Once upon a time there was a walled city — Exploring Fangqiao City and the four temples

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When it comes to walled cities in Taiwan, the first places most people think of are Tainan City, Taipei City, and Hengchun Township. The gates of these cities, which were built by officials, still have their gates and even some of their walls, and some of them have had MRT stops named after them (Beimen [north gate] Station, Ximen [west gate] Station or the Taipei MRT line), and are a shared memory among present-day Taiwanese people. But did you know that there is also a walled city in Banqiao, the prime district of New Taipei City?

When going from the MRT Fuzhong Station to the Lin Family Mansion and Garden, perceptive travelers will notice that the streetlights in this area are particularly old fashioned, and that they are labelled “Fangqiao Walled City.” On top of that, when looking down, you can see the words “City Border” on the street tiles. The ancient Fangqiao Walled City had five city gates, just like Taipei; additionally, its history is even better known than that of Taipei, primarily due to two major factors that led to the establishment of the city: the Lin family of Banqiao and the Zhang-Quan fighting.

Back in the Qing Dynasty, there were frequent fights between Zhangzhou and Quanzhou immigrants; in order to defend themselves from the Quanzhou immigrants, the Banqiao Lin family, who originally came from Zhangzhou, built the Fangqiao Walled City in 1855, stretching out to present-day Ximen [west gate] Street, Beimen [north gate] Street, Nanmen [south gate] Street, and Guanqian West Road. However, during the Japanese occupation, the city was demolished to make place for traffic. Nevertheless, the temples located in the area still show traces of the old city.

Cihui Mazu temple
Located at the east side of the Fangqiao Walled City is the most popular Mazu temple in the Banqiao District. The temple is decorated on both the inside and the outside with fragmented ceramic art, sculptures, and color paintings, and the highly refined temple buildings are richly ornamented. In addition, the temple is a popular place for people to pray for prosperity, and local business magnates such as the Banqiao Lin family are all frequent visitors. If you look carefully, you can even find a dragon pillar bearing the business name of the Lin family.

Banqiao Jieyun Temple
The Jieyun Temple and the Xinzhuang Dizang Temple, both located near the west gate of Fangqiao Walled City, are historically related to the Zhang-Quan fights; the Dizang Temple was built by the Banqiao gentry to commemorate the Zhangzhou people who died in the altercations. The Jieyun Temple, which is on the other side, was formerly known as the Zhonghe Ciyunyan Temple, but was destroyed during the armed struggles, and its remains were taken over by the Banqiao Jieyun Temple. Its collection contains many precious ancient plaques and scrolls, and there are many wood carvings of flying immortals wrapped in gold foil on both sides of the roof as well as in the main hall, which are very spectacular. The caisson ceiling has a special long oval design, and is of great historical and religious value.

Banqiao Diyi Temple
The only one of the four temples to have been a city-designated temple, the Diyi Temple, was built by the Banqiao Lin family to commemorate the people who died fighting; it is also known as the Yuanshuai Temple. In 2021, after it was restored, the temple opened up for the public by appointment. The paintings of the Door Gods and the Qilin murals inside are all made by master painter Mr. Cai Longjin, the winner of the New Taipei Cultural Award. Next time you are in Banqiao, on your way to the Lin Family Mansion and Garden, slow down and closely follow the inscriptions on the ground to explore the former Walled City, and enter the temples to admire the exquisite paintings and craftmanship, and explore the past life of the city!

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The Must-see Attraction for Foreign Visitors- the Yehliu Geopark

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

Educational and Entertaining Journey for Parents and Children! Colored Slides and the World of Dinosaur are Waiting for You to Explore.

It's the breaking news for dads and moms. After the Circular Line is open to the public, it's more convenient for parents and children to go on an outing. About popular attractions ideal for parents and children, you should read the information here! "Banqiao 435 Art Zone" has integrated art with life; there are a large lawn and a white sand area in the outdoor field suitable for parents and children; in the art zone, the exhibitions, the Taiwan Toy Museum, and the Wetland Story House are good for educational and entertainment experiences; at noon, parents and children can have lunch at the "Liu Biju Chaozhou Casserole Porridge"; put the rice into the casserole, and boil and simmer the rice with broth, the broth tastes mellow and has abundant ingredients; eating porridge is the best way to warm up on the days when it's getting colder. After lunch, parents can carry on the journey with their children. The signature in Zhonghe, "Yuanshan Park", has a vast area that is facilitated with the inclusive playground equipment for everyone; especially the super-long colorful slides, adults and kids will spend the day to their heart's content. And, the "Dinosaur Park" under the Huazhong Bridge, there're numerous dinosaur art installations as well as 3D paintings; the fans of dinosaur should never miss the place. At night, it's suggested to visit the most popular place of the local, "Lehua Night Market", which is packed with a lot of best-selling snacks and delicacies as well as cloth and shoe shops, a very satisfying destination for shopping and food.Banqiao 435 Art ZoneBanqiao 435 Art Zone is a public space where arts and life are intimately woven together; it is divided into two major themes: Family-Friendly Arts Fantasy Land and Artists’ Dream Base. There are 7 exhibition halls in the Art Zone, and a series of classes and exhibitions are also designed to offer entertaining and educational experiences for tourists and families. The “Wetland Story House” offers exhibitions and detailed information on wetland ecosystem, providing a comprehensive experience-learning environment. Taiwan Toy Museum, on the other hand, displays nearly three thousand pieces of rarely seen toys from past to present, from Taiwan to around the world, as well as several hundreds of traditional kid toys, educational games, and a temple festival game area; in addition to experiencing with your own hands and playing all the educational games, there are also many kinds of outdoor toys and games. If you are interested in going to exhibitions, there are now currently several dozens of artists stationed in the Art Zone, who come from diverse backgrounds including performing art, contemporary visual art, three-dimensional sculpture, designing, and music.info.Location and Address: No. 435, Zhongzhen Rd., Banqiao District, New Taipei CityContact Phone Number: 886-2-29690366Opening Hours: 09:00~17:00 Monday through Friday; 09:00~18:00 Saturday and Sunday; Art Zone Closing Times: First Monday of every month (but will be open on a public holiday).The traffic information from the Banqiao MRT Station to the Banqiao 435 Art ZoneAt the Banqiao MRT Station, take Bus No. 310, 307, 810, 857, 786 and get off at "Banqiao Junior High School, Banqiao 435 Art Zone".Banqiao 435 Art Zone's informationLiu Biju Chaozhou Casserole PorridgeThere're many different methods to cook porridge; Guangdong porridge and Taiwanese salty congee are the common cuisines for general customers. In recent years, the casserole porridge becomes popular in Banqiao due to the use of Taitung Guanshan Emperor Rice as the main ingredient; particularly, not until the guests make an order, the rice won't be put into the casserole. The rice is cooked with sea tangle broth and the nut sauce, which is a paste made of ground cashew nuts, pine nuts, peanuts, etc.; as a result, the broth tastes an extraordinary mellow and refreshing flavor, and it's strongly recommended by the gourmands who love porridge.info.Location and Address: No. 3, Mingquan Rd., Banqiao Dist., New Taipei CityContact Phone Number: 886-2-29528813Opening Hours: Monday ~ Thursday 11:30-14:00, 17:30-22:40/ Friday 11:30-14:00, 17:30-23:10/ Saturday and Sunday 11:30-14:00, 17:00-23:10The traffic information from the Banqiao 435 Art Zone to the Liu Biju Chaozhou Casserole PorridgeTake the Bus No. 310, 307, 810, 857, 786 and get off at Banqiao. Walk toward Xinzhan Road for about 8 minutes.Liu Biju Chaozhou Casserole Porridge's informationYuanshan ParkIt doesn't take a trip abroad to find featured parks. In New Taipei City, there are numerous featured parks. Located in Zhonghe, Yuanshan Park is a kid's wonderland and playground; it's a must-go destination for mom and dad to come with their kids! About an area of 3 hectares, the big park is facilitated with the inclusive playground equipment, the PU floor is safe protection. Built along the terrain, the tunnel net and climbing wall are the place to train kid's hand-foot coordination; besides the general type swings, there are bird's nest swings and diaper swings available for kids in different ages to enjoy the fun going up and down; the giant sandpit with a vine-shaped hand-foot bathing basin aside, it's convenient to wash the hands and feet after playing in the sand. The biggest highlight is absolutely the colorful terrazzo slide with a super-long length! Whoosh~~ a sort of speedy sliding enjoyment. Next to it, the grass slop is the best for exciting skating; people should remember to bring the skateboards.info.Location and Address: Ln. 455, Yuanshan Rd., Zhonghe Dist., New Taipei CityContact Phone Number: 886-2-29603456 (Public Works Department, New Taipei City Government)Opening Hours: It's open 24 hours a day.The traffic information from the Liu Biju Chaozhou Casserole Porridge to the Yuanshan ParkTake the Circular Line and get off at the Zhongyuan Station. It takes a 15-minute walk to reach the destination.Yuanshan Park's informationDinosaur ParkUnder the Huazhong Bridge, there's a large Dinosaur Park; since the Huazhong Bridge 3D paintings were launched in 2014, Taiwan's only one Dinosaur Park next to Riverside Bike Path has been planned. It's a place of amazing art installations for taking amazing photos, including little tyrannosaurus, triceratops, little stegosaurus, dinosaur egg, and a hanging pterosaur overlooking the area. (The photos are provided by the Water Resources Department, New Taipei City Government)info.Location and Address: Under the Huazhong Bridge, Zhonghe Dist., New Taipei CityContact Phone Number: 886-2-22482688 (Zhonghe District Office)Opening Hours: It's open all year round.The traffic information from the Yuanshan Park to the Dinosaur ParkTake the Circular Line and get off at the Qiaohe MRT Station. It takes about a 5-minute walk.Dinosaur Park's informationLehua Night MarketWhen evening creeps in and the street lights go on, the Lehua Night Market turns Yonghe into a city of the night. Foods from all over the world are gathered here, from Taiwanese oyster pancakes and fried chicken to Hong Kong curry fish balls, Japanese oden, and Thai papaya salad. Visitors cannot help but eat as they stroll through the market. One of the oldest stands is a place called Hsuehua Shaved Ice. It serves a meticulously prepared dessert with simple but hearty toppings.info.Location and Address: Yongping Road, Yonghe District, New Taipei City (Near the metro's Yongan Market Station)Contact Phone Number: 886-2-29282828Opening Hours: 17:00-01:00The traffic information from the Dinosaur Park to the Lehua Night MarketTake the Circular Line and get off at the Jing'an MRT Station. Transfer to Zhonghe-Xinlu Line and get off at the Dingxi MRT Station. Walk along Yonghe Road for about 10 minutes.Lehua Night Market's informationReturn Trip Traffic InformationWalk along Yonghe Road to reach the Dingxi MRT Station, and transfer to either MRT Line that reaches your home.Circular Line MAP