New Taipei City Travel

-->Sometimes, does having no transportation available ever stopped you from getting closer to nature on the weekends? After the operation of the Circular Line of Taipei Mass Rapid Transit Systems (Taipei MRT) begins, outing becomes easier. Would you feel like admiring the scenery or taking beautiful photos? Just follow the route, you'll find the right ways! Starting from the MRT Dapinglin Station, it's the way to a secret place called "Yinhe Cave;" people can take a stroll in the grass under tree shades for comfortable enjoyment; as soon as you hear the sound of a waterfall, people can see the extremely fascinating scene of water falling off from a cliff cave where the temple was built! Walking further to reach "Bitan" with its beautiful landscapes, people can walk across the suspension bridge to overlook the riverbank as well as try the swan-shaped paddle boats. At noon, people can take a short break at the "Pompie 2," a renowned shop that is located next to the No.4 park and recommended by the internet celebrities; quiche is the food you must try, it goes well with some desserts, such as smoothies or pieces of layer cake, people can enjoy a good lunch. If you need more food, taking a trip to "Myanmar Street" in Zhonghe can impress you so much by the strong exotic Southeast Asian atmosphere; each shop has its signature dish, the South Pacific Island cuisines are also available. The last spot to visit is the most well-known temple in northern Taiwan, "Hongludi Nanshan Fude Temple," people can thank the Earth God for his protection as well as admire the wide night view of greater Taipei before ending the wonderful one-day tour.The Yinhe Cave Hiking Trail--> Mt. Dailaokeng is the summit of the west extension belonging to the Ergeshan mountain range, it's also called Degaoling. The trail is flat and easy to hike and the landscapes along the way are lush and enticing. Dapianwei Ridge ends at Xindian River and Qingtan River, it's an easy hiking trail; along the way, there are the Yinhe Cave, Dachun Villa, etc, the lush scenes in front of the eyes are beautiful in a quiet atmosphere, a popular tourist's spot.The Yinhe Cave is right beside Beiyi Road, it's a cave having an outline that curves inwards on the cliff; there's a small temple built to worship Guanyin. The words embossed on the cliff are "Bie-you-dong-tian (means a beautiful hidden spot)." When Meiziliao River reaches here, the waterfall drops at a 90-degree angle from the cliff and forms the Yinhe Cave Waterfall. Yinhe Cave was found in the Taisho 1 (in 1912), there's a Lu Dongbin Temple built behind it. Next to the temple, there are silk-like streams of water falling from the mountain; due to water tasting sweet and refreshing, a lot of tourists come here to scoop water and drink. Under the Yinhe Cave, there's a small garden with stone tables and chairs; tourists can admire the waterfall here while enjoying the chilly atmosphere that is filled with water splashes.info.Location and Address: Yinhe Rd., Xindian Dist., New Taipei CityContact Phone Number: 886-2-29112281 (Xindian District Office)Opening Hours: All year round.Fax Number: 886-2-29670755The traffic information from the MRT Xindian Station to the Yinhe Cave Hiking Trail1. At the MRT Xindian Station, take the bus "Green Route 12" and get off at "Yinhe Cave".2. At the MRT Dapingling Station, take the Bus No. "647" or "650" and get off at "Zhongsheng Bridge".The Yinhe Cave Hiking Trail's informationBitan Scenic Area--> The “Bitan Scenic Area” is near the Taipei Metro Xindian Station. As part of the Xindian River, it is called “Bitan” (literally clear water lake) because water is clear, water flow is gentle, and the opening is spacious. In addition to the gentle slopes, beautiful mountains and the undulating bikeway suitable for lovers and family tours, the historical suspension bridge is the landmark of the scenic area.On the bridge, the entire river and shore view of the “Bitan Scenic Area” is in sight. Below, visitors can surf around the lake in a water bike (aka swan boat), rent a bike to explore the gorgeous scenery of the area along the lakeside bikeway, or stroll across the romantic and exotic “Riverside Marketplace” to take pictures with the Cupid installation art and fun 3D paintings.info.Location and Address: Xindian District, New Taipei, Taiwan 231Contact Phone Number: 886-2-29132579Opening Hours: 8:00-17:00The traffic information from the Yinhe Cave Hiking Trail to the Bitan Scenic AreaAt Yinhe Cave", take the bus "Green Route 12" and get off at the MRT Xindian Station.Bitan Scenic Area's informationPompie 2--> Located next to the No.4 Park, the owner of Pompie 2, who came back to Taiwan from Australia, hopes to introduce the authentic quiche to people, and he opened the Pompie, the previous name of Pompie 2. Afterwards, he reopened the shop with fresh flower smoothies and pieces of layer cake, and the shop's name was changed to Pompie 2. The signature flower smoothies are made of a mix of fresh fruit added with edible flowers and oats, not only healthy but also looking great in front of the camera. For sure, having the quiche for brunch is a must-eat food. The signature quiche layered by half-cooked sunny side up fried egg, pan-fried wild mushroom, salad, etc., really looking "Pompie (means abundant)"! In addition to the two kinds of food, there are pieces of layer cake, soft-serve milk ice cream, pudding, etc. available in Pompie 2. They are the best-selling desserts in summer.info.Location and Address: No.164, Anle Rd., Yonghe Dist., New Taipei CityContact Phone Number: 886-2-89418148Opening Hours: Weekdays: 1200~20:00; Holidays: 10:00~20:00; it closes on Tuesdays and from the 1st day to the 5th day of the 1st lunar month.The traffic information from the Bitan Scenic Area to the Pompie 2Take the MRT Xindian Line and get off at the Dapinglin Station; then, transfer to the Circular Line and get off at the Jingan Station. Or, transfer to the Zhonghe-Xinlu Line and get off at the Yongan Market Station. Walk through the 823 Memorial Park (No.4 Park). It takes about an 8-minute walk to reach the destination.Pompie 2's informationMyanmar Street--> Zhonghe is the home of huge immigrant population, including Burmese people who have settled down in Taiwan. A small market of Burmese food on Huaxin Street was formed after some Burmese immigrants decided to open Myanmar restaurants to satisfy their craving for the foods of their homeland. The market is now called Myanmar Street by local residents and has attracted not only Burmese Chinese, but also Taiwanese people, as food from Southeast Asian countries have become more and more popular in Taiwan. Some gourmands even visit this area only to find delicious and affordable delicacies from Southeast Asia, such as Guoqiao rice noodles, curry chicken, spicy rice noodles, lemon fish and milk tea. These dishes are sold at reasonable prices and you can relish them as they are prepared by nostalgic immigrants any time you want by yourself or with other people.info.Location and Address: Huaxin St., Zhonghe Dist., New Taipei City, Taiwan 235Contact Phone Number: 886-2-22482688Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00(Opening times based on individual shops)The traffic information from the Pompie 2 to the Myanmar StreetTake the MRT the Zhonghe-Xinlu Line and get off at the Nanshijiao Station. It takes about a 10-minute walk to reach the destination.Myanmar Street's informationZhonghe Hongludi--> Taiwan's biggest Earth God statue. Built over 260 years ago, Fude Temple in Nanshan is dedicated to the Earth God Fude Jhengshen. The temple's reputation and scale grew with a series of purported mystical signs. To thank the Earth God for his protection, the temple worshippers erected a 109-foot-tall statue in the deity's image.info.Location and Address: No.160-1, Ln. 399, Sec. 2, Xingnan Rd., Zhonghe Dist., New Taipei City, Taiwan 235Contact Phone Number: 886-2-29425277Opening Hours: Open all year roundThe traffic information from the Myanmar Street to the Zhonghe HongludiAt the Huaxin Street Station, take the Bus No.249 and get off at Hongludi. It takes about a 500-meter walk to reach the destination.Zhonghe Hongludi's informaionReturn Trip Traffic InformationAt the Hongludi Station, take the Bus No. 249 or 670 and get off at Jingxin Street. It takes a 450-meter walk to reach the MRT Nanshijiao Station.Circular Line MAP ">

You only have a week in Taiwan and do not want to spend too much transportation time? Then you definitely cannot miss the "world-famous" tourist attraction- the Yehliu Geopark. I assume you have done your research on the must-see attraction that people are talking about before coming to Taiwan. Have you heard of the "alien planet" in the northern Taiwan? If no, please add it to your travel to-do-list. The Yehliu Geopark is located in the suburban area of Taipei City. It is 40 minutes away from downtown by public transportation. The long and narrow capes sticking out from the island are eroded by the strong northeast monsoon, and with the weathering and coastal erosion, the "Mars landscape" is thus generated. There are lots of rock types here and you can even see gradient colors on some of the rocks. The famous rocks will be introduced below. You will definitely be amazed when seeing the art of nature in person!Pedestal rock area/ wave-cut platform- 2 main characteristics of the GeoparkIn the first area, you will see lots of pedestal rocks, ginger shaped rocks and candle shaped rocks. When looking around, pedestal rocks are everywhere. With time passing by, the hard concretion inside the sandstone is exposed, and with the effect of wind, sun, rain, wave as well as the erosion of the northeast monsoon, the pedestal rocks of different shapes, such as the pedestal rocks with no necks, bulk necks, narrow necks and broken necks, are thus formed. The landscape with lots of pedestal rocks is very uneven, so pay attention while you are walking on it. Do not be too focused on taking photos or enjoying the view and fall.The second area on the other side of the Geopark has the wave-cut landscape. You will find sea caves, coastal notches, wave-cut platform and cuesta. On one side of the wave-cut platform is the cliff and on the other side is the rapid wave. You will find lots of interesting rocks eroded by the seawater here, including the Twenty-four Filial Exemplars Rocks.Landscape Wonder- The Pedestal RocksWhen first walking into the Geopark, you will see a huge area of the pedestal rocks. When seeing afar, it's like the cute mushrooms park. And the pedestal rocks are the landscape that attracts most people in the Yehliu Geopark. The process for the formulation of the pedestal rock is first the rock formation exposed from the sea surface, and the seawater will erode the rock continuously. After some time, the hard concretion inside the sandstone is exposed, and with the effect of wind, sun, rain, wave as well as the erosion of the northeast monsoon, the pedestal rocks of different shapes, such as the pedestal rocks with no necks, bulk necks, narrow necks and broken necks, are thus formed. The different shapes of the rocks represent the different formation processes. The landscape with lots of pedestal rocks is very uneven, so pay attention while you are walking on it. Do not be too focused on taking photos or enjoying the view and fall.The Star of the Geopark - "Queen's Head"The next coming up is the star of the Yehliu Geopark, "Queen's Head". The Queen's Head is a kind of pedestal rock. When the crustal structure was rising, the differential erosion of the seawater made the Queen's Head what it is like today. If we divide its height by the average crust rising speed in northern Taiwan, we will learn the Queen's Head is about 4,000 years old. The Queen's Head is a kind of pedestal rock. However, the joint on its upper concretion broke during 1962-1963. When viewing from a certain angle, it looks similar to the head portrait of Elizabeth II and thus acquires the name. With the natural weathering effect over the decades, the neck of the Queen's Head is getting even narrower. To prevent erosion by human activities for that tourists might touch it, the Queen's Head is now under protection. If you would like to take a photo with the Queen's Head, you can walk on the wooden plank trail to line up. Besides, you can view the Queen's Head from afar and take photos with it on the trail.The "Cute Princess Rock" and "Candle Shaped Rock" are the popular landscape at the Geopark. The formation process of the "Cute Princess Rock" is similar to that of the Queen's Head. The eroded rock looks like a princess with a ponytail and is said to be the potential replacement of the Queen's Head. Doesn't the rock look like a little girl with her hair in a bun? Though the Cute Princess Rock is probably not as element and sophisticated as the Queen's Head, it gives people a feeling of passion and sweetness.How was the "Candle Shaped Rock" named? I guess you already know! The landscape looks just like candles. There are 3 main processes for the formation of the Candle Shaped Rock. First the candle fire is exposed, and the area around it is eroded to form a groove. Finally, the candlestick is cut and the Candle Shaped Rock is thus formed. The candle fire is actually a round concretion in the rock formation. When seawater erodes sandstone, the round concretion which is harder is exposed on the ground. And when waves dash against the concretion, seawater flow around the concretion to erode the sandstone around it. A groove is formed as a result. Since the formation outside the concretion is harder, seawater will flow according to the shape of the formation and cut the rock into a cone shape that looks like a candlestick. And a rock that looks like the shape of candle is formed by mother nature.Amazing Rocks- CuestaNow let's look at the beautiful scene of the Cuesta in the second area. Walking along on the road to the Cuesta, you will see the most beautiful sea and mountain scene in the Geopark. You can view the Cuesta on one side and the sea cliff as well as wave-cut platform on the other side.The Cuesta features a sharp cliff on one side and a smooth slope on the other side. It is formed because the main stratum is pushed by uneven force and speed, which results in uneven rise of the stratum. When the stratum is pushed, the lump on the ground will cause the stratum to break. And after the seawater erosion, a landscape that looks like a "natural slide" is gradually formed.Guess how famous is the Yehliu Geopark? CNN once reported that the scene at the "Yehliu Geopark" is like the landscape in the outer space and that it has the environment that looks just like the one Mars has. You will definitely find lots of gorgeous and special rocks, including the "Queen's Head", "Ice Cream Rocks", "Beehive Rocks", "Ginger Shaped Rocks" and other wave-cut landscape. You will definitely be amazed by the diverse geologic structure and landscapes here. What's more, you can see how great and powerful nature is. Whether it's from the perspective of geographic environment or location and transportation, the Geopark is definitely worth visiting!Transportation Information of the Yehliu Geopark*Tamsui Bus No.862 (Take the bus heading to Keelung in front of MRT Tamsui Station and get off at Yehliu.) The bus sets out every 30 minutes.*KUO-KUANG eBus No. 1815 (Take the bus heading to Chinshan Youth Activity Center at the KUO-KUANG eBus Station at Taipei Main Station. The Bus drives along Zhongxiao E. Road and makes a brief stop at the Taipei City Hall Bus Station. Please get off at Yehliu.) The bus sets out every 20 minutes.*Keelung Bus No.790 (Take the bus heading to Jinshan next to Keelung Train Station and get off at Yehliu.) The bus sets out every 15 minutes.*Keelung Bus No.1068 (Take the bus heading to Jinshan at National Taiwan University and get off at Yehliu Geopark.)*Keelung Bus No.953 (Take the bus heading to Jinshan at the bus station next to Banqiao Train Station and get off at Yehliu Geopark.)Nearby Places to Go Jinshan Wanli Cycling Route-->Jinshan Wanli Hot Spring