Snail Alley – Tainan City, Taiwan - Atlas Obscura
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Snail Alley

Tainan City, Taiwan

The residence of a Taiwanese literary scholar sits down an alleyway adorned with depictions of snails. 

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Tucked down a quiet alleyway in the bustling West Central District of Tainan City, there is a place to take it slow and enjoy some public art installations, all of which are themed around snails.

Take your time ambling through this peaceful tribute to local writer Yeh Shih Tao, to whom the nearby museum is dedicated. He lived on this street before his death in 2008. In Yeh’s book The Past is Like a Cloud he refers to a “Snail Street” in the neighborhood, and it seems it has come to life. However, this real-life interpretation is more literal than simply accommodating life at a snail’s pace. Along the alley, you will find sculptures, murals, and installations. Some are bright and colorful while others are subtle and almost hidden. But one thing they all have in common is that they represent our favorite shell-bearing gastropods. 

Take your time and explore the alleyway, looking for all the hidden snails that have clambered up, over, and onto the walls around you.

Know Before You Go

Look for the strange handpainted bookcase on the street as a clue for where to enter the alleyway from the main road.

snails alleyways authors art outside literature
Nearby
Suehiro Shrine at Hayashi Department Store
0.15 miles
Grand Matsu Temple
0.24 miles
Tainan Confucius Temple
0.30 miles
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