As one of the most secret and unknown tourist attractions in Taipei City, Nangang Tea Mountain is a large mountain area that offers pleasant hikes, great views, historical buildings, no crowds, and most of all tea. It is one of only two mountain tea growing areas in Taipei City, the other being Maokong. Hopefully this blog will help you understand how much natural beauty and intact history this is in Nangang District. 

Background:
Nangang 南港means “South Port” in Chinese. This south port once rested on the southern banks of the Keelung River near what is now the Neihu MRT depot in Nangang District, Taipei. There was a "North Port" on the Keelung river in what is now Xizhi. Nangang was once part of Neihu District before it split in the ROC era. In the earliest times, Nangang was known as an industry hub for coal, brick making, and tea farming. In order to ship goods from Neihu to Nangang rail station, at least two suspension bridges were made across the Keelung River.

Hours:
Trails: 24/7
Tea Processing Demonstration Center: Tuesday-Sunday 9 AM to 5 PM

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By car/scooter: From Nangang Road at Nangang Exhibition Center MRT station, turn south toward the mountains and keep going straight on Acadamia Sinica Road until it turns into Jiuzhuang Street. Keep going all the way up the mountain and you have reached the tea district. 
By bus: Take the Southeast Little 5 bus from Nangang Exhibition Center MRT station. It takes about half an hour to get to the Tea Processing Center from there. 

Map:
Please see below:

Tamsui's Little White House (officially the Tamsui Customs Officer's Residence) is an important historical building in Tamsui near Fort San Domingo. The ticket to Fort San Domingo and Hobe Fort also allows entrance to this building, so you should definitely check it out if you visit the area. 

Background:
As a result of the Second Opium War, China was forced to open more ports to the west, including in Tamsui and Tainan, therefore creating a need for the Qing government to create a customs office in Tamsui. 
The Tamsui Customs Officer's Residence was built in 1870 for the Custom Officer. The first customs officer was W. Maxwell of the UK. After the Japanese took control  of Taiwan, the house was abandoned. Later after the ROC took control of Taiwan, the building was later annexed as part of the nearby Tamkang High School. In  1996, the building was set for destruction but was saved by local scholars who protested. In 2004, the building was renovated as a tourist attraction in its current form.
Because of its stark white appearance, it has been nicknamed the "little white house" referring to the resemblance to the White House in Washington DC. 

Price:
80 NT (including entrance to For San Domingo and Hobe Fort)

Hours:
9:30 AM to 5:30 PM (tickets not sold after 4:30)

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 north from Taipei until you reach Tamsui. The white house is passed the old street on highway 2. Parking can be hard to find, but there should be plentiful parking at Tamsui Elementary School and other places further away.
By MRT: Take the red line MRT north to Tamsui station and walk 1 KM north or take a bus to the white house.

Map:
​Please see below: 

Hobe Fort (Aka Huwei Fort) is a Qing Dynasty era fortress in Tamsui, New Taipei that once has massive guns that protected the waterways nearby. The fort is included in a historical monument ticket that allows you to see other historical buildings in the area. It is also one of the best preserved historical fortresses in Taiwan. 

Background:
After the Sino French War in which the French threatened Tamsui and Keelung, the Qing Dynasty decided to fortify their coastline in Taiwan, building forts at Keelung, Tamsui, Penghu, Tainan, and what is now Kaohsiung.
Hobe fort in Tamsui was completed in 1888 and designed by Liu Mingchuan. 
The fort never saw any military action, which has helped preserve the fort. 
After the Japanese took over Taiwan, they took out the canons and turned the fort into a practice ground for troops. 
After the ROC took over Taiwan, they placed troops at the fort for a while, before turing the fort over to the central government, who have opened it to the public.
The walls of the fort are 4.2 meters thick and 7 meters high. There is also an outer earth wall. The fort only has one gate facing north.

Hours:
9:30 AM to 5 PM

Price: 
80 NT per person (includes entrance toFort San Domingo and the Little White House)

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 north from Taipei until you reach Tamsui. The fort is near Heping Park off highway 2. Parking can be found in front of the fort.
By MRT: Take the red line MRT north to Tamsui station and walk 1 KM north or take a bus/taxi to the fort. 

Map:
Please see below:

The former British Consulate in Tamsui is over 100 years old, spanning a long and complex history in Taiwan. Originally built by the British, it was handed over to Australia, the USA, and then the ROC. Now it is a popular tourist destination in Tamsui. 

Background:
The spot where the consular residents lies is right next to Fort San Domingo, which was originally a wooden fort built by the Spanish who were vying for control of Taiwan in 1628. Later the fort came into Dutch control in 1642, and the Spanish were driven from Taiwan. In the process, the Spanish razed the fort to the ground. The fort was rebuilt in brick by the Dutch. The Dutch were expelled from Taiwan thanks to Konxinga and his Ming loyalists.
The local Han Chinese at the time called the fort "Red Hair Fort 紅毛城" as a racial slur to the Dutch. 
Later, the fort was leased to the British government.
The British built the consular residence in 1891, and continued to keep a presence there until 1972, and later it was given for a short time to Australia and the USA, and then given to the ROC government in 1980. Now the government maintains the fort as a tourist attraction. 

Hours:
9:30 AM to 5 PM

Price:
80 NT per person (includes passage to the British Consulate, Hobe Fort, and the Little White House). 

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 north from Taipei until you reach Tamsui. The fort is past the old street on highway 2. Parking can be hard to find, but there should be plentiful parking at Tamsui Elementary School and other places further away.
By MRT: Take the red line MRT north to Tamsui station and walk 1 KM north or take a bus to the fort. 

Map:
​Please see below:

Fort San Domingo (aka 紅毛城 Hongmaocheng, “City of Red Hair") is one of the oldest buildings in Taiwan, with a nearly 400 year history. Originally built by the Spanish, it was handed over to nine different nations including the Dutch, Qing, Japan, British, Australia, USA, and the ROC. Now it is a popular tourist destination in Tamsui. 

Background:
Fort San Domingo was originally a wooden fort built by the Spanish who were vying for control of Taiwan in 1628. Later the fort came into Dutch control in 1642, and the Spanish were driven from Taiwan. In the process, the Spanish razed the fort to the ground. The fort was rebuilt in brick by the Dutch. The Dutch were expelled from Taiwan thanks to Konxinga and his Ming loyalists.
After the Qing dynasty took Taiwan from the Ming loyalists, they repaired the fort in 1724.
The local Han Chinese at the time called the fort "Red Hair Fort 紅毛城" as a racial slur to the Dutch. 
Later, the fort was leased to the British government, who continued to keep a presence there until 1972, and later it was given for a short time to Australia and the USA, and then given to the ROC government in 1980. Now the government maintains the fort as a tourist attraction. 

Hours:
9:30 AM to 5 PM

Price:
80 NT per person (includes passage to the British Consulate, Hobe Fort, and the Little White House). 

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 north from Taipei until you reach Tamsui. The fort is past Tamsui Old Street on highway 2. Parking can be hard to find, but there should be plentiful parking at Tamsui Elementary School and other places further away.
By MRT: Take the red line MRT north to Tamsui station and walk 1 KM north or take a bus to the fort. 

Map:
​Please see below:

Tamsui Old Street (aka Danshui Old Street or Tamshui Old Street) is a street in Tamsui District of New Taipei famous for it's delicious food and historical atmosphere. It is one of the most popular and well known old streets in all of Taiwan. Some local delicacies here include A-gei, iron eggs, fried squid, and other seafood. 

Background:
Tamsui Old Street developed alongside the Tamsui Harbor, which was opened in 1860 during the Qing Dynasty as part of the Treaty of Tientsin which ended the Second Opium War. It was one of only eight ports in the entire Qing empire that was open to trade with the west. As a result, it became a focal point for trade in Taiwan. It was also the western terminus of the Danlan Old Trail, which was a network of roads and trails that sent tea and other goods from Yilan to Tamsui. It remained an important port until it started to silt in during the 1900s, and after the construction of Keelung Harbor. 
There are also a number of important historical buildings near Tamsui Old Street such as Fort San Domingo, Huwei Fort, and others. 
Tamsui Old Street has always existed next to the old harbor, and recently there have been projects from the local government to improve tourism, such as widening roads and making a riverside walkway. 
With the completion of the Red Line MRT with its terminus in 1997 right at the edge of the old street, Tamsui became an extremely popular destination for residents in greater Taipei and remains to be so today. 

Hours:
Every day 11 AM - 8 PM.

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 north from Taipei until you reach Tamsui. The old street is near the Tamsui MRT station. Parking can be hard to find, but there should be plentiful parking at Tamsui Elementary School and other places further away.
By MRT: Take the red line MRT north to Tamsui station and you have arrived.

Map:
Please see below:

Shimen Cave (aka Shimendong) is a sea cave on the Northwest Coast of Taiwan, in Shimen District of New Taipei. Its name (literally "stone gate") is the namesake for Shimen District in New Taipei. It is one of the major natural attractions along Taiwan's north coast. 

Background:
The sandstone that forms the Shimen Cave formation was created between 10 and 20 million years ago, and was pushed out of the sea along with northern Taiwan thousands of years ago. 
The cave itself was formed by wave erosion on the cave.
Shimen Cave was named a protected natural sight in 1933 during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, but has not had the same status since after WWII. Now two marble tablets sit on either side of the cave, put there by government leaders during the ROC martial law period.

Hours:
​24/7

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial Highway 2 from either Tamsui or Keelung North to Shimen. The Shimen Cave sits on the very northern edge of Shimen District.
By Bus: Take Keelung bus from either Danshui MRT station or Keelung TRA station.
You can also take the yellow and white North Coast Shuttle Bus to Shimendong station.

Map:
Please see below:

Elephant Trunk Rock is a rock shaped like its name in the Shenao area of Ruifang District, New Taipei City. There are also many interesting rock formations in the area. It is one of the most recognizable rock formations on the north coast and a popular location for, kayakers, snorkelers, and instagrammers. 

Background:
The sandstone and sedimentary that forms the Elephant Rock formation was created between 10 and 20 million years ago, and was pushed out of the sea along with northern Taiwan thousands of years ago. 
The Elephant's head was formed by easily eroding sandstone, with the area under the trunk being eroded away by the sea and waves. 
Elephant Rock is so named because it looks like an elephant.
The area around Elephant Rock was a protected military base until the year 2000, after which civilians were allowed to freely visit.
Kayaking and Snorkeling are also popular activities near the Elephant Rock.

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Drive to Keelung, then from downtown take provincial highway 2 east about 10 KM until you reach the Shenziao harbor, and there is some paid parking if you drive to the very end, which will put you closest to Elephant Trunk Rock.
​By Train/Bus: Take the TRA to Badouzi (八斗子） station, then walk about 1 KM east until you reach the elephant rock on the coast. 

Map:
Please see below:

Yehliu is perhaps the most famous geological park in Taiwan, with its most famous landmark being the Queen's Head rock. These rock formations have been forming for thousands of years through erosion of soft sandstone due to wind and water. Hurry and see these formations soon before they are gone forever!

Background:
The sandstone that forms the Yehliu formation was created between 10 and 20 million years ago, and was pushed out of the sea along with northern Taiwan thousands of years ago. 
The Queen's head is formed by two layers of sandstone, one soft fast eroding layer on bottom and a harder layer on top. This kind of sandstone formation can be seen around the world and is known as a hoodoo. The Queen's head was named after Queen Elizabeth I, because it is thought to look like her. 
The head is eroding .2 to .5 CM per year and is expected to fall at any time!
The name Yehliu comes from the Spanish name for the area "Putno Diablos" which was then also used by the Dutch, and transliterated by the Chinese settlers in the area as "Yehliu" in Chinese. 

Yehliu Ocean world is the largest aquarium in northern Taiwan and has one of the few outdoor sea life amphitheaters in Taiwan. The facility features an indoor aquarium and outdoor show that is geared toward children.  

Hours:
Yehliu Geopark: 8 AM to 5 PM in winter (tickets not sold after 4:30)
8 AM to 6 PM in summer (tickets not sold after 5:30)
Yehliu Ocean World: 9 AM to 5 PM

Price:
Yehliu Geopark: 80 NT per person.
Yehliu Ocean World: 330 NT per person (children are sometimes free)
​
Can I touch the rocks?
Don't you dare touch the rocks! 

How to get there:
​By Bus: There are inter-city buses that leave hourly from Taipei Main Station and Taipei City Hall to Yehliu. 
By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial highway 2 west out of Keelung, and keep going until you reach Wanli. The turnoff to  Yehliu comes right after Wanli beach. 

Map:
Please see below:

Dahua Station is one of the smallest, most remote, and less visited train stations on the Pingxi Railway. There are almost no commercialized attractions, but that has also made it a pristine nature area popular with hikers. Nearby one can see natural sites such as the Dahua potholes, waterfalls, forests, and wildlife, as well as historical mining sites. 

Background:
Dahua Station was completed in 1956, 35 years after the Pingxi Railway itself was completed. Its main purposes at the time was to ship coal and other mining materials from the nearby coal screening facility and also provide transportation for mine employees. 
In 1990, coal production at Dahua station stopped along with the gradual demise of the coal industry in Taiwan, due to low coal import prices and safety issues. 
In 1994, a small platform was built for tourists. 
Dahua station is unmanned. As of 2018, only an average of 18 people per day visited the station.  
Popular attractions near the train station include the Dahua Potholes, Cukeng Falls, Youkeng Falls, and Youkeng trail that connect Dahua Station to Sandiaoling Station. 

A lot of visitors mistakenly stop at Dahua Station while trying to walk to Shifen Waterfall. This is a mistake! It is a really long walk to Shifen Waterfall. You are best to just wait an hour for another oncoming train. 

Hours: 24/7 （first train comes at 5:32 AM, last train leaves at 10:30 PM, with one train coming every half hour or so)

How to get there:
By Train: Take the TRA to Ruifang Station, and then switch to the Pingxi Railway line. Get off at Dahua Station, and you have arrived!
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 east toward Pinglin, then get off the main highway once you reach Shifen, then cross to the south of the Keelung River and take the Dahua Agricultural Road all the way to the end where you will find the station. There is no road that directly connects to Sandiaoling. 

Map:
Please see below:

Fulong Beach is my favorite beach in greater Taipei. It is easily accessible by public transportation (TRA Gongliao Station) has beautiful golden sand, a large shallow swimming area, and tons of food options within walking distance. The paid part of the beach features sand sculptures and lifeguards, while the free part of the beach is less clean but there are no annoying lifeguards to whistle at you all the time, making it a foreigners paradise. 

Background:
Fulong Beach lies next to Fulong Village in Gongliao District of New Taipei, at the mouth of the Shuang River. It is special in Taiwan for its rare golden color.
The beach has been a popular swimming destination since the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. In 1959, the TRA created public showers and bridge that goes to the other side of the sandbar that you see today. 
The Fullon hotel resort sits in front of the paid beach and is a popular destination for Taipei residents. 
Taiwan's fourth nuclear reactor lies in the background of the beach, but it has never been operational and likely never will be due to the anti-nuclear power movement in Taiwan. 
Near the beach one can go camping at Longmen campground or biking on the Caoling bicycle loop. 

Price:
Paid Fullon Hotel Beach: 100 NT per person
Public beach next to Dongxing Temple: Free

Hours:
Paid Fullon Hotel Beach: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (extended to 9 PM on Sat/Sun in summer)
Public beach next to Dongxing Temple: 24/7

When to go:
May to October when the weather is nice and the water is warm.
Winter on the northeast coast is cold and windy. 
Fulong sand sculpture season dates: April 19th - August 25th (2019).

How to get there:
By Train: Take the TRA train to Fulong Station. Walk straight from the station down to the beach!
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial higway 2 from Qidu in Keelung through the mountains past Shifen and Shuangxi until you reach Gongliao on the coast. The beach is right in front of the train station, and there is free parking in front of Dongxing Temple. 

Map:
​Please see below:

Huiyao Waterfall is a large waterfall and swimming hole near Wanggu Station on the Pingxi Railway, on a tributary of the Keelung River in Pingxi District of New Taipei. It's large cliffs are popular for jumping and has a large deep pool that is safe to swim in. It's lack of accessibility has made it a quiet location, and normally you will have the place to yourself.

Background:
Huiyao Waterfall Is roughly 8 meters tall and only a few meters wide. 
The name Huiyao comes from the nearby mines, Hui meaning dust and Yao meaning coal pit. Just up river lay a few abandoned mines that were once used to transport coal back to Wanggu Station along the Pingxi Railway. 
The coal mine industry in Taiwan has collapsed due to low worldwide coal prices, with the last coal mine in Taiwan closing down around the year 2000. 
The sedimentary rock around Pingxi has made for easily eroding layers, which has created jagged peaks and large waterfalls, such as Sandiaoling, Shifen, Wanggu, and Lingjiao Waterfalls.

Price:
Free

Hours:
24/7

How to get there:
By Train: Take the TRA to Wanggu Station, and then walk the short distance up the hill and to the left to the Zunkou (圳口) Bus station on the south side of the road. Its then about a 30 minute walk up the road (2.2 KM) to the waterfall. 
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 east toward Pinglin, then get off the main highway once you reach Shifen. Then turn right and go west on county road 106 until you reach the the Zunkou (圳口) Bus station right in front of Wanggu station. Then drive up the road about 2 KM until you come to the waterfall. 

Map:
​Please see below:

Lingjiao Old Street is a small street next to Lingjiao Station and the famous Lingjiao Waterfall. The old street has not been commercialized like the other popular old streets on the Piongxi Railway. Now that the Taiwan coal mining boom is over, the old street is a relic of the past that has stayed basically unchanged from those times. 

Background: 
The town of Lingjiao was named because it sits at the foot of a mountain (the name meaning literally "foot of the peak"). Lingjiao was a mining town on the Pingxi Railway, and a station there was completed during the Japanese Era in 1929. 
​From about 2000, the Taiwan coal mine industry had shut down due to the low cost of importing coal and safety issues involved with coal workers. 
As of 2018, only an average of 28 people a day visit the station, probably most of which go to visit Lingjiao Waterfall. 
Perhaps the most impressive historical building in the area is the Tsai Residence, which we will cover in the blog below.

Price:
Free

Hours:
24/7

How to get there:
By Train: Take the TRA to Ruifang Station, and then switch to the Pingxi Railway line. Get off at Lingjiao Station.
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 east toward Pinglin, then get off the main highway once you reach Shifen. Then turn right and go west on county road 106 until you reach the Lingjiao Station turnoff. 

Map:
​Please see below:

Taiwan's National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (literally National Founding Father Memorial Hall) sits in northern Xinyi District of Taipei, and includes a large open square and gardens. The inside of the memorial hall commemorates the life of the founding father of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen, who is revered on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. In addition the memorial hall has a performance hall, free rotating art exhibitions, and changing of the guard every hour. It is definitely a sight worth seeing on your trip to Taipei. 

Background:
The memorial hall was completed in 1972 after 8 years of construction. 
Chiang Kai-shek's funeral in 1975 took place in the memorial hall. 
Originally the hall was only used to commemorate Sun Yat-sen, but recently it has become a cetner for the arts. The Golden Horse Awards festival is held annually here.
There is another Sun Yat-sen Memorial in Guangzhou and also one in Hong Kong.

Sun Yat-sen was born in 1856 in Guangdong, China, but also spent part of his childhood in Hawaii where he had family. He was an influencial leader in the Xinhai uprising the overtthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1911. After that, he was elected as the provisional president of China, and then stepped down for a short time in favor of the warlord Yuan Shikai who forced the last Qing emperor to abdicate. However Yuan Shikai then declared himself emperor. Sun then re-formed the Nationalist KMT party and military in Guangdong, and allied with the Chinese Commnist Party. With help from the Soviets, Sun's army made a push against Yuan in the First United Front. He then died suddenly from liver cancer in 1935 at the age of 58.
After Sun's death, the KMT generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek decleared himself president and led a war against the Japanese, then a civil war against the communists in which the KMT lost mainland China and retreated to Taiwan. 
Sun is considered to be one of the greatest leaders that China has ever known.

Hours:
9 AM to 6 PM.

Price:
Free

Art Exhibitions:
You can check the current art exhibitions on display here.

How to get there:
By MRT: Take the Blue line MRT to Dr. Sun Yat-sen memorial Hall Station and get off at exit 3 or 4.
By car/scooter: Drive east of Zhongxiao East Road in Taipei and turn right on Guangfu South Road. There is a parking lot to the northwest that offers free scooter parking and paid car parking, 

Map:
​Please see below:

Tonghua Street Night Market (aka Linjiang Street Night Market) is a large night market in Da'an District of Taipei City. It's not as touristy as other night markets in Taipei, and you can find almost anything to eat here, along with cheap clothes and accessories. If you want to experience an authentic night market experience while in Taipei, Tonghua is the place to go.

Background:
Before1964, the area known as Tonghua Night Market was just rice paddies. In 1965, a military dependents village was built on Tonghua Street. In 1979, Linjiang Street was created as an asphalt road, and has since become what we know today as Tonghua Street Night Market.
The name of the night market was officially changed to Linjiang Street Tourist Night Market (臨江街觀光夜市) in 2001.
The night market sits between Tonghua Street and Keelung Road. It is roughly 300 meters long and has over200 food stalls. 
Popular foods that the night market is known for include dry noodles, oyster omlettes, suasages, brazed meat, among others.
With competition from Raohe Street, Shihlin Night Market, Ximending, and Ningxia Night Market, not as many foreign tourists end up visiting Tonghua Street. 

Hours:
Roughly 6:00 PM to Midnight. 

How to get there:
By MRT: Take the red line to Xinyi Anhe Station, then get off at exit 3, then take a left down Toinghua Street for four blocks until you reach Linjiang Street, the entrance to the night market. 
By car/scooter: Go East on Xinyi Road and then turn right on Tonghua Street until you come to Linjiang Street. There is some scooter parking on Tonghua Street and in the alleys, but for a car you need to park in a nearby parking lot or garage. 

Map:
​Please see below:

The National Palace Museum (aka NPM) in Taiwan has one of the largest collections of Chinese artifacts in the world, and perhaps the finest collection of Chinese art in the world. The museum is open year round and offers tours in many different languages. It is a must see spot for any foreign tourist visiting Taiwan.

Background:
The National Palace Museum has over700,000 artifacts in two locations, one in Taipei (where most foreign visitors come, northern branch) and another in Chiayi (less visited southern branch). However only 3,000 artificats can be on display at a time, so the museum rotates artifact displays every two months. This way, you will likely be seeing something different every time you come.

​Originally the National Palace Museum was established in 1925 when the Republic of China ruled all of Mainland China, after the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty was expelled from the forbidden city. In 1931, Chiang Kai-shek ordered that the artifacts in the forbidden city be moved to Shanghai, and Later Nanking so that they would not fall into the hands of the Japanese until the Japanese surrendered in 1945. After the Chinese Civil War started that same year, Chiang Kai Shek ordered the artifacts be moved to Taiwan between 1948 and 1949, but not all the artifacts could be sent before the communists seized control of some of the remaining collection. Only 1/5 of the original collection from the forbidden city made it to Taiwan, but they were considered the best of the artifacts. 
For ten years the items sat in storage in Taichung until a small viewing hall was built in 1957. In 1965 the current site for the palace museum was established, and has been expanded over the years. The museum also plans further expansions in the future. 
The museum is a monument to Taiwan's (the Republic of China's) claim to be the true legitimate government of China, as it preserved and protected these artifacts from the communist destruction of heritage during the Cultural Revolution. China of course claims that the artifacts were stolen. However, the PRC's Forbidden City (also know as the National Palace Museum) and the National Palace Museum in Taiwan have exchanged artifacts since 2009. 

Hours:
8:30 AM to 4:30 PM every day (open till 9:00 PM on Friday and Saturday).

Price:
350 NT per person.

FAQ:
Click here for the National Palace Museum's official FAQ. 

How to get there:
By MRT/Bus: Take the MRT to Shilin Station on the red line and then take any number of busses 
By car/scooter: From central Taipei I recommend driving there via the Ziqiang tunnel in Neihu/Dazhi which goes through the mountain straight to the museum. There is free scooter parking to the right of the entrance and paid car parking across the street. 
​
Map:
Please see below:

Liberty Square (AKA Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall) is one of the most notable landmarks in Taipei, as well as symbol and gathering place of freedom and democracy. featuring a large public square, Chiang Kai-Shek memorial, opera houses, and gardens. It is officially a monument to the Generalissimo and President of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek. It's iconic scenery and architecture are a must visit for anyone travelling in Taipei.

Background:
The building itself gets its inspiration from the Sun Yat-sen mausoleum in Nanking, China. It took four years to construct and was finished in 1980, five years after Chiang Kai-shek had died. 
The memorial hall has 89 steps which represent the age of Chiang when he died. Inside is his statue, along with a museum and exhibition dedicated to his life. 
The plaza became the main gathering place for many demonstrations in Taiwan, such as the Wild Liliy student movement that helped to fully democratize Taiwan by demanding full muilt-party elections, to which the then president Lee Teng-hui agreed. In 2007, then president Chen Shui-bian changed the named of the plaza to Liberty Square.
In 2017, plans were announced to transform the memorial hall to respect human rights and face history, referring to Chiang Kai-shek's leadership during martial law andthe white terror, in which thousands of innocent Taiwanese civilians were imprisoned and killed.
Chiang Kai-shek's statue in the memorial hall has also been vandalized recently by pro-independence students. 

Hours:
Every day 9AM to 6PM.

Price:
Free admission.
​
How to get there:
By MRT: Take either the green line or red line to Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall station.
By Car/scooter: Take either Aiguo Raod, Xinyi Road, or Renai Raod to western Taipei and you should see it. There is paid car parking underneath the opera houses but free scooter parking on the street. 

Map:
Please see below:

Houtong is a small village connected to the Pingxi Railway in Ruifang District in New Taipei, famous for its many cats. Once a booming mining town with the most coal production in Taiwan, it has now been converted into a tourist destination for cat lovers. Visitors can enjoy the town's rich history as well as hundreds of cats and cat related shops around the village.

Background:
Houtong train station was completed in 1920 during the Japanese colonization of Taiwan, in order to ship coal from mines nearby. The area around the village was once the most prosperous mining town in Taiwan, bringing in hundreds of thousands of tons of coal in a year. At its height, it had 6,000 residents. 
As the coal mining industry died down and the mining industry was shut down due to safety in the 1990s, the future of Houtong Village was in question. 
However, by 2008 Houtong Started to reinvent itself as a cat paradise, with many cat loving citizens proposing to bring abandoned cats to the village for a better life. Since then, the town has been a hub for cat lovers and enthusiasts.
Due to many tourists visiting such a large population of cats, diseases have been known to spread around the village. Sometimes during an outbreak the village is closed to tourists. Volunteer groups often deliver vaccines and medications to the cats. However, it is best to not bring your own pets, wash your hands before and after touching animals, and do not touch the animals' face and mouth.

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Train: Take the TRA train to Ruifang Station, and then switch to the Pingxi Railway line. It will be the first stop.  
By Car/Scooter: Take national highway 2 to Ruifang, then turn left on Ruihou Raod until you reach the village. You can also drive from Jiufen or Jinguashi, which is less than a 10 minute ride. 

Map:
Please see below:

Shilin Night Market (aka Shihlin Night Market) is the largest night market in Taipei and also one of the most popular. Full of delicious street food, small hole in the wall restaurants, souvenirs, and clothes, it is a great destination to experience Taiwan's night market culture.

Background:
Shihlin Night market lies next to Jiantan MRT station, surrounded by Wenlin Road (文林路), Jihe Road (基河路), and small alleyways Xiaobei Street (小北街), and Xiaoxi Street (小西街), forming a giant triangle making it the biggest night market in Taipei City by area. 
Shihlin may have the most food stalls and restaurants of any night market in Taiwan, and is often regarded as the best or one of the favorite night markets in Taiwan by both locals and tourists alike.
The night market features multiple alleyways as well as an underground food court and underground parking garage. 
Located next to Mingchuan University, Soochow University, China Culture University, and Shih Chien University, it has a constant supply of hungry university students visiting every day.

Shilin Market was first established in 1909 near the Matzu Cicheng Temple, which now lies at the center of the night market. Before that is was a resting stop for cargo on the way to Dadaocheng. 
In 1998, Shilin Market was named as a historical monument. After that from 1999-2011, the market underwent multiple renovations, and relocated to a temporary structure near Jiantan MRT station, until renovations were completed in 2012.

Hours:
Around 4 PM until 12 Midnight, every day.

How to get there:
By MRT: Take the Red Line to Jiantan Station and then take exit 1 north out of the station. The night market is right across the road. 
By Scooter: Take Zhongshan North Road out of Taipei and wind around Yuanshan Hotel into Shilin. You can park on the right side of the road next to Jiantan Station. 
By Car: Take Zhongshan North Road out of Taipei and wind around Yuanshan Hotel into Shilin. There are many parking garages around the night market.

Map: Please see below:

Full Moon Waterfall (Manyue Waterfall) lies in Sanxia's Manyueyuan National Forest Recreation Area in New Taipei. It's a beautiful waterfall and an easy family hike.
滿月圓瀑布位於新北市三峽區的滿月圓國家森林游樂區，是一個美麗的瀑布且容易的步道。

I actually recommend not going until the new tourist information center and Virgin Waterfall are opened up. That's right, Virgin Waterfall, the biggest waterfall in the park, is not even accessible, but you can still see Manyueyuan Waterfall for a discounted price.
其實我建議等到處女瀑布開放之後再去。對了，處女瀑布關閉了，整個公園最大的瀑布。但是滿月圓瀑布有優惠哦！

To get there, the only way is by taking your own vehicle or taxi. According to the recreation area website, there are no buses to get there. See a map of the waterfall below:
去那邊只能開車或搭計程車。本地區的網站說沒有公車。請參考以下的地圖：

Before we get into hiking just let me tell you about the parking situation here. If you go on a weekend, especially on a long holiday weekend, parking is going to be competitive. There is some free parking near the entrance to the trail, if you buy some vegetables. So what happens if you don't buy some veggies before your hike? You get yelled at by the kid next to the sign and by the people selling them. We were afraid that people would scratch our car while we gone out of spite, but we also didn't want to haul a bunch of potatoes up a mountain.
我開始討論爬山之前，奇偶想要分享這邊停車的情況。如果你周末去的話，特別連假，你會發現停車很競爭。有些“免費”停車場在步道入口附近，但是你要買菜。你不買菜怎麽辦呢？你會被旁邊的小男生罵，而且被賣菜的老闆罵。我們跟他們說：回來再買可以嗎？整個爬山的過程我們很怕他們會把我們的車子刮傷，但是我們也不想把一大堆菜帶上山。

There is an entrance fee, which is normally 100 NT per person. However, because Virgin Waterfall was closed on this day, the fee was only 50 NT per person. Yipee!
​門票原價100，但是因爲處女瀑布關閉我們享有50塊的優惠，黑皮黑皮！

View of the trail entrance as we began our way up. There's even a map in English!
步道入口居然有英文地圖！

This day in January was rather chilly and windy (you can tell how far behind we are on posts for this blog). ​
我們一月去的天氣有一點冷，風有點大 （你可以發現我們的部落格已經不是更新的很好）

From the get-go, there were signs that this nature trail had little nature. Besides the smelly bathrooms, the trail was a paved asphalt path, and you can see the river below has a rock wall.
一開始我們發現這個大自然的地方沒什麽大自然。除了很臭的厠所之外，還有泊油路和河邊的石頭墻壁 。

Oh, the rock wall reduces the impact of the stream water?! Really! 
哦，挑流工的石頭墻可以減緩河流的影響嗎？真的嗎！

The sign says" Piled stones are used to reinforce the riverbed. The arch principle and watertight construction methods are used to reduce the impact form the water in areas where the waterway curves even large stone pile-ups may not be able to withstand the long-term erosion of the water. In these locations, adding a spur dike can achieve the goal of protecting the shores."
​標識牌說：中文看的到吧？

Let's protect nature against getting destroyed by nature by building walls all over nature!
我們不可以讓大自然破壞大自然，所以要在大自然蓋一個很醜的墻壁！

There are large stones in the river due to erosion!
有巨石在河流裏是因爲土石流的關係！

This is probably the prettiest part of the trail, even though it is completely man made. A nice stop for selfies from everyone walking by.
這邊應該是整個不到最美麗的地方，雖然整個都是人造的。每個人在這邊一定要自拍。

Further up the trail, we find a pavilion that has truly become one with nature.
​在更上面，這邊的涼亭真的變成與大自然合一。

Here is the tourist information center that is still under construction. It will probably be a cool place once its finished, so come back in few months or a year and check it out.
這邊的游客中心還在施工中，所以我才會建議幾個月后或明年再來。

My perfectly balanced photo of the park ranger lodge.
我的完全平衡的國家森林員工木屋之照。

Is this the Full Moon Waterfall? Nope, its a man made waterfall that you can barely see through the bushes. Keep walking.
這是滿月圓瀑布嗎？不是，是個幾乎看不到的人造瀑布，繼續走。

If you are sick of nature halfway through the hike, you're in luck because there is a restaurant right at the halfway mark so satisfy your hunger for man-made consumables. 
如果你走到一半就受不了大自然，你很幸運因爲在半途中有一個餐廳，所以你可以好好滿足你對人造的消耗品的渴望。

You can also learn about nature from these cool flippy signs.
​你也可以從這些開開關關的標識牌學到大自然的東西。

Soon you'll be able to memorize the Latin name for almost every plant in the forest!
很快你可以把森林裏的每一個植物的拉丁名稱背起來！

A glimpse of the river below before the waterfall.
去瀑布之前可以看一眼河景。

Just before the waterfall, there is a trail to the left that leads to a pavilion overlooking the waterfall. 
去瀑布之前，左邊有一個步道，走到底有一個可以看到瀑布的涼亭。

It's a beautiful view! On the day we went there seemed to be quite a lot of people, so we couldn't sit and stare for very long.
真的是很漂亮的風景！那天人很多，所以我們不能站在那邊發呆太久。

Below the waterfall is a bridge from which you can see the lower part of the waterfall.
​瀑布下面有一座橋，從此処可以看到瀑布的下方。

So you can't see much here and there are a few branches in the way, but that's what nature is all about.
​從這個位置幾乎什麽都看不到而且樹枝多，但是這就是大自然。

Closeup of Full Moon Waterfall. There happened to be a full moon that night! It was destiny that we visited this magical waterfall.
更接近滿月圓瀑布。那天晚上真的是滿月！我們真的有緣看到這麽有魔力的瀑布。

The whole hike took less than two hours, and was really easy and flat. You could bring young children here and hike to the end with no problem.
整個爬山過程不到兩個小時，都是很平很簡單。你可以帶你的小朋友來河邊爬整個步道沒問題。

After our hike down, we bought a bag of sweet potatoes for only 45NT and headed down the mountain. The traffic was quite bad going down the mountain to Sanxia Old Street.
下山后，我們在停車場買了一袋地瓜45元，就開走。開下山到三峽老姐很塞車。

It took a while to find parking, but we eventually found a spot under the elementary school nearby. That night we ate some sausages, ice cream, stinky tofu, and we bought some Ox Horn Bread for our relatives because apparently that is the delicacy of Sanxia.
找到停車位花了一點時間，但是我們終於找到在國小下面有空位的停車場。那天晚上我們買了香腸，魚丸，冰淇凌，臭豆腐，和三峽的特產：牛角面包送給我們親戚。

​Sanxia Old Street is beautiful and one of the  best Old Streets in greater Taipei. Be sure to follow our Instagram!
三峽老街很漂亮，真的是大臺北最好看的老街之一。記得發嘍我們的IG哦！

Thanks for sharing this obscure family friendly hike in Taiwan with us, and be sure to follow and like so you can see our next adventures!
謝謝讓我們分享這個家庭步道，記得按讚和發嘍所以你可以知道我們下次的冒險！

​We made our way out of Long Dong and went to the Shi Lin Night Market (市林夜市)。 It was definitely a large night market, but we were not impressed with the lack of food there, especially lack of sweet potato fries. Things were reasonably priced there though, and we bought some t-shirts there for 250 NT a piece. Then we made our way to eat sushi. We went to one of the conveyer belt sushi bars. I enjoyed the food, but I am not but of a sushi expert. We ended up eating 43 plates of sushi between the three of us. Then we stayed at the Shen Went Hotel (神旺飯店). It was nice to have a real shower for once.

​On Thursday we took Matt to the airport. He seemed to enjoy his stay and the food grew on him overtime. Then we made our way to the Taipei Zoo. The most unique part about this Zoo it showed all of the Formosan big game animals, and it had pandas. It also had the usual insects, lions, elephants, giraffes, penguins, and children. We wanted to go on the gondola, but it happened to be closed, and the National Palace Museum that we planned to go to that evening closed at 6:30, so we went to the 101 instead. It was impressive to see at night, but not much different from the 85. And we hadn’t ever lived in Taipei so we didn’t really care to be honest. That ended our day.  We stayed at our friend’s house that night, then in the morning returned the car; the rental company charged us an extra 700 NT for driving on the highway, but didn’t mention any tickets. Then we took a bus to Kaohsiung, our home, through Ubus 統聯客運, which was about 200 NT cheaper than the train.