Yanping Old Street
Yanping Street, alias Taiwan Street or Shih Pan (Stone Plates) Street, is located to the east of Anping Fort. It was the first street established by the Dutch 300 years ago, following the urban rule of Taiwan set up by the Qing government. The street was about 2m to 3m wide, allowing pedestrians and bicycles to pass through. However, it was not wide enough for cars to go in. In some ways, it was built for “people only.” In 1994, taking suggestions from local residents, Tainan City Government widened the street. When the construction work was about to proceed, people concerned about history strongly suggested that being the first street in Taiwan, it should be preserved. They blocked the street to hinder the construction, which was suspended then. However, local residence lost their patience, and they strongly requested the city government to proceed as planned. To uphold the rights of local residents, Yanping Street was torn down. But Jhongsing Street and Siaojhong Street, which were parallel to Yanping Street were preserved, allowing us to see their past glories.