New Taipei City Travel

When stepping out of an air-conditioned room on scorching summer days, the oppressive atmosphere within the concrete jungle can induce fatigue due to global warming and the increasingly severe urban heat island effect. Let's go! Let's escape the urban areas and head towards the mountains to avoid the summer heat! Shuangxi (literally refers to “two rivers” in Chinese), named after the confluence of the Pinglin River and Mudan River, makes everyone feel refreshed just by looking at it. With its mountainous terrain, the Shuangxi District is situated in the upstream area of the Feicui Reservoir Watershed. When visiting Shuangxi, you can take a walk along the Pingxi Historic Trail and dip into the flowing river, leading all the way to the panoramic Guishan Island viewing platform. Moreover, you can visit the Shoushan Temple to pray, explore treasures at the holiday farmers’ market, and leisurely stroll along Shuangxi Old Street.Located on the mountainous terrain between Taipei Basin and Lanyang Plain, Shuangxi District has been a crucial passage for travelers commuting between them in the past. It is also the primary pathway along the middle route of the Tamsui-Kavalan Trails. The Pingxi Historic Trail that lies within it features a uniquely flat valley landscape seldom found in northern Taiwan, making it an excellent destination for families. Extending 1.5 km at an altitude of 500 m, this trail provides an ideal setting, allowing travelers to instantly dissipate the summer heat when stepping into the refreshing ambiance of Pingxi. The Pingxi Historic Trail is enveloped by lush greenery, accentuated by a captivating sight of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) forests arranged in neat along the way. This trail, resembling a green corridor, is flat and spacious, featuring two intersections that lead travelers to the river. The pristine river flows leisurely, and its deepest point reaches only up to the calf, offering an excellent spot for water play and observing fish and shrimp during summer days. This historic trail concludes at the border between New Taipei City and Yilan County, where a viewing platform providing a magnificent vista is established. This platform enables travelers to gaze upon Turtle Island and the distant Pacific Ocean!To reach the entrance of the Pingxi Historic Trail, please navigate to the "Wushan No. 62 Camping Site". The access road is narrow, so please drive safely.Shoushan Temple serves as the religious hub in Taiping, Shuangxi. Situated upstream of Feicui Reservoir, it stands on the banks of the Beishi River. The primary deity enshrined at Shoushan Temple is Mazu, the revered "Heavenly and Sacred Mother", accompanied by Guan Yu, the "Holy Ruler Deity Guan", and Tudigong, the "Right God of Blessing and Virtue". The "Mazu Pilgrimage", held annually on February 18 of the lunar calendar, stands as the prominent yearly event in the Taiping region.Next to the entrance archway of Shoushan Temple, the Taiping Holiday Farmers Market (also referred to as the Shoushan Temple Holiday Farmers Market) operates during weekends and holidays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. This market can accommodate more than 20 stalls selling premium seasonal vegetables, such as shiitake mushrooms planted in the region, assorted seasonal vegetables, and various melons. Additionally, there is a cooked food area offering diverse prepared foods like Taiwanese stir-fried rice noodles, Chinese mesona chicken soup, and refreshing ice treats.The center of Shuangxi is situated at the confluence of the Mudan River and Pinglin River. Due to the human traffic and logistics along the Tamsui-Kavalan Trails, Shuangxi served as an important land and water transportation hub during the Qing Dynasty. However, following the consecutive development of railways and highways, Shuangxi's initial function in water transportation was gradually supplanted, leading to the decline of the town.The Shuangxi Ferry Pier stands at the end of Chang’an Street. In its earlier days, it functioned as a crucial inland cargo transfer station. Passengers and goods from the Tamsui-Kavalan Trails boarded vessels at this pier, journeyed to the estuary near Jiushe (nowadays, the area around Fulong Beach), and then switched to sailboats for further transit to various destinations. On the return trip, smaller boats were used to transport daily essentials upstream to the upper reaches of Dingshuangxi, contributing significantly to the former splendor of Shuangxi.Once the most bustling street in Shuangxi, Chang’an Street holds the spiritual center of the area. It is home to Taiwan's sole temple dedicated to "the Three Heroes of the Late Song Dynasty" - the Sanzhong Temple. In 1781, a Fujian migrant crossed over the Taiwan Strait and arrived in Shuangxi, bringing along a statue of Wen Tianxiang. He settled here to cultivate the land and built a thatched hut to house the statue of the deity. As the number of devotees grew, statues of Lu Xiufu and Zhang Shijie were crafted and enshrined alongside Wen Tianxiang's statue. Through numerous repairs and renovations, the temple has evolved into its present form.Until today, Shuangxi Old Street has preserved numerous old buildings, including the century-old Lin Yi-tang Chinese Medicinal Herbs Store, Chou's Old House, Shuangxi Presbyterian Church, and more, showcasing the former grandeur of Shuangxi. Although the old street has gradually faded, it exudes a sense of tranquility typical of a mountainous town. Travelers can leisurely stroll through its alleys and streets, capturing photographs and savoring the scenery.

The Smile Trails of New Taipei City connects the shallow mountainous areas of Shulin, Yingge, Sanxia, Tucheng, Zhonghe, Xindian, Shiding, Shenkeng to Pingxi, promoting residents in the metropolitan area to walk into the mountains near their homes. Pingxi District is at the far right of this smiling curve. Pingxi, internationally famous for its sky lanterns, has a deep mining culture and many excellent hiking trails. Take the Taiwan Railway Pingxi Line or Taiwan Travel 795 Mucha Pingxi Line to Pingxi Station, challenge the 90-degree vertical hiking trail of Xiaozishan, and go deep into Pingxi and Jingtong. Learn to make sky lanterns and visit the "Yijian．Jingtong Ancient Art Life" museum to explore the cultural landscape of Pingxi.The main settlement of Pingxi is in the valley of the upper reaches of the Keelung River. On the river's south bank stand more than 20 independent peaks, commonly known as the 24 Xiaozi Mountains, among which Xiaozi Mountain, Cimu Peak, and Putuo Mountain are the most famous. The height of each peak is between 300 and 500 meters above sea level. The mountain is low but very steep. Under the guidance of the tour guide, people arrive at the most spectacular section of Xiaozi Mountain.Look at the nearly vertical hiking trail before them. People couldn't help but be shocked by the towering stone peaks. Overcome the inner fear and climb the suspended steel ladder residents and veterans built. Take one step at a time and move steadily towards the sky.❗️We do not recommend those who fear heights climb this hiking trail section. Climbing to the top of the 360-meter-high Xiaozi Mountain, you can overlook the railway towns of Pingxi and Jingtong and the endless mountain ridges. People can see that Mount Cimu and Mount Putuo, also independent mountain peaks with majestic momentum, are located behind.👉The space at the top of Xiaozi Peak can only accommodate 5-6 people simultaneously. In case of a large crowd of climbers, please give others way politely.After the magnificent Xiaozi Mountain hike, return to Pingxi Station and walk into the blue and white Little Greece Restaurant. Here, enjoy the restaurant's signature dishes, such as rice noodles with oversized neritic squid and osmanthus coffee, to replenish your fatigue after hiking.Come to the Smile Trails foothold on Pingxi Old Street—TakeYourTime Cafe to learn the techniques of making sky lanterns. Coming to Pingxi is no longer just about releasing sky lanterns. Under the guidance of the sky lantern master, everyone with skillful hands gradually forms sky lanterns.With environmental protection as the starting point, the Pingxi sky lanterns are made of recyclable and degradable materials, from paper and frames to adhesives. Let the sky lanterns, a cultural image representing Pingxi and Taiwan, continue to fly into the sky with everyone's wishes under the global consensus of zero carbon emissions.Going down the ramp in front of Jingtong Station, an elegant Japanese-style building is on the Keelung River bank. The predecessor of this building, built in 1939, was the Pingxi Guesthouse of TaiYang Mining, the largest enterprise in Pingxi's black gold era. The guesthouse and outdoor courtyard have more than 600 pings, a rare large-scale academy-style building in Taiwan. There are VIP rooms, a conference hall, a cafeteria, a bathhouse, a recreation room, a billiard room, a library, and other facilities here. It was the leading entertainment venue in Pingxi at that time.As mining stopped in Pingxi, the guesthouse was also closed. 2003, it was designated a historic site, and the exhibition company is currently taking over the guesthouse. After restoration, it has become the "Yijian．Jingtong Ancient Art Life " private art museum. Inside, they display various ingenious artworks and promote the glorious mining history of Pingxi. Through the explanation of professional tour guides, appreciate the building's three corridors, three entryways, and six ceilings and wander in Japanese-style aesthetics.👉The "Yijian．Jingtong Ancient Art Life" private art museum is now adopting a reservation system that allows visitors to reserve a visit time online in advance.