Five Senses of Tainan

When you come to Tainan, it��s practically impossible to not just pig out and look at old temples. Of course there are other things to do as well.

Wang Hao-yi, Tainan Historian:
I wanted to meet you here because this is a really special hotel. Today I��m going to show you a different Tainan.

The Simen Market area in Tainan was once very prosperous, but the infrastructure didn��t keep up with the speed of economic development, so this hotel before the big renovation almost fell into ruins.

Wang Hao-yi, Tainan Historian:
This hotel is situated in what was a network of waterways. We wanted to redesign the building with the theme of what this area was in the past. So including the old window bars that you see behind me, old and traditional building materials were rescued from certain recycling death by architect Kuo-Chang Liu, and then given new life by applying a little bit of design to them.

Speaking of reusing old materials, this seed museum nearby was built with a similar spirit. Landscape designer Liang Ying-ling also rescued seeds from various plants that would have otherwise been swept away and thrown away.

Jhao Ying-ling, Seed Museum Director:
When you see them fly or float through the air, or observe them in other ways, you feel that it��s a big waste when they��re picked up and discarded. So I decided to collect them. We can use seeds to make colored lip balm, to make necklaces and other accessories. When people come, I also urge them to touch the seeds and feel the wood. Kids don��t really have the chance to do these things nowadays.

You can even use your hands to make incense here. Travel gurus say that consciously using the five senses when going through a place will make your travels even more memorable, and on this Tainan experience, I totally agree.