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.
