New Taipei City Travel

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 templeLocated 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 TempleThe 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 TempleThe 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!

The Danjiang Bridge opened on May 12, 2026, after decades of planning and construction. The bridge is a road bridge spanning the mouth of the Tamsui River, connecting the Tamsui and Bali banks. It not only greatly improves regional transportation and alleviates the long-standing congestion problem at the Guandu Bridge, but also becomes the world's largest single-tower asymmetric cable-stayed bridge, with a sleek, beautiful bridge-body posture, making it a dazzling world-class landmark at the mouth of the Tamsui River. The Aesthetics and Craftsmanship of the Danjiang BridgeIn 2015, architectural master Zaha Hadid won the international competition to design the Danjiang Bridge. The design inspiration comes from the elegant body movements of Taiwanese Cloud Gate dancers. The bridge landscape lamp posts and stay cables are integrated with dance imagery, showcasing a rhythmic bridge vocabulary. The bridge towers, with their "hands clasped together" gesture, symbolize blessings for Taiwan. Faced with difficult engineering conditions, such as strong sea winds and silty riverbed geology, the Danjiang Bridge successfully overcame challenges through excellent construction methods. Supported by a 211-meter-high tower and approximately 66 stories tall, the bridge has a total length of 920 meters. It has a main span of 450 meters and a back span of 175 meters, with a maximum bridge deck width of 70 meters, setting a record for the world's largest single-tower asymmetric cable-stayed bridge, demonstrating Taiwan's world-class engineering capabilities. Sunset in Tamsui The team specially took into account the most charming natural scenery in Tamsui - Sunset in Danhai - when designing the Danjiang Bridge. To avoid blocking the river mouth landscape, the bridge adopts a single-tower asymmetric design; the team configured the main tower at the Tamsui end. Besides echoing the distant view of Bali Guanyin Mountain, it also preserves the wide view of the river mouth as much as possible. It makes the Danjiang Bridge not only a transportation construction project, but also a new highlight of the Sunset in Tamsui. Danjiang Bridge Opening Activities New Taipei City and the Highway Bureau had planned a series of events to invite the public to experience the Danjiang Bridge before its opening. The event kicked off with a parade in late April, followed by a Starry Concert and Picnic Day in early May. The public enjoyed the beauty of the bridge amidst music, sunset, and sea breeze, witnessing the birth of a new landmark at the mouth of the Tamsui River. Wide Pedestrian and Bike Lanes The Danjiang Bridge, approximately 70 meters wide at its widest point, has integrated a Danhai Light Rail reserved lane, bus, car, and motorcycle lanes, as well as pedestrian and bicycle spaces, balancing transportation functionality with a leisure experience. Strolling along Tamsui Old Street in the wind, crossing the bridge to Bali Wazihwei, visitors can slow down on the bridge, stop to admire its curved design, and quietly wait for Tamsui's stunning sunset. North Coast Double-Decker Bus Enjoy panoramic views of the North Coast and Danjiang Bridge from the height of a double-decker bus. The Route 2 Taiwan double-decker bus departs from Nangang Station, circling the North Coast and offering cruise-like views along the azure coastline. It also allows visits to classic scenic spots such as Yehliu Geopark, Jinshan Old Street, and Cape Fugui, where visitors can savor local delicacies and flavor bento boxes. Arrive at the Danjiang Bridge in the evening to admire this magnificent engineering marvel of Route 2 Taiwan. Enjoy the Danjiang Bridge Online Since 2022, the New Taipei City Government Tourism and Travel Department has established a Live Cams System to showcase the beauty of New Taipei City around the clock. The live streams from Bali Left Bank and Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf are excellent choices for appreciating the Danjiang Bridge. Through high-definition live streaming, the system captures the bridge's elegant form and riverside scenery in real time. Whether it's everyday landscapes or large-scale events like fireworks displays across the river, the public can view all online in real time. The public can also use the live footage to check the weather and conditions before their trip, ensuring a well-prepared visit to the Danjiang Bridge!