Temples, forts, parks and even navy destroyers: this is Running in Taiwan!

Tainan and Taipei, Taiwan. April 2026.

We discovered both Taiwan’s capital city, Taipei, and its historical one, Tainan, while running. In Taipei we ran in its busy streets and in the parks near Tamsui River. While in Tainan we discovered and ran in its Temples, its historic forts, its narrow alleys full of stalls and red lanterns, ….

And even in a Navy destroyer!

A great way to discover this amazing country, which is definitely worth a visit!

TLDR; “too long, didn’t read”

• I just want to run! Take me to RUNS.
• I have 1 minute. Take me to USEFUL INFORMATION.
• Running is my excuse for travelling. Take me to TRIP.
• Running is my excuse for eating. Take me to CARBOLOADING.
• I want to know what to read in the plane. Take me to ONE BOOK.

🌍 The Trip 📷

A Legacy of Resilience

The history of this Pacific island is a fascinating story of indigenous roots and many layers of colonial influence. 📖

You can feel the unique spirit of a society that has successfully transitioned into a vibrant and modern democracy.

🏛️ This deep heritage provides a stunning backdrop for runners who want to explore the intersection of tradition and progress. Taiwan is now a land of incredible warmth where the local people welcome every visitor with genuine and open kindness, and we did experience it first hand!

Navigating these safe and clean streets offers a unique perspective on a culture that truly values its own liberty. 🗽

Getting there

We arrived in an AirAsia 3 hours flight from Kota Kinabalu and found a hot climate (28 celsius in April) and cloudy skies.

The views from the plane were amazing. The Central Mountain Range (the Zhōngyāng Shānmài in Chinese), the backbone of Taiwan. This is the famous mountain range that occupies basically half of the island, was clearly visible. Later, we would also see it from Taipei.

In the airport, Roger paid attention to the “Beagle brigade”: the Beagle dogs who smell drugs and food that cannot be imported to Taiwan. Pictures and cartoons depicting them were everywhere!

We were also surprised because both in the excellent train to MRT (Taipei’s Main Railway Station, in the centre of Taipei), you could only pay cash in the machines. Also later, in a hamburger place, we asked to pay in cash. Very different from China!

The train was only 36 minutes and it had wifi!

The Neon Pulse of Taipei

Running through the neon streets of Taipei offers a thrilling mix of massive skyscrapers and hidden mountain trail escapes. 🏙️

Here you can feel the fast paced energy that is perfectly balanced by the quiet of local temples. ⚡

From Tainan to Taipei in HST (High Speed Train)

After our first run in Taipei, we then went to the south of the island, to Tainan, the ancient capital.

The journey was fast and smooth, using the High Speed Train that, from Taipei’s main station, took us to Tainan in less than two hours! Reserved seats and on time schedule. Really nice!

We reached Tainan at midday and walked to Anping, the historical neighbourhood where we were staying, as the taxis refused to take us. Probably the ride was not worth the money…

The Historic Soul of Tainan

Tainan is the oldest city on the island where every corner reveals a piece of the deep imperial past. ⛩️

Running past the ancient Dutch forts and colorful temples allows you to feel the slow and steady heartbeat of history. 🧱

The blend of traditional street food smells and narrow historic alleys creates a vibrant atmosphere that rewards every curious step. 🍜

🏃‍♀️ Run along River Tamsui in Taipei 🏃‍♂️

We woke up at 7am to start running before the sun was too high; it was mid april but the temperatures in Taipei are high enough so as to not be able to go much later.

The route we had picked was along the Tamsui River (淡水河), which serves as the city’s primary waterway.

We left our hotel and we found almost empty streets. This surprised us but later we realised that life unfolded underground, in the busy corridors of the subway, and the connections between the bus station and the train stations.

We headed to Yanping Riverside Park, where we saw many, many scooters! We stopped at a traffic light and taped the scooters passing by when one traffic light turned green… the footage was 3 minutes of a non stop flow of scooters! Crazy.

Yanping Riverside Park

The Tamsui River felt like a massive lung for the city, providing a wide-open escape from the dense urban grid.

As we moved along the bank, the scale of the waterway was impressive; it’s a wide, tidal river that reflects the skyline in a way that makes the whole city feel much more expansive.

The Yanping Riverside Park itself was a runner’s dream, with perfectly paved, dedicated paths that stretched out far ahead of us, separated from the noise of the traffic by high floodwalls and lush green belts.

We noticed that the park wasn’t just a place for exercise, but a vibrant community hub where the city’s natural geography met its social life.

Also, we saw many groups of elderly people doing taichi to the sound of surprisingly cheerful music. It was a workday at 8am so it made sense we did not encounter many young people.

A group of elderly ladies were doing taichi with sticks and blades… like we had seen in Xi’an. It was so cool, we stopped to watch for a while.

Zhongzheng District

We turned away from the river and headed back toward the city center, quickly finding ourselves running through the busy streets of the Zhongzheng District, the neighborhood surrounding Taipei Main Station. 

The quiet of the park was instantly replaced by an incredible energy; this area is the city’s literal heart, where every major train line and bus route converges.

The architecture was a wild mix of old and new, with grand, colonial-style stone buildings sitting right next to sleek, modern glass towers. 

Nanyang Street

We navigated the sidewalks of Nanyang Street, famously known as “Scholar Street,” where thousands of students grab quick meals between classes. It felt like we were running through a giant, organized maze. 

Even with the humidity rising, the sheer movement of the neighborhood kept us going; it was the perfect contrast to our peaceful river run, showing us the two very different speeds at which Taipei lives.

🏃‍♀️ Run in Tainan🏃‍♂️

For our first run in Tainan, we headed to one of the most iconic places in this fascinating city: the Anping Fort.

The Anping Fort 

The Anping Fort was originally built by the Dutch in the 17th century as Fort Zeelandia, serving as their international business hub and defensive stronghold.

Its weathered red brick walls and historic watchtower stand as enduring symbols of the city’s complex colonial past and its transition to Chinese rule under Koxinga.

We entered at 9am and it was completely empty, which I loved because it made me feel transported to other, ancient times… like it had just been abandoned.

The fort, with its banyan trees (everywhere in the city, and so big, and so wild, that are one of the city’s own landmarks), dominates the surrounding landscape with a tangled canopy of aerial roots that seem to be slowly reclaiming the ancient stone structures.

We went up the tower and got amazing views of the city too. Then we ran around the fort, went up and down its stairs and enjoyed the possibility of running in such a formidable place.

Squirrels crossed in our path, and, like the day before, we saw all kinds of military planes flying by very low. 

Tainan Air Force Base

This is because the Tainan Air Force Base is located nearby, serving as a critical hub for Taiwan’s defense and pilot training. The thunderous roar of the fighter jets provides a constant, modern contrast to the silent, centuries-old history of the Anping district.

Anping

Then we continued running along the streets of Anping. In particular, we enjoyed the famous Anping Old Street. This historical neighbourhood claims the title of the first established merchant street in Taiwan, maintaining a layout that dates back over 300 years. 

Its narrow alleys are lined with traditional houses decorated with “Sword Lions,” unique clay charms meant to protect the residents from evil spirits. 

We discovered colorful and extraordinary temples everywhere, next to street stalls selling all kinds of goods, like pineapples or Anping’s “chicken popcorn”.

The streets were still not as busy as during the night, which made them manageable for running. 

Anyi Bridge and Lin Mo-niang Park

We then went up the Anyi Bridge towards the Eternal Golden Park. Then came a nice surprise!

We entered Lin Mo-niang Park, which is a spacious waterfront green space dedicated to the goddess Mazu, featuring a towering white statue that gazes out toward the sea to protect local fishermen. It is a favorite spot for locals to fly kites and enjoy the cooling breeze coming off the Anping Harbor.

And we found all kinds of military aircraft, like statues! We enjoyed this massively! We saw a collection of decommissioned fighter jets and transport planes parked proudly on the grass, looking like they were ready to take flight at any moment.

And we ran past signs warning us… “Beware of snakes!”. Wow, that was unexpected!

Eternal Golden Park and Fort

Getting to the Park was a relief, as the big trees gave us a very nice shade which helped in this tropical climate.

It was already 10:30am (we had decided to take all morning for a long run) and although not impossible to run in, the climate made it slightly difficult to run.

The Golden Park Fort is a massive coastal fortress and was the first in Taiwan to be equipped with modern British Armstrong cannons to defend against a potential Japanese invasion in the late 19th century.

 Its square design and deep, water-filled moat make it one of the most impressive examples of late-Qing dynasty military architecture.

Again, we were the only tourists and we ran around the perimeter. Really cool stuff. We passed by MASSIVE canyons and looked down the moat, with crystal waters. The centre of the fort was completely empty, which made it more special. Perfect to think about the past. 

And the banyan trees… wow! There was one which had destroyed some of the fort foundations, even.

Here we also went up and down a few stairs, just to add some spice to our run 🙂

Yuguang Island

Then we headed to… the beach! We wanted to see the China Sea, and we did, although we were getting tired and we had to stop in a surf shop with the Union Flag (quite weird, tbh) to buy and drink some water, green tea and an excellent strawberry soda drink (that even had a little strawberry pulp in it!).

We had reached Yuguang Island. There was nobody on the beach and we enjoyed running, hearing the sound of the China Sea, along the shore with our footsteps being swallowed by the waves. 

Although we could not swim. It was forbidden!!

And by now we had realised that law enforcement is a very serious thing in Taiwan, so we abided by the law!

On our way back… another highlight.

Naval Destroyer Park

We saw a naval ship in one of the canals, and we headed there. Turned out to be the Naval Destroyer Park, with a magnificent war beast that served until 2005. You can enter, and we did. 

And not only that… we ran in it! Running short sprints amongst the menacing guns, going up and down the tiny stairs (safe hazard, safe hazard) was one of the most unexpected and iconic mini runs we have ever done.

The ROCS Te Yang (DDG-925) is a Fletcher-class destroyer that originally served in the United States Navy before being transferred to Taiwan’s fleet. 

Now operating as a museum, it allows visitors to explore everything from the bridge to the engine rooms, preserved exactly as it was during its decades of active service.

We had run 10 kilometers, and it was already midday, so we concluded our run, over the moon with everything we had done and seen in this fascinating city!

🍜 Carboloading 🍝: What to eat in Taiwan if you are a runner

When we reached Anping, the historical neighbourhood in Tainan, at midday, the million restaurants and food stalls that live up the city from 5pm onwards were closed. The city looked like a ghost town under the sun, so we had to resort to buying snacks in one of the ubiquitous 7/11 😂!

Luckily for us tourists, the 7/11s in Taiwan are full of local choices!

At least we tried some snacks that seemed local to us, like beef jerky or Lays crisps… but Seaweed flavoured!

And what about “real” food?

I recommend grabbing a large bowl of beef noodle soup in Taipei to power your next long urban training run. These thick wheat noodles offer the perfect complex carbohydrates needed for an afternoon of exploring the humid riverside park trails.

You should also try the savory scallion pancakes found at street stalls in Tainan for a quick hit of energy!

These flaky treats provide a steady fuel source that keeps your legs moving without causing any heavy or painful discomfort. 🍜

🏃 5 to 10k run in Taipei; longer run, 10 to 15kms, in Tainan, in Taiwan.

👟 Urban: bring shoes for asphalt.

✅ A fantastic way of discovering Taiwan’s hidden gems.

✅ Parks perfect for running, both in Taipei and Taiwan, as well as good trails. A very safe city.

⚠️The tropical weather makes it difficult to run during the day. Also there are no hydration points, although many 7/11s where you can buy local drinks…

Map of our first run in Taipei, along Tamsui River and the streets near Taipei’s main station:

And the map for our second run; recommended touristic 10k scenic run in Tainan, Taiwan:

Green Island, by Shawna Yang Ryan

Reading Shawna Yang Ryans Green Island before my journey gave me a profound window into the complex history of Taiwan.

This epic novel follows a family through decades of political turmoil and the long period of strict local martial law. I found that seeing the landscape through their eyes helped me appreciate the deep resilience found in every Taiwanese city.

Seeing the Memorial Park in Taipei felt more meaningful after learning about the history they lived through. 📖