New Taipei City Travel

You probably will only see majestic weapons on special holidays or TV. But now at the Wuqi Park in Shulin District, New Taipei City, you can see the exhibition of equipment from the army ground forces, army navy forces and army air forces, such as battle tanks, fighter aircrafts and missiles. People can see the equipment in a close distance and its's all free! The New Taipei City Government collaborates with the Ministry of Defense to build the largest Park with weapon exhibition in Taiwan. The environment nearby will make you feel comfortable and you can not only take a walk here but see the weapons used to protect our country. Military fans should not miss it!Go Back to the Good Old Time with Retired Weapons!The Wuqi Park is next to the Military Shrine of New Taipei City. The Military Shrine constructed beside the mountain commemorates the courage and bravery of deceased soldiers and veterans. The Park has 16 pieces of retired weapons from the ground forces, navy forces and air forces. The weapons represent our history and culture. If you walk toward the other direction, you arrive the Datong Mountain Hiking Trail. Datong Mountain is the garden of Shulin District and you can see the beautiful view of New Taipei City once you are on the summit. The hiking trail is not steep and handrails are constructed on the trail, making the trail very suitable for elders to hike!The Wuqi Park is currently the largest park with weapon exhibition from the Ministry of Defense in Taiwan. At the Park you can see the first fighter aircraft that can travel twice as fast as the speed of sound (TF-104G Starfighter), the sea anchor of Zhongzhou Warship, the sea anchor of Lushan Warship, K30 Single-barreled Gun of 5 inches, M166 Mountain Gun, anti-aircraft guns and missiles. All of the weapons have the history of protecting the country for over 10 years and most of them are maintained well. Even if you are not a military fan, you can feel the vibe with the exhibition items and explanation boards and learn about functions and stories of individual weapons.If you follow the route at the Park, you will first see 2 "F-5F Tiger II". They used to be the main fighter aircraft that protected the airspace of Taiwan. They are the heroes of the Park! Besides several majestic fighter aircrafts, you can see naval guns on smaller warships used by the U.S. Navy in World War II and the "Trainable Chaff Rocket Launcher" used on reconnaissance or disturbing the fighter aircraft from the enemy following the route at the Park. How surprising it is that the retired weapons have so many stories to tell!Moreover, you can see the "M1 40mm Anti-Aircraft Gun" that is still in service and battle tanks only can be seen in a battle movie standing in the Park quietly but majestically. You will definitely feel in awe.The Themed Park like a "Museum" is Worth Visiting for a Half Day!There is a 2-story building in the Park and you can see the fighter aircraft you just passed by from height. Its heroic appearance will amaze you! No fences are set up in the Wuqi Park so the public can feel closer to the army. But remember not to climb up on weapons or touch them. The weapons in the Park have the history of protecting the country for over 10 years. Tough the Park is not huge, it is a theme park like a "museum". It is suitable for you to bring your elders at home to come here for a half-day trip on weekends!And the Datong Mountain Hiking Trail next to the Park is a hiking trail that the senior citizens will enjoy. Tree shades are all over the trail so you don't have to worry about hiking in hot summer time!Nearby Places to Go Datong Mountain Hiking Trail Blue Dragon Ridge Shanjia Railway Station

At night, near the coast of Jinshan District, the only on the dark sea surface is the 4000-watt white fish-attracting lights of a neritic squid-catching boat in the distance, the sound of waves, and the sporadic traffic on Provincial Highway 2. Suddenly, a "boom!" sounded, and the flashing torches illuminated the silent sea surface, and the phototaxis small fishes jumped out of the sea one after another. This unique scenery limited to summer comes from the traditional fishing method unique to Jinshan Huanggang Fishing Harbor - "Jinshan sulfuric fire fishing," the most dazzling conventional fishing method in Taiwan.The sulfuric fire fishing boat is also commonly known locally as the "Hia-A-Tsun." Fishing boats set sail at night, and the captain stands at the ship's bow with a torch to attract phototactic fish species, such as pilchard, to jump out of the water, then catches them with a skimming net. It has been a traditional fishing method in Jinshan for a hundred years and was registered as a cultural asset of New Taipei City in 2015. During its heyday, more than 40 sulfur fire fishing boats were operating in the waters off the northern coast. However, in 2016, the T.S. Lines cargo ship ran aground in Shimen, causing an ecological disaster on the north coast due to the oil spill. The June 2017 flood caused seawater desalination in Jinshan, severely damaging the area's marine ecology for the second time and causing schools of pilchard to leave Jinshan. At one point, only one remaining ship, the Fuji 268, was still in operation.Fortunately, after several years of persistence, some mud carp have returned to the Jinshan coast in the past two years. Also, fishers have transformed the sulfuric fire fishing boat into a tourist experience activity. During the Sulfuric Fire Fishing season, which lasts from May to September every year, they combine fishing village tours with sea fishing to preserve the beauty of traditional fishing methods.The sulfuric fire fishing boat uses a flat-bottomed and flat-headed boat. It has a low speed but has the characteristics of fast turning and high maneuverability. 4-8 people operate the sulfuric fire fishing boat, including the captain and the fire crews. They use a fish finder on the bow to search for fish. The fire crews then use searchlights to identify the fish species. After confirmation, they use a torch to attract the light, attracting pilchard, Japanese anchovy, and other fish to jump out of the water. Also called Tainan sardine, pilchard is used as fish bait or grouper feed after processing. When the fishing conditions are good, a sulfuric fire fishing boat can catch more than 800 baskets of pilchard.The earliest sulfuric fire fishing boat used bamboo torches. After introducing calcium carbide during Japan's rule, fishers changed the ignition system to calcium carbide. Fishers poured water into the calcium carbide barrel to produce acetylene gas and through the filter cylinder to ignite the torch. The ignition produced a "boom" sound, which is the origin of the name of the sulfuric fire fishing boat today.Take a yacht out of Huanggang Fishing Port and enjoy one of Jinshan's eight scenic spots, "Bamboo Peak Mist," while tasting rice noodles with neritic squid. From the sea, enjoy the beautiful coastline of Jinshan and watch the dazzling Jinshan sulfuric fire fishing boat up close after nightfall.The yacht sails out of Huanggang Fishing Port, and what comes into view is the Jinshan Cape deep into the sea and the most famous landmark of Jinshan - the Twin Candlestick Islets. Besides, overlook the Yehliu Scenic Area and enjoy the scenery of the Jinshan coastline. While waiting for the sulfuric fire fishing boat, pick up a fishing rod and experience sea fishing fun.In the waters between Tiaoshi Coast and Yehliu, the sulfuric fire fishing boat used fish finders and searchlights for schools of pilchard at night. The yacht began to turn off the lights. After turning off the lights so as not to affect the sulfuric fire fishing boat's search for schools of fish, the yachts followed the Fuji 268 sulfuric fire fishing boat, everyone in the yacht holding their breath and waiting for the moment when the school of fish jumped out of the water. "Bang!" the gorgeous torches ignited on the sea, illuminating the dark sea of Jinshan. This unique view of the world is undoubtedly a beautiful visual feast."Yes, here comes fish!" Stimulated by the flames, the school of pilchard jumped out of the water, flashing like fireflies on the sea. The crew members skillfully caught the pilchard with the skimming net, and the passengers on the yacht celebrated with thunderous applause.The fire crew waved his hand handsomely to greet the crowd. The flashing torch in his hand is not only a tool for fishing but also carries a sense of mission to continue the tradition and pass on the unique traditional fishing method of Jinshan.