Tamsui’s most famous sight is Fort San Domingo. The original fort, built in 1628 during the Spanish occupation of Taiwan (1626–41), was dismantled by the Spanish before they left. The 13m-high structure seen today is the Fort Anthonio built by the Dutch in 1644. These days the original Spanish name is used, though to locals it’s still the Red Haired…

Aletheia University, located next to Fort San Domingo, the first Western university in Taiwan, founded by George Leslie Mackay. The university’s original building, Oxford College, was built in 1882 and fronts a Chinese-style pond and a large, more recent chapel. The university still operates as a centre of learning, so visitors are only allowed to wander the grounds and buildings at…

Located on the beautiful campus of Tamkang University, it’s a 2,134 square meter shipbuilding. It was used to be a college which specializes in cultivating marine and marine engineering talents. Since the policy changed, it turned into a museum, which was the fisty “maritime museum” in Taiwan. It was opened on June 6,1990, and was free to visit. This four-storey museum (shaped…

“The Museum of World Religions belongs to all faiths. Its founding is inspiring and encouraging interfaith dialogue so that we all work together to create peace and understanding in the world we share.” Though founded by a Buddhist order, this museum aims not to promote Buddhism, but to build harmony by showing the communality of all religions. Highlights include detailed…

Tamsui is a vivid township with an enriched historical background. With beautiful ocean and mountain sceneries, Tamsui is the favorite visiting attraction closest to Taipei City. Just behind Tamsui MRT on the riverside, Tamsui Cultural Park(淡水文化園區) was once the Shell Tamsui Warehouse: as in Royal Dutch Shell, that is.  It was the warehouse to store tea related products by the British tea merchants.…

Stretching far out into the East China Sea, this limestone cape has long attracted people to its delightfully odd rock formations. Yehliu Geopark(野柳地質公園) is a geologist’s dreamland but also a fascinating place for the day tripper. Home to a number of unique geological formations including the iconic “Queen’s Head” (女王頭), it’s one of the premier destinations in northern Taiwan. The…

About 1km beyond Fort San Domingo on Zhongzheng Rd is the turn-off for Hobe Fort, built in 1886 when then governor Liu Ming-chuan was attempting to shore up Taiwan’s defences to protect it against foreign invaders. If Fort San Domingo is meant to convey authority, Hobe Fort was built for military action.  This prime heritage spot (it’s suffered almost no reconstruction) has…

When people mentioning about Houtong, what comes up next must be the cats. There is a village in Houtong with cats everywhere, Cat Village. Located next to “Houtong Station,” the “Houtong Cat Village” is one of the famous tourist attractions in New Taipei City. It was once recommended by CNN as the world’s top 6 cat admiring attractions.  This former coal-mining…

It was quite difficult to write an appealing name for this noodle store in English, as it doesn’t have one from what I can gather. So, please stay with me as I say century egg… I mean, the Facebook page calls itself Tsunami Gogo, but I couldn’t bring myself to call it that on my post. So, this store specializes…

If you are wonder where to visit in Taipei, here is a one-day itinerary for you. No matter you want to visit the fantastic scenic spots or stroll along the historical streets. This schedule might satisfy you. You don’t need to run too far to see the beauty of the mountains and the sea. Come to the North Coast of Taiwan,…