LOHAS Paradise ~ “Houtong-Shuangxi” A Fun One-day Trip with Cats and Forests

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LOHAS Paradise ~ “Houtong-Shuangxi” A Fun One-day Trip with Cats and Forests
Category :
Outdoor excursion
Travel days :
1 day

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Day

      Introduction

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      Starting from the “Houtong Station,” cute cartoon cat billboards and popular cat station-master statues can be seen once exiting the station. Enter the “Houtong Cat Village” through the first pedestrian-cat bridge in Taiwan to have a close encounter with the sweet cats, then take a ride on the Taiwan Railways to Shuangxi Station. One may rent bicycles from the “Low-Carbon Station” on the side when exiting the station, then follow the “Shuangxi Bikeway” to admire the clear rivers and beautiful mountain forests along the way and then savor the aromatic ancient-flavored traditional egg cakes at the “Haishan Bakery.” After taking a break, visit the century-old historical “Lin Yi He Tang” Chinese herb store with oriental sentiments in order to admire the colored tiles, decorations as well as the antique medicine apparatus. Experience the nostalgic glory of the old street at the “Shuangxi Ferry Port,” which used to be an important checkpoint for transporting daily supplies. At last, visit the “Slow Café” enriched by a strong art and cultural ambience to enjoy the hand brewed coffees and the store’s signature kiln bread. Experience a Taiwanese field trip in the company of gourmet food and magnificent sceneries.

      Note

      【Return traffic information】
      Take a ride on Taiwan Railways Tze-Chiang Limited Express / Fusing Semi Express / Local Train, get off at “Taipei Station.”
      Previous
      Pilgrimage to Northern Coast cinematic scenes, experiencing nature and cultural heritage.
      The whirlwind caused by classic Taiwanese dramas often brings about pilgrimages. Sometimes, through the perspective of film and television works, familiar attractions will give us a new layer of emotion, while unfamiliar attractions will be a layer of mysterious colors. The Northern Coast has a rich ecology and charming sea views along the coast and is a favorite location for many film and television works.Arrive at Linshan Cape Wooden Plank in the morning for a bicycle tour, just like passing by the bicycles shared by Xiang Lun Ye and Xiao Yu Lu in the movie "Secret." Go to Tamsui Old Street for food at noon, and visit Fu-Yo Temple on Zhongzheng Road, which seems to be able to see the lively scene of the temple performance in "David Loman 2." Join a special guided tour of Fort San Domingo. The vermilion exterior walls are full of exotic styles in the afternoon. In recent years, many popular TV series such as "Seqalu: Formosa 1867" and "Gold Leaf" were filmed in the former Qing Dynasty British Consul's residence on the east side. At dusk, come to the nearby Customs Wharf to greet the sunset. Here is also the location where the music movie "52Hz, I Love You" creates a European-style flower market.▲ The Linshan Cape Wooden Plank is only 600 meters long and is suitable for walking, cycling, and enjoying the seaside scenery. Take a bicycle tour on the wooden plank to appreciate the natural terrain.In 2007, Jay Chou directed and starred in the musical fantasy romance film "Secret" which swept Taiwan. The romantic scene in the movie, in which Xiang Lun Ye rides a bicycle to take Xiao Yu Lu home and the two chat about everything under the sun, is filmed at the Linshan Cape Wooden Plank.The 600-meter-long Linshan Cape Wooden Plank Road is part of the "Linshan Cape Recreation Area" and is at the junction of Sanzhi District and Shimen District. Besides the coastal scenery, remember to look at the wind-faceted stone landform and the rich intertidal ecology. The andesite of Linshan Cape has gradually formed multi-faceted edges eroded by the northeast monsoon with fine sand for many years, so it is called "wind-faceted stone." The widespread andesite is also an excellent location for algae to attach. The replacement of the old and the new left the rock's surface with lime due to algae calcification, which accumulates layer by layer to form an algae reef. When riding a bicycle on the Linshan Cape Wooden Plank to the filming location, enjoy the sea breeze and get close to these rare natural geological landscapes.▲ At the entrance of Tamsui Old Street, the fragrance of delicious food fills the air, and crowds surge along the way.Tasty delicacies only cost coins, and visit the ancient temple, Fu-Yo Temple.After the exercise, fill the hunger with food from Tamsui Old Street. Regarding the must-eats in Tamsui, we must mention the three food treasures: "fish balls, a-gei, and iron eggs." A bowl of steaming fish ball soup is full of the simple taste of the fishing village, paired with a-gei topped with sweet and spicy sauce. When taking a bite, it is full of green bean noodles soaked in a salty and fragrant sauce. Finally, buy a pack of iron eggs as a snack to replenish the journey.Pass by the "Fu-Yo Temple" on Zhongzheng Road Old Street when searching for delicious food. Temples and businesses are adjacent to the busy streets, a unique street scene in Taiwan. It even found the integration of religion and life into the daily lives of ordinary people. On the day when "David Loman 2." was filmed at Fu-Yo Temple, it presented clips of Nana and Xiaola sisters learning religious rituals, such as carrying a sedan chair, which attracted many viewers.▲Fu-Yo Temple is the earliest temple built on Tamsui Old Street and has more than 200 years of history.Built with the mountain behind and the river in front, the Fu-Yo Temple is the earliest in Tamsui. Its construction history dates back to the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty when it was a Class III historic site. It is mainly dedicated to Mazu, who protects the place and ensures safe navigation. Therefore, it is also called Mazu Temple and carries many folk legends.According to legend, during the Sino-French War, when French warships bombarded Huwei (today's Tamsui), they saw a spirit guarding the Fu-Yo Temple, and the nearby houses were unaffected. After the war, Ming Chuan Liu petitioned Emperor Guangxu to grant a plaque because Mazu had made her presence. The plaque "Yitian Zhaoyou" (Praise Mazu for her meritorious service in protecting Taiwan during the battle) is still hanging in the temple's main hall. The temple retains many original Qing Dynasty items, and the unique architectural layout and rich carving art are also worth a visit.▲The building on the east side of Fort San Domingo Park was the official residence of the British Consul in the Qing Dynasty. The Fort San Domingo Park is a building that witnesses the evolution of history.It takes about 15 minutes to walk from Fu-Yo Temple to Fort San Domingo Park to see red brick buildings full of exotic styles. The TV series "Seqalu: Formosa 1867" and "Gold Leaf," which have recently caused a craze, were filmed in the former British Consul's residence on the east side of Fort San Domingo. They present the office of Xian-De Lee, the American Consul in Xiamen, and the scene of Yi-Xin Chang, the daughter of a tea merchant, negotiating the tea business, respectively.▲ The elegant and solemn interior of the former British Consul's residence is perfect for shooting solemn conversation scenes.The site of Fort Santo Domingo includes the main fortress, the former British consul's residence, and the south gate built during the Qing dynasty. Spanish initially built and called it "Santo Domingo City." After destroying it, the Dutch rebuilt it on the original site and named it "Fort Antonio" (Fort San Domingo). During the Qing Dynasty, the Tamsui Tongzhi (government sub-prefect) of the Taiwan Prefecture added four outer city gates. It was not until after the Sino-French War that the trade volume of Tamsui Port increased sharply, and the British decided to build the Consul's Residence next to it. The construction of Fort San Domingo came to a temporary end. This national monument has witnessed the passage of time, and over 300 years of history have been piled brick by brick.▲ Presented as "vases," the corridor railings combine the beauty of Chinese ceramics with Western vase railings.Fort San Domingo became the British Consulate from 1867 to 1972 because of the "Fort San Domingo Perpetual Lease" signing. It was not until later that they established the former Qing British Consulate on the east side of the main castle. The two-story red brick building was designed by British architects and constructed by Chinese craftsmen. It has typical British colonial architectural features such as sloping roofs and arch-ring corridors. Its excellent construction technology and exquisite materials have great architectural art value.★Tamsui Fort San Domingo Park Guided Tour Service: On-site registration is limited to 30 people per session.Daily at 10:00, 11:00, 14:00, and 16:00▲ You can see the Tamsui River Bayou and the Guandu Bridge from the Customs Wharf. Enjoy the magical sunset moment at the wharf.When coming to the Tamsui Riverside, remember to catch the moment when the sunset dyes the river golden. The Customs Wharf is on a platform downhill from Fort San Domingo. It is a great place to enjoy the sunset and the opening of the Taiwanese music film "52 Hz, I Love You." The flower shop's female owner carefully dragged the cart, strolling and singing in the European-style flower market.In the Qing Dynasty, Hu Wei became a trading port due to the signing of the Treaty of Tientsin and the Convention of Peking, and the Customs Wharf instantly became one of the most essential ports in Taiwan. The 150-meter riverside trail, built with Guanyin and Qilian stone, prevents erosion by the river water and is very sturdy. People can still see the stone mooring bollards where ships moored in the past. Today, the Tamsui Customs Wharf area has Western-style buildings and a port warehouse built during the Japanese rule. There are permanent exhibitions planned in the warehouse, and special exhibitions are changed regularly.▲ Let the sunset twilight draw a beautiful end to the journey. The Customs Wharf connects to the bottom of Tamsui Old Street and overlooks the Tamsui River Bayou and Guandu Bridge. The view is broad, just right for the sunset twilight to draw a beautiful end to the journey.See more New Taipei Cinematic Pilgrimage Road:Film Assist NTPC.
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      Preparation for World Masters Games 2025 in Taipei and New Taipei City with Low Carbon Emission Bike Tour in Gongliao!
      SPORTS beyond AGE|LIFE without LIMITSWorld Masters Games will be grandly held in New Taipei City and Taipei City in May, 2025, and contestants from over 100 countries will attend the sports event in the two cities. World Masters Games 2025 will be hosted by New Taipei City and Taipei City and co-hosted by Taoyuan City, Hsinchu County, Hsinchu City and Yilan County. 35 games are included in the sports event. People over 30 years of age can participate in the masters games to compete with the world and make like-minded friends.Gongliao District of New Taipei City will be the venue for the games of sailing and lifesaving of World Masters Games 2025. You can take Taiwan Railway to Fulong Station in Gongliao District and ride a bike on the challenging Old Caoling Circular Line and pass through Old Caoling Tunnel while listening to the music of Clinking Coins, a renowned folk song. You can bike along the coast to the easternmost point of Taiwan. Lastly, you can return to Fulong Beach and stay at a local hotel to enjoy hot springs and delicious food!Once you exit Fulong Train Station, you will be able to smell the delicious Fulong boxed lunch. Fulong boxed lunch enjoys equal fame with Chishang boxed lunch, and it is one of the famous boxed lunches sold by Taiwan Railway Administration. With the dishes of sliced pork, braised pork, sausage, cabbage, vegetable roll, braised egg, braised bean curd, fried meat roll, pickled vegetables and so on, the classic boxed lunch has been sold for over seven decades. Although the boxed lunch is no longer sold on the platform, several restaurants still sell boxed lunch in front of the train station. Hurry up and enjoy a Fulong boxed lunch in one of the restaurants.After regaining energy, we will face our challenge! We will rent a bicycle or an e-bike and enter Old Caoling Circular Bike Trail from Fulong Station. The total length of Old Caoling Circular Bike Trail is approximately 20 kilometers, and it takes about 2 hours to make a round trip by biking. You can ride through the Snow Mountain Range on the bike trail between the mountain and sea, and reach Sandiaojiao Lighthouse, the easternmost point of Taiwan, and East Park to check in on social media. Finally, we will directly arrive at Fulong Beach, a venue of World Masters Games.👉The total length of Old Caoling Circular Bike Trail is 20 kilometers, so please take your physical fitness into consideration. You can rent an e-bike if you think it is too strenuous for you to finish the entire trail by a regular bike. Please make sure you apply sunscreen and bring sufficient drinking water in summer before biking.“The train goes, chugga choo drip, into the tunnel…...” This is a catchy Taiwanese folk song. The term “tunnel” in this song refers to Old Caoling Tunnel which was open for use in 1924. It was the most critical construction of Yilan Line of Taiwan Railway, and it was 2,167 meters long. Old Caoling Tunnel that going through Snow Mountain Range greatly shortened the traffic time between New Taipei City and Yilan. The north entrance and south entrance of the tunnel were inscribed with Chinese calligraphy, “overcoming challenges to dig the tunnel” and “seeing a clear and boundless sky with clouds” at the New Taipei City end and Yilan end respectively to commemorate the hardship workers had faced in excavating the tunnel.Old Caoling Tunnel had retired after Taiwan Railway implemented the dual track system and electrification. Since 2008, the railway has been open for use as a bike trail. The trail still preserves railway tracks. To make it look more like a railway, lampshades for oil lamps are used to restore the appearance of a railway tunnel. It is interesting to bike in the old-fashioned Old Caoling Tunnel while listening to the music of “Clinking Coins.” There is a semicircular ring of light which marks the border of New Taipei City and Yilan in the middle part of the tunnel, and it is the most popular spot for check in in the tunnel!As the light gets brighter at the end of the tunnel, you can gradually see the immense Pacific Ocean. When waves crash against the cuesta, surf and Turtle Island make a perfect picture. You can bike on the bike trail along the mountain and sea toward the easternmost point of Taiwan.Lailai Coast Geological Area that stretches several hundred meters is the largest wave-cut platform of the Northeast Coast, and it is called the “Devil’s Washboard.” A wide variety of coastal terrains scatter on the wave-cut platform, such as the largest fire dragon rock in Taiwan and several sea grooves. Kuroshio, the warm current of Pacific Ocean, passes the open waters of Lailai, and it nourishes thriving marine ecology, making Lailai Coast Geological Area a great spot for rock fishing. Moreover, its wide intertidal zone is a good location for ecological observation.Sijiaoku Observatory with the design of hollow twin hearts is located at the north tip of Lailai Coast Geological Area. You can look down at the geological area and Turtle Island. Additionally, Sijiaoku is a relay station of Old Caoling Circular Bike Trail. The prairie facing Pacific Ocean next to the observatory is the best spot for photography.The first light of morning shines on Sandiaojiao. The name of Sandiaojiao originated from Santiago in Spanish. Sandiaojiao is at Taiwan’s easternmost point. Snow Mountain Range stretches all the way from Sandiaojiao to Zhuishui River. Since 1935, Sandiaojiao Lighthouse has stood tall in the mountain to guard the safety of boats. The name of East Park at the foot of the mountain is white in English and red in Chinese. The park marks the easternmost point of Taiwan, longitude 122° east. It looks like a gigantic gorilla overlooking Pacific Ocean if you look back at the starting point of Snow Mountain Range!Magang Fishing Port, located to the north of Sandiaojiao, is the easternmost fishing village of Taiwan. Fishermen mostly catch fish in the fisheries by Turtle Island and Sandiao Bay. Their main catches include sea breams, oceanic bonitos, neritic squid, squid and lobsters. You can take a rest at the fishing port, enjoy the ocean views while savoring seafood noodles or coffee. You can play with cats in the fishing village as well.After feasting your eyes on the magnificent views of the mountain and sea that stretch for 20 kilometers, you will return to Fulong Beach filled with fine and soft sand. With a curvy beach, Fulong Beach gets the name of Gold Coast. Shuang River meets the sea here, forming the two landscapes of an inland river and open waters. Fulong’s exceptionally gifted terrain has made it suitable for various water sports, such as sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, surfing and so on. Fulong has been a famous beach since Japanese Colonial Period, and it has carried the youthful memories of numerous generations.The games of sailing and lifesaving will take place on Fulong Beach during World Masters Games in 2025. With an excellent geographical location, Fullon Hotel Fulong adjacent to Fulong Beach enables its guests to overlook the venue of the games. Additionally, the hotel provides delicate meals and hot springs. To encourage low carbon travel, guests who take public transportation may enjoy eco-friendly accommodation promotions. Let’s take the train to Fulong, ride a bike around Taiwan’s Northern Coast, and participate in the sports event that takes place in northern Taiwan. “SPORTS beyond AGE! LIFE without LIMITS!” Let’s meet in Fulong to attend World Masters Games 2025!👉Registration for World Masters Games 2025 held in Taipei and New Taipei City starts on February 17. Everyone is welcome to participate in the grand occasion!
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