New Taipei City Travel

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!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.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!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. 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.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.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.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.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.

Jiufen and Jinguashi are New Taipei City's most iconic mountain towns, where old streets, mining heritage, and sweeping mountain-and-sea views blend into a one-of-a-kind atmosphere that draws travelers from around the world. If you're heading from Taipei or New Taipei City and want to skip the hassle of transfers, hop on the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Jiufen-Jinguashi Line.Buses depart every 10 to 30 minutes from Fuzhong, stopping along the way at key urban transit hubs and bustling districts such as Banqiao Bus Station, Wanhua Station, Ximending, and MRT Beimen Station, before continuing onto Civic Boulevard and the freeway straight to Jiufen and Jinguashi in Ruifang District. With no transfers needed, your mountain town adventure begins the moment you step aboard the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle!Taiwan Tourist Shuttle – Jiufen-Jinguashi Line 965 operates large buses equipped with charging outlets, running directly from Taipei and New Taipei City to Jiufen and Jinguashi with no transfers and no hauling luggage between buses, making for a relaxed, comfortable visit to the mountain towns. The route from Fuzhong to the final stop at Jinguashi spans six fare sections, with a one-way fare of NT$ 90. Payment is accepted via EasyCard, iPASS, iCash, Taipei Fun Pass, and LINE Pay, and the route is also covered under the TR PASS Taipei–New Taipei–Keelung–Taoyuan 1200 commuter pass.Because the route travels on the freeway, no standing passengers are allowed after MRT Beimen Station; if all seats are taken, the driver will ask passengers to wait for the next bus. To guarantee a seat, reserve in advance through the Taipei Fun Pass official website and set off on your Jiufen and Jinguashi adventure with peace of mind.(Image source: Taiwan Tourist Shuttle official website)The bus runs directly from the city to the final stop at Jinguashi, taking about 90 minutes under smooth traffic conditions. After gold was discovered here in 1894, waves of prospectors poured in, launching the mountain town's golden age. Though the mining boom is now history, Jinguashi has shed its old bustle for a quiet, peaceful charm—visit the Gold Museum, stroll the hiking trails, and enjoy some leisurely time.Opened in 2004, the Gold Museum is Taiwan's first museum built on the concept of an "ecomuseum." Centered on mining history and community strength, it connects the mining relics, village landscapes, natural ecology, historical memory, and cultural heritage of Jinguashi and Shuinandong, promoting resource sustainability and ecotourism. This vision extends the Gold Museum beyond its walls across the entire Jinguashi mountain town, showcasing its uniquely captivating local culture.From the Gold Museum, wander through winding, hilly alleys to reach Qitang Old Street. Once Jinguashi's busiest commercial hub, it earned the nickname "Jinguashi's Ginza"; the hillside settlement built during the Japanese colonial era shaped the distinctive streetscape seen today. The old street has traded the clatter of mining days for the aroma of coffee and a slower pace—admire the mining-themed art installations along the way, then settle into a small shop to rest and savor Jinguashi's cultural charm.Hop back on Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Line 965 and cross over Keelung Mountain to reach Jiufen, the mountain town on the other side. Both Jiufen and Jinguashi flourished through gold mining and are known together as the "Golden Mountain Towns"; their lively heyday even earned them nicknames like "Little Shanghai" and "Little Hong Kong." In the late 1980s, the film A City of Sadness was shot here, bringing Jiufen's mountain-and-sea scenery, nostalgic lanes, and hillside village onto the big screen and introducing the mountain town's charm to the world.Shaped by the terrain, Jiufen's village spreads across the hillside, with its streets forming a distinctive pattern resembling the Chinese character "丰." The horizontal Jinshan Street is the busiest commercial strip, packed with snack stalls and specialty shops, while the vertical Shuqi Road is famed for its long stretch of stone steps, where you can take in tiered old houses and sweeping mountain-and-sea views. After dark, red lanterns light up one by one along the hillside, lending the old streets a quiet, romantic glow.Follow the stone steps to where Shuqi Road meets Qingbian Road, and discover the storied Shengping Theater. Opened in the 1930s, it was once one of Taiwan's largest theaters during the Japanese colonial era, reflecting Jiufen's gold-fueled prosperity. After the theater went dark in the 1980s, its distinctive architecture and old-world atmosphere made it a filming location for movies including A Borrowed Life and A City of Sadness. After strolling the old streets and tracing these film locations, hop back on Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 965 – Jiufen-Jinguashi Line for a transfer-free ride straight back to your accommodation in Taipei or New Taipei City!