New Taipei City Travel

“Tamsui” of New Taipei City is a beautiful river bank with sunset and numerous relics. Whether strolling along the river banks hand in hand or shopping on Old Street, trying the local snacks or enjoying the unparalleled ocean view, all of them present an enjoyable traveling atmosphere. Beginning from the“MRT Tamsui Station”, visit the “Tamsui Old Street” to shop around and taste popular local snacks such as A Gei, fish fries and traditional egg pancakes; then move on to the centuries old white Qing Dynasty architecture the “Little White House” and pose with the romantic half domed archway and corridors. The nearby “Bok Su Lao” is featured with red brick exterior and slanted rooftops, and the “Tamsui Red Castle” with three hundred years of history used to multi-function as a military defense, consular office and dungeon. “Cloud Gate Theatre”is the rehearsal and performance venue of the renowned performance group Cloud Gate. The park contains several works of art, including famous works by sculpting master Ju Ming. Here you can leaf through Cloud Gate selected books and uniquely developed art products of the dancer lifestyle. Finally, transfer to the “Lover’s Bridge” to capture unbeatable ocean views and the beautiful sunset in Taiwan. The neighboring “Fisherman’s Stage” allows visitors to enjoy the gentle ocean breeze and enjoy performances by independent bands.

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.