New Taipei City Travel

As the train enters Yilan Line from Ruifang, we will arrive at Houtong and enter Pingxi Line from Sandiaoling. This railway line stretches amidst the verdant and lush mountainous area of Northern Taiwan, was built due to past prosperous coal mining industry, and is still operating. Besides transporting passengers, this is a popular route for railway trips in which it starts from Houtong. The magnificent achievements of the mining industry can be seen throughout the place in which they brought about railways and the prosperous development of towns along the way. Coming to Shifen, the origin of Sky Lantern and the largest station along the Pingxi Line, this is a major train intersection station. Looking back at the mining history of Pingxi, Shifen is the earliest and largest settlement developed. Its greatest feature is that the old street stands side-to-side with the railway track and presents the unique railway scenery of “the train passes through your front door”. Although the coal mining industry is a thing of the past, countless coal mining relics still remain along the Pingxi Line. It is rich with scenery and culture, in which visitors can seek tranquility at small unmanned stations, or enjoy traditional gourmet foods, visit grocery stores and hardware stores dating back to your grandparents’ days at bustling old streets. You can also get a Happiness Stamp at the station or fly a Sky Lantern written with your wishes for this year. You can enjoy a spectacular day and this is the branch line you cannot dare to miss.

The scenic attractions along this journey are perfect for the entire family, because aside from plenty of fun, children can also experience different cultures through traveling. The starting point of this journey is the Taoyuan Airport MRT “Linkou Station”; the first stop is the Zhulinshan Guanyin Temple, which is rumored to have an extremely efficacious 18-armed Guanyin enshrined here, hence countless followers have made the pilgrimage to pray for family blessings at the temple since its inception. The solemn, silent atmosphere in the temple is complemented by delicate, elegant wood or stone carvings of flora, fauna and people. The couplet engraved on the stone columns emanates powerful calligraphy strokes of a master. The essence of traditional temple architecture is preserved and merged with modern technology to create the magnificent temple with plenty to offer. After admiring the beauty of the Zhulinshan Guanyin Temple, the next stop is Taiwan’s Socks Museum, which takes the visitors on a journey of art, where they can catch a glimpse of the history of socks and knowledge. Each section within the museum tells a different cultural story and the stunning knitting is simply enchanting. In addition, they can also partake in DIY activities to produce their unique socks and take them home! Located near Taiwan’s Socks Museum, the W & W Museum of Jewelry is an ideal destination for couples, as they can observe how skillful artisans apply ingenious designs to create dazzling jewelries and ornaments. The delicate, painstaking metalworking process culminates in unique, handcrafted matching rings to romantically join two hearts together. At the last stop, the “Asia Pacific Eco Park”, besides exploring the stunning natural scenery, the park also offers a diverse array of entertainment features, including: outdoor cooking experiences, kiln cooking, or scintillating paintball, laser tag or water battleground, etc. These activities are perfect for the whole family and it is an exciting playground for children.