Anping Tree House

The Anping Tree House is one of the most visually striking things in Tainan and requires no particular interest in history to appreciate. What was a trading warehouse in the late 19th century has been completely colonised by the roots and canopy of a banyan tree that found a foothold in the roof and spent the better part of a century dismantling the structure from above. The result is a partially collapsed building where roots cascade down through holes in the walls and ceiling, and the line between tree and ruin is completely blurred.

Visitors walk through the interior on raised platforms, which gives an unusually good view of how the root system has threaded through brick walls and across the floor. At the top you can step out onto the rooftop canopy walkway for views over the surrounding Anping district. The site is run by the city and entry is included in a combined ticket with Anping Fort, a few minutes' walk east.

things to do sight anping
A story
The building was an old Tait & Company trading warehouse from the late 19th century, part of Tainan's salt-trading economy. When the company shut down and the warehouse was abandoned in the early 20th century, a single banyan tree took hold in the roof. Over decades, its aerial roots spread down through the structure and now cover the entire building in a living net of wood. The tree essentially ate the warehouse.