to miss a treat that cools and refreshes from the tip of the tongue. Happily, summer is the mango season, and mangoes are Tainan’s signature fruit. From June 25 to July 17, Tainan International Mango Festival offers visitors an array of tongue-tempting concoctions, complemented by mango-themed attractions and activities, to let you taste the very best of this wonderful fruit.
As the mangoes ripen, the lotuses also burst into flower. Take an excursion to Tainan’s Baihe District to savor the special beauty and fragrance of these floating blossoms. During the Baihe Lotus Festival that opens on June 5, you can join in a variety of colorful activities on lotus farms. You can also rent T-Bikes from multiple service points to cycle around Baihe and Houbi Districts, for a leisurely tour of the area’s charming farm villages and lovely natural surroundings.
When summer heats up, the water beckons! For the best ways to enjoy water’s cooling enticement, the Tourism Bureau is providing opportunities to experience water recreation activities in three main scenic areas: Hutoupi in Sinhua District, Hulupi in Guantian District, and Deyuanpi in Liouying District. These kick off in Hulupi Nature Park with six days of water recreation safety guidance and hands-on equipment use instruction, over the weekends of July 16-17, 23-24, and 30-31. Everyone is also welcome to come and take part in a series of water-related games and challenges, including the Water Triathlon, Singles’ Week, Families’ Week, Water Dodgeball Competition and Water Rocket events. As summer turns to autumn in October, there’s another kind of family attraction at the Windmill Festival in Deyuanpi Holland Village. Parents and children are invited to register for participation in games and events at the festival during the October 8-10 and 15-16 weekends.
One of the prime attractions of this summer in Tainan is the 2016 Summer Party, a series of eight themed events running from June 18 through to October. The action starts with the Salt & Sand Sculpture Art Festival held at Mashagou Coastal Recreation Area, Taiwan Salt Museum and Cigu Salt Mountain from June 18 to August 28, offering a wonderful spectacle as well as many do-it-yourself activities. Next off is the Cigu Seafood Festival, which runs from July 4 to August 13. In addition to the ever popular annual clam-digging activity, this year’s festival features the promotion of seven super-value excursions to enjoy Cigu’s finest sea views, freshest seafood, and foremost places of interest.
Of course, there has to be music as an essential ingredient of a summer of fun. Arranged by the Tainan Tourism Bureau, the 2016 Tainan Summer Music Festival on August 13 presents a powerful lineup of popular bands and singers, including Paiwan rock duo Power Station and pin-up Taiwanese-Korean singer Bii. Chill away the heat of the day and rock into the night to the waves of sweet sound from this seaside summer concert.
Summertime is also the season of romance, with Chinese Valentine’s Day falling on August 8 this year. An atmosphere of love pervades the city, and lovers or those seeking love can enjoy a rich program of romantic activities in the 2016 Tainan Chihsi Festival from July 22 to August 21, held in celebration of the annual meeting of the cowherd Niulang and weaver girl Zhinü in Chinese mythology. So if you feel in the mood for love, come to romantic Tainan for a heart-stirring summer love-in. Tainan Tourism Bureau would also like you to know about the “Shall we dance in Tainan?” video contest launched on its @traveltainan Facebook page on July 7. To enter this contest, all you have to do is submit a 20-second dance video filmed at any of Tainan’s tourist attractions, and you will have a chance to win free plane tickets and the Golden Tainan Annual Tour Pass. What are you waiting for? Take your loved one by the hand, and dance together in Tainan!