TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Tainan is not only the old capital of Taiwan, it is also the country’s cultural capital. Tainan is a place suited for leisurely living, and the best way to get to know the city is to wander through its lanes and alleys, the Tourism Bureau of Tainan City Government noted in an online statement on its Travel Tainan website.

This free English walking tour service, which was inaugurated in 2015, includes two walking routes: the Classic Tour and the Local Life Tour.

The Classic Tour takes visitors through Tainan’s major historic sites in downtown Tainan, including the Hayashi Department Store, Wu's Garden, and the first ever school in Taiwan, namely the Tainan Confucius Temple, thereby giving them an understanding of Tainan’s history and culture, the agency stated.

The Local Life Tour takes visitors to well-known streets and traditional markets, introducing them to the city’s leisurely and interesting lifestyle, according to the tourism bureau.

This service is totally free. No payment or tipping of the interpreter is required.

Beginning in December last year, the two-hour service has been provided on the basis of fixed time slots on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and each tour serves only five visitors, the agency said.

Information about the activity time, the meeting place, the tour guide, the route, and the booking period for each tour is posted on the English Travel Tainan website, via which booking can also be made.

The tourism bureau said that 700 visitors from 44 countries have partaken of these services since the free English walking tour service was launched, and the numbers of service recipients have increased over the years.

Thirty tours are planned for the period from March to May this year, and all related information will be posted on the English Tainan Travel website by the end of January, the agency stated.

Photo courtesy of Tourism Bureau of Tainan City Government

Photo courtesy of Tourism Bureau of Tainan City Government

Photo courtesy of Tourism Bureau of Tainan City Government