Admiring Cherry Blossoms and Soaking in Hot Springs in Jinshan to Enjoy Therapeutic Trip in Winter and Spring

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3917
Category :
Hiking Trails & Senior citizen & Outdoor excursion & Nostalgic tour of the old street & Gourmet shopping & Hot Spring
Travel days :
1 day
適合對象 :
Public & Family & The aged

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Day
    第一天

      Introduction

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      On wet and cold winter days when you even shiver while sleeping, do you just want to snuggle up in the comforter? The idea of “it would be so nice to soak in hot springs” will inevitably come to your mind on cold days. Actions speak louder than words. Now pluck up your courage to step outside and drive to Taiwan’s Northern Coast to soak in hot springs! When you soak in mist-covered hot springs, warmth spreads throughout your whole body, which helps blood vessels dilate, boost the circulation of blood, and get rid of wetness and coldness in the body.

      Jinshan at Taiwan’s Northern Coast possesses rich geothermal resources and gorgeous coastal capes. You walk along the Lion’s Head Mountain trail to the high point of Jinshan Cape to admire vast ocean views and Twin Candlestick Islets. Then you return to Zhongshan Hot Spring Park from the majestic, mysterious coast to pamper your feet with the golden hot spring. Next, you can visit Jinbaoli Old Street to enjoy seafood and local delicacies!
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      Before soaking in Jinshan hot spring, how can you miss the beautiful scenery of Jinshan? After you park your car in the brand-new Jinshan parking tower, bundle yourself up and walk along the Lion’s Head Mountain trail toward the point where the land meets the sea. The trail is easy to walk. It takes only 35 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the high point. The Lion’s Head Mountain trail used to be the military control zone, so it was not accessible to the public. However, it has preserved the native ecosystem of the coastline. As there is a forest along the trail, the ecosystem is not easily affected by the sea wind. You can even see deserted barracks, lookouts and other military ruins. Upon arriving at Zhongzheng Pavilion, you can enjoy the spacious view surrounded by waters on three sides: Yeliu Cape and Keelung Islet to your east, and Huanggang to your west.

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      Twin Candlestick Islets standing in the center of the sea in front of you are formed by two giant connecting sea stacks. They look like a pair of candlesticks standing still in the sea in despite of surging waves. The unique scenery has become the symbol of Jinshan District Office. Twin Candlestick Islets used to be at the tip of Jinshan Cape, but they have turned into islets in the sea due to plate movement and coastal erosion. A circular frame has been set up next to Zhongzheng Pavilion, and it is the best location to check in!
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      Going back to the trail from Zhongzhang Pavilion, we descend as sea level gradually drops. What welcome us are the sea stretching to the horizon and wave-cut platforms. This is the east coast of Jinshan Cape, which is also known as the Mysterious Coast. You can feel the surging sea within a short distance as waves crash against jagged rocks that extend hundreds of meters.
      👉The road condition of the Mysterious Coast is easily affected by tides. Therefore, if waves are strong, it is recommended that you return and stay on Lion’s Head Mountain trail for the sake of your safety.
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      Let’s soak in the hot spring at once after feasting our eyes on beautiful scenery. Walking along the Mysterious Coast, we arrive at Zhongshan Hot Spring Park after passing by Shuiwei Fishing Port. The park that is adjacent to Jinshan Old Street is now open to the public again after four years of renovation. The park has foot-soaking pools, a landscape waterway, landscape pool, banyan tree square and other facilities. It is a new hot spot of Route 2 Taiwan in New Taipei City.
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      Jinshan is Taiwan’s northernmost hot spring area, and it belongs to the geothermal area of Datun Mountain. It has been a well-known hot spring resort since Japanese Colonial Period. The hot spring in Zhongshan Hot Spring Park has won the name of “golden hot spring” because it is rich in iron, and it turns golden brown after it contacts air. There are two foot-soaking pools in Zhongshan Hot Spring Park. The temperature in one pool is between 35 and 38 degrees Celsius, and the other is between 40 and 42 degrees Celsius. You can choose the foot-soaking pool based on your needs to relieve the fatigue of your feet with the golden hot spring.
      👉The foot-soaking pools are open until 5PM every day. Please clean your feet at the foot washing station before getting into the pool.
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      Many Taiwan cherry blossoms have been planted on both sides of the landscape waterway at Zhongshan Hot Spring Park. They bloom in the park between January and March during the lunar new year to add color to monotonous winter. You can come to the hot spring park to admire gorgeous cherry blossoms in full bloom while soaking your feet in the hot spring leisurely.
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      Of course, you do not enjoy yourself to the full if you just soak your feet in the hot spring. Jinshan District has many public bathrooms, private hot spring rooms and hot spring hotels for you to choose from. Jinshan hot spring is unique because it is located right by the sea. Therefore, it has four different kinds of hot springs, sulphur springs, sea sand springs, carbonic acid springs and iron springs. You can choose a private hot spring room that meets your need to help hot springs get rid of coldness in winter, stretching your body and cleansing your mind.
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      After soaking in the hot spring, you might as well enjoy delicious food on Jinshan Old Street. Being called Jinbaoli Old Street in the past, Jinshan Old Street has over three hundred years of history, and it is the largest old street at Taiwan’s Northern Coast. Rich local atmosphere has been preserved. You can see vendors selling the agricultural products of Jinshan, such as red yam and tiaoshi taro. Restaurants on the street serve dishes, such as crab porridge, taro balls and honey yam, with local agricultural products. Have a bowl of seafood porridge and enjoy sweet potato balls to warm your stomach and heart.
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      Day 1 Traffic Updates
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        Walk Across Danjiang Bridge and Wander Through Tamsui District and Bali District
        Standing at the Tamsui River Estuary like hands raised in prayer, Danjiang Bridge officially opened to traffic on May 12, 2026, after decades of planning and construction. Beyond carrying the weight of transportation, the bridge also features spacious pedestrian and bicycle paths, inviting travelers to walk into the sea breeze and admire the Tamsui sunset and Guanyin Mountain from an entirely new perspective.An afternoon visit begins at Fort San Domingo, where visitors can look out from Tamsui District's oldest surviving building toward the newly completed Danjiang Bridge. Continue to Hobe Fort to immerse yourself in the history of Tamsui District's coastal defense. Nearby Cloud Gate Theater was an important source of inspiration for Danjiang Bridge: the bridge's smooth, elegant lines echo the dynamic, extended movements of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre's dancers. Ride a bicycle across Danjiang Bridge to take in the soaring bridge tower and the river-and-sea scenery, then arrive at the Bali District end and explore the wetland ecology of Wazihwei. Finally, head to Bali Left Bank, where glittering lights and the sea breeze accompany the enchanting night view over the Tamsui waters.Fort San Domingo has stood in Tamsui District for nearly four centuries and is the district's most representative historical landmark. Beneath its vermilion walls, multiple flags flutter in the wind, telling the turbulent story of this old fortress. Its predecessor was Fort San Domingo, built by the Spanish in 1628; in 1644, the Dutch rebuilt nearby and named the site Fort Antonio. Buildings from the Dutch and Spanish Colonial Period, Qing Dynasty Rule, and the Japanese Colonial Period stand within the grounds, making the complex feel like a living history of Taiwan.When Taiwan opened its ports in 1860, Tamsui District gradually developed into an important international commercial port. In 1867, Britain leased Fort San Domingo for use as a consulate and built an elegant Consular Residence beside it. Strolling through the residence's arched corridor and looking toward the Tamsui River Estuary, visitors can enjoy a view that frames Fort San Domingo and Danjiang Bridge together, capturing a cultural landscape where past and present meet.The small hill beside FAB Green Village is the first ridge of Tamsui District's Wuhu Hill formation. In earlier times, it was an excellent lookout over the Tamsui River Estuary, and Hobe Fort, built to defend Tamsui District, is located here. After the Sino-French War, the Qing court decided to strengthen Taiwan's coastal defense by building ten forts at five harbor locations: Penghu County, Keelung City, Tamsui District, Anping District, and Cihou. Hobe Fort was one of them.Facing south from its northern position, Hobe Fort occupies an important strategic site guarding the Tamsui River Estuary. At the entrance hangs the Beimen Suoyao Plaque, inscribed by Liu Mingchuan, then governor of Taiwan. Inside the fort grounds, the barracks, gun platforms, and replica Armstrong Cannon still project a formidable presence more than a century later. In the past, the site directly overlooked the Tamsui River Estuary and the Guandu area. Today, although trees obscure part of the view, the imposing silhouette of Guanyin Mountain can still be seen in the distance.In 2008, a devastating fire consumed Cloud Gate Dance Theatre's rehearsal facility in Bali District. Yet this renowned Taiwanese contemporary dance company did not stop there. With the joint efforts of New Taipei City Government and private enterprises, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre built the new Cloud Gate Theater at the former site of the Radio Taiwan International Tamsui Branch, reopening in 2015.Cloud Gate Theater's pale-green glass curtain wall reflects the surrounding trees, allowing the building to coexist harmoniously with the natural landscape. The grounds also feature several works by sculptor Ju Ming, including pieces from the Living World Series, letting visitors admire Cloud Gate Theater and Danjiang Bridge in the same view. The design team behind Danjiang Bridge also drew inspiration from this internationally renowned dance company rooted in Tamsui District, translating the fluid and graceful physical movements of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre's dancers into the structural language of the bridge.Danjiang Bridge's main tower extends its stay cables in all directions, paired with elegant curves that resemble a dancer stretching in the night. For this reason, the bridge has been given the poetic name The Silent Dancer. At the opening ceremony on May 9, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre premiered Chain of Light, a work created especially for the bridge. Centered on the theme of connection, the piece symbolizes the bridge linking Tamsui District and Bali District while also connecting the landscapes and emotions between Datun Mountain and Guanyin Mountain.Cycling onto Danjiang Bridge offers a view back toward Tamsui District and Bali District from the perspective of the Tamsui River Estuary. In the 2015 international design competition for Danjiang Bridge, the team led by master architect Zaha Hadid stood out with a single-tower asymmetric cable-stayed design. The bridge tower is deliberately offset toward the Tamsui District side, echoing Guanyin Mountain in Bali District and preserving the openness of the estuary view.At 920 meters long, Danjiang Bridge is the world's largest single-tower asymmetric cable-stayed bridge. From the center of the bridge, looking inward, visitors can see boats moving across the river, the skyline of downtown Tamsui District, the wetlands of Wazihwei in Bali District, and the rolling ridgelines of Datun Mountain and Guanyin Mountain. Looking outward, the world-famous Tamsui sunset spreads across the sky. As dusk falls, the brilliant lights of Fisherman's Wharf and Port of Taipei appear in succession.After crossing Danjiang Bridge to the Bali District end, follow the path to enter an ecological hideaway: Wazihwei Nature Reserve. Located on the left bank of the Tamsui River Estuary, it is the estuary's largest mangrove wetland, covering about 30 hectares. Dominated by Kandelia, it forms a complete and richly varied estuarine ecosystem.The reserve's most representative scenery is its lush Kandelia groves and the small blue boats resting on the sandy beach. Beyond the mangroves, the daily tides also reveal wetland creatures such as mudskippers, fiddler crabs, and barnacles. Wazihwei is also an important birdwatching site in northern Taiwan, making it a natural hideaway for both ecological observation and leisurely walks.After leaving Wazihwei, continue along the Bali Left Bank Cycling Route. In less than ten minutes, the view suddenly opens wide. The spacious Bali Left Bank combines cycling paths and wooden boardwalks, linking waterfront parks with broad sandy beaches and pebbly shores. Choose a café that appeals to you, order a cup of Left Bank Coffee, and enjoy the illuminated night view of the Tamsui waters.
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        In-depth trip to the secluded sports
        Take a romantic ride on Shuangwan Bikeway, embrace the blue sky of Linshanbi Trail, and relax your body and soul in the hot spring. Explore the strange Yin-yang Sea of yellow and blue water and the mountain town of Jiufen. Have a feast of Aodi seafood. Enjoy the wide view at Sandiaojiao Lighthouse. Who will not fall in love with this place?
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