Tainan Kuang Tsai Embroidery Shop

Tainan


Mr Lin, one of the last remaining embroidery masters in Tainan, has been working at his craft for more than 50 years and now he and his daughter have taken the craft to a new, modern level. All his pieces have the light touch and expressiveness of a craftsman truly at the peak of his skills.

The most famous samples of his work are the long Eight Immortals panels, which used to be popular at weddings and other special occasions. Such panels cost tens of thousands of Taiwanese dollars but this doesn't stop buyers from all over the world coming to the shop. Smaller pieces can be purchased for a few thousand, and even browsers are more than welcome (as the sign outside the shop says).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Tainan attractions

1. Tainan Art Museum Bldg 2

0.02 MILES

Created by Japanese architect and Pritzker Prize–winner Ban Shigeru, Building 2 of the Tainan Art Museum has a dozen galleries spread over five floors…

2. Official God of War Temple

0.06 MILES

This is the oldest and most impressive temple in Taiwan dedicated to Guandi (Guan Gong), a Han-dynasty general deified as the God of War. He is the patron…

3. Chihkan Towers

0.1 MILES

This old fort is a splendid place to roam around, or to enjoy an outdoor concert on weekends. However, only the foundation is the original. Chihkan has…

4. Chuan Mei Theatre

0.14 MILES

This old second-run theatre (1950) is worth a look for the movie posters created by Master Yan Jhen-fa, the last such painter in Taiwan. You can see…

5. 182 Art Space

0.14 MILES

A fabulous gallery inside an attractive 50-year-old building. The three-and-a-half floors of space hosts well-curated exhibitions of works – paintings,…

6. Grand Mazu Temple

0.15 MILES

This lively temple once served as the palace of Ning Jin, the last king of the Ming dynasty. If you wish to confirm visually that a king's status is lower…

7. Altar of Heaven

0.21 MILES

Tainan families have been coming here for generations on the 1st and 15th of every lunar month to pray to the supreme Taoist entity, the Jade Emperor. The…

8. Land Bank

0.28 MILES

The neoclassical-style Land Bank dates from 1928. Japanese architects were heavily influenced by western ideas at the time and neoclassical revival was a…