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New Taipei City Travel

The mountain town full of stories and photo opportunities

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The mountain town full of stories and photo opportunities
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Route 2 Taiwan-Cycling Routes
Travel days :
1 day
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Public

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      Introduction

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      Mudan Station is not to be missed by railway fans. The gorgeous curves where the trains turn make a beautiful scene that can be captured by anyone and look like it is coming straight out of a music video. Hop on your bike, go through the Sandiaoling Tunnel which has been in deep sleep for 35 years, and witness the rise and fall of the coal mining industry. Take a peek at the pothole known as a “stone dimple.” Even the cats in the village are trying to make you stay here for longer.

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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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      “Laomei turns green!” Touring Shimen during the vigorous spring.
      “Laomei turns green!” is a warm greeting full of vitality on the north coast. From the middle of March to early May each year, the coastline of Shimen District, which is situated in the northernmost end of Taiwan main island, is decorated with reefs covered in green algae, turning it into a stunningly beautiful matcha green carpet. It also represents the arrival of the God of Spring in this rainy land and the season for travelling on the Norther Coast. Let’s visit the coastline of Shimen to explore the vigorous green troughs, play hide and seek in the maze of Laomei, and fly kites on the coast to enjoy the warm and pleasant scenery of Shimen!The “Xingfushuangxin Park” (literally referred to the “Happiness Double Heart Park”) newly established in 2022 has adopted the traditional “khan-koo” fishing technique (literally referred to “seine-fishing technique”) to create the installation art “The Khan-Koo Dream Weave”. Through the giant stainless-steel framework fitted with colorful glass pieces, this design presents changes in light and shadow under the spring sun’s shine as our perspectives and time shift. There are also specially designed interactive experience facilities, such as the conch sound-controlled lift system, a square featuring the imagery of a lighthouse man, and sampan-shaped seating. Reputed as the most beautiful park on the north coast, all visitors, including children, can find fun here.The stone troughs formed by volcanic reefs that remained on the coast after the eruption of the Tatun Volcano Group are covered with a large amount of algae during the spring of each year, turning the earth-gray reefs into a lush and natural wonder of greenery. Alongside the crystal blue ocean, this matcha mochi-like unique landscape has attracted numerous photography enthusiasts coming here. At low tide, small ponds also form between the rocks, allowing visitors to observe fascinating marine life. Before your departure, you can browse the tide forecast for Shimen released by the Central Weather Bureau to capture the beauty of lush green troughs at the right low tide timing!Laomei stone troughs, commonly known as “Laomei Green Reef”, feature fine sandy beaches and creatively shaped rocky shores, resembling rows of slender green dolphins basking on the beach. Stone troughs are formed by volcanic reefs, which are ideal for algae to attach to and grow. After the algae die, their remains will form thin layers of limestone, and new algae will attach to this layer. As algae continue to die and attach to the new layer, they eventually create this beautiful algae reef. When coming there to relish the beauty of green reefs, please remember not to stand on the stone troughs. Let’s contribute to the sustainability of the local ecology.In the windbreak behind Laomei Beach, red-brick walls have created winding and intricate pathways. This transforms Laomei Green Reef into something resembling an extraterrestrial relic and a must-visit popular photo spot on the North Coast. Apart from challenging your sense of direction and memory on your own in the maze, you can also play or enjoy a game of hide-and-seek with your friends and family inside.Characterized by black and white stripes, the Fuguei Cape Lighthouse that stands erect between the mountains and ocean is the northernmost lighthouse on the Taiwan main island. Since its establishment in 1897, it has been faithfully guarding vessels passing through the north coast. When the sun sets, looking eastward from the west side of the lighthouse, you'll see the fiery red afterglow reflected on the lighthouse, creating a magical spectacle that photography enthusiasts eagerly seek.“With soaring spirits into the clouds, we joyfully fly kites, hoping to reach the highest heavens. To ascend the kites on high, it all depends on the thread held in our hands.” This Chinese poem written by the Kaitai Imperial Scholar, Zheng Yong-xi, describes the scenery of the millennia-old flying kite activity. Situated on the windward side of the northeast monsoon, Shimen is reputed as “The Homeland of Kites” as the strong sea breeze has created an excellent environment for flying kites. Shimen, serving as the host location for the annual Taiwan International Kite Festival, draws in numerous foreign and domestic skilled kite enthusiasts each year. Pick up your own kite and run against the wind. Let's join the colorful kites to soar amidst the breathtaking scenery of Shimen's sea and sky.
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