New Taipei City Travel

If you don’t want to spend the weekend cooped up at home swiping mobile phones with the kids, come and take a stroll around Yingge! Here’s a fun-filled itinerary for the whole family – start the glorious morning by heading into the hills for the relatively short “Yingge Rock Trail.” As you and your children make your way up the gently sloping stairs, you pass through a relaxing forest and will arrive at Yingge Rock before you know it! According to legend, Koxinga was leading his troops through the region when they were blocked by poisonous miasma. A soldier was also eaten as well. Koxinga ordered his cannons to blow away the neck of Yingge Rock and the miasma was finally dispelled. Yingge Rock is the most famous local sight and gave its name to the town. Climbing a mountain makes people hungry so the next stop is “Yingge Old Street” to check out the specialty ceramic stores and enjoy the local delicacies. We now come to the highlight of the day – “The Shu’s Pottery.” Here you and the kids can try your hand at pottery and DIY ceramics. The experience not only improves children’s hand-eye coordination but also strengthens family bonds. If you still have the energy, go for an evening bicycle ride to admire the sunset at “Sanying Longyao Bridge.” As the night falls, the light sculpture on the bridge comes on and creates a magical atmosphere. The giant clay models scattered throughout the grounds of “SanYing Waterfront” offer a perfect place to take snapshots of precious family time together.

Rumor has it that the name “Canguangliao” (“canguang” means shining light in Chinese) comes from the scenery when mountains, full of yellowish and white silver grass in fall, give spectacular light rays formed under the sun beams, making Canguangliao Historic Trail a “golden shining” scenic route! From Mudan Train station, take a bus to Shisanceng Old Tree Stop and walk for 10 minutes, and you will arrive at “Canguangliao Historic Trail Entrance”. Along the Trail, visitors will pass by the historic site of Jinguashi Water Pumping Station, small waterfalls, historic site of old grocery store, Jinshan Fude Temple, and more, and they will ultimately arrive at Shumeiping Observation Deck. The total distance is nearly 5km with a walking time of approximately 3 hours; the level portions of the Trail are constructed with stairs of relatively lower difficulty level for walking. Moreover, Canguangliao Mountain is the highest amongst Keelung Volcano Group, so visitors can even look over to Taipei City and Northeast Coast when there is nice weather with an expansive view. After exiting the Trail, follow County Route 102 to Jinguashi Geological Park, where was previously Benshan Mine. Visitors here will have the opportunity to observe traces of the most original mining sights. Then continue traveling to the nearby Jinguashi Shinto Shrine, which was built during the period of Japanese rule in response to the mining development. Even though it is all abandoned now, visitors can still have a glimpse of the sacred and solemn ambiance from the remains of the historic site. If you are interested in having more in-depth experiences of Jinguashi’s golden age, you can continue walking down to the Gold Museum, which is a museum campus transformed from the gold mining areas in the old days. Activities here will include learning about the mining history, the gold culture, and experiencing gold panning; spending a whole afternoon here will be no problem at all. At the end of the journey, visitors will connect to Jiufen Old Street, where they are recommended to order a bowl of cold or hot taro balls or to find a tea place and enjoy a cup of good tea, taking some time to savor this “golden” journey as they take a rest.