Tainan

Tainan or T'ai-nan (both: tī`nän`), city (1994 pop. 706,811), W central Taiwan, on the Taiwan Strait. The fourth largest city of Taiwan, it has industries producing metals, textiles, machinery, processed foods, and handicrafts. It is also a center for the marketing and processing of sugarcane, rice, peanuts, and salt, and there is an important fishing industry. Settled in 1590, Tainan is the oldest city of Taiwan. It was taken over by the Dutch and used as their headquarters from 1624 to 1662. It then became the island's capital under Koxinga and his son. Called Taiwan or Taiwanfu, it remained the political center of the island until the transfer of government to Taipei in 1885, when the city was renamed Tainan. A cultural center, it has many temples, the shrine of Koxinga, and a modern college of engineering.

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Tainan, T'ai-nan

a city in the SW Taiwan: an early centre of Chinese emigration from the mainland; largest city and capital of the island (1638--1885); Chengkung University. Pop.: 754 000 (2005 est.)

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T’ainan 

a city in China, in Taiwan Province; situated on the southwestern coast of the island of Taiwan. Anp’ing, the city’s outer port, is administratively part of T’ainan. Population, 485,000 (1971). T’ainan is a transportation junction and the trade and industrial center of a developed agricultural region that produces sugarcane and rice. There are also local sugar refineries and chemical and textile industries. Salt is mined near T’ainan.