Jiufen / Jinguashi

It is said that long time ago there were only nine families in Jiufen. Before the roads on land were built, all materials were transported via ships. Thus a habit was formed that nine pieces of same object were purchased at one time for reservation. Hence, the place was called Jiufen .
Jiufen used to the center of gold mining. It is located within the hills in northeast of Taiwan. The village is next to the mountain and facing the sea. In 1890, someone struck gold near Jiufen. The poor village with only nine families soon attracted prospectors of 4,000 families. The village once was gold city of Asia and called little Shanghai or little Hong Kong. However, with the decline of gold mining activities, Jiufen fades. Later, several movies chose to shoot here and the movies won international acknowledgement. For example, the film the Sad City has won first prize in Venice Film Festival and awakened people's memory of Jiufen. It seems that the prosperous old streets, buildings, mines and the glamorous gold digging days are flashing before our eyes. The place is whispering its golden past. Now, there are many unique teahouses in Jiufen. These teahouses are best stops during visit to this mountain village. Also, there is the beautiful ocean view of Keelung outer sea.
The most prosperous shopping district is Jiufen Old Street. It goes through most of the village. There are many visitors on the street. Along the street there are shops vending the most famous country snack of Jiufen, yam dish and various local dishes. There are some historical items well reserved. The trip to Jiufen is full of fun and delights. Jiufen has many accommodation places provided by local residents. If you were not in a hurry, you may want to pick a nice inn and stay for the starlight and fishing lights at night.

Danshui Old Street

Danshui used to be called Huwei. It is a derivation from the ancient tongue Hoba. It means the river outlet. Danshui is located in northwest of Taipei basin. Danshui is surrounded by mountains and rivers and the scenery is beautiful. Hongmao Castle is a historical site in Danshui with historical meaning. It was built by the Spaniards in 1626 and restored by the Dutch. The castle was called Anthony Castle. Because Taiwan people called the Dutch people Hongmao (people with red hair), the castle thus was called Hongmao Castle. It was also called Huwei Castle.
The castle was once taken by the English and it was returned to our country in 1980. The castle is more than 300 years old and is designated as 1st class historical site. The building is red brick construction. The original furniture is reserved for indoor decoration. There are exhibition showrooms for historical data and pictures related to early Taiwan years. Across the lawn and garden, there is another red brick building facing the castle. It used to be the dormitory of British Consulate. When one ascends to the overlook platform, one can view one of the eight great scenes of Danshui, the sunset at Shutai. Nearby there are Old Oxford School, Residence of Dr. Mackay and Danshui College. These old buildings are mostly well preserved. When one walks among these buildings, he (she) would feel that times have turned back. One can enjoy the old streets, the cool breeze, the flower/trees planted by residents and the sense of relaxation. Walking on the old streets along the riverbank, visitors may view the old buildings and may

Shilin Night Market

Shilin Night Market is the one of the largest night markets in Taipei. The market is centered on Yangming Theater and Cicheng Temple. The night market is formed by many prosperous shops on Wenlin Road, Dadong Road and Danan Road, etc. Among them, Shilin Market was built as early as in 1899 and the market is famous for various snacks and eatery. Many visitors have come to Shilin Night Market to enjoy the delicious foods, such as large pancake enfolding small pancake, hot pot on stone or Shilin sausage. Shilin Night Market has become a renowned place for great foods.
Because the night market is close to many schools, students are the main customer group. Goods are sold at less expensive prices as compared to regular stores. There are special areas for furniture, clothing, photo shops or pet shops. The finery shops and cold dessert shops in "lover's lane" attract most student customers.
Shilin Night Market covers a large area. When one walks in the turning lanes and alleys, he (she) would often find something unexpected. The night market is packed with many people during holidays. We can often see families carrying many things from shopping and enjoying good meals. Their satisfaction is fully shown from their happy expressions.

National Park

National Park is located in the north of Beitou. Yangmingshan was called Caoshan (Grass Mountain) during Japanese occupation of Taiwan, because it was covered with grass and seldom visited. After World War II, the KMT government renamed the mountain Yangmingshan and built a park here. Yangmingshan National Park is the only park in Taiwan that has volcanic geography and hot springs. It is next to Shamao Mountain and Qixing Mountain with Datun Mountain on the right and Guanyin Mountain in front. The magnificent mountainous scenery and comfortable weather have made Yangmingshan National Park a perfect summer resort. Total area of the park is 125 hectares, designed in traditional Chinese style. The natural beauty of the part has won it the reputation as urban forest and the Taipei garden.
The park is characterized by a large clock made of flowers with a diameter of 22 feet. Water runs around the flower clock and music is played every hour. The clock is the characteristic of Yangming Park. Opposite the clock is a statute of late president Chiang Kai Shek; on both sides of the statue are the cypresses planted by president Chiang himself. The Xinhai Guangfu Building was completed in 1971, right in the center of the park. In addition, there is a statue of Wang Yang Ming, the famous Chinese scholar in the 17th century.