Tamsui, Bali & die Nordküste — Taipeis Goldener Sonnenuntergangs-Bezirk
Tamsui (淡水 — the historic town at the mouth of the Tamsui River, where it meets the Taiwan Strait, at the northern tip of New Taipei City, accessible by MRT from Taipei Main Station in approximately 40 minutes (the MRT Tamsui-Xinyi Line)): Tamsui is the most popular sunset destination from Taipei, its riverside promenade (the 'Fisherman's Wharf' and the Tamsui Old Street) famous for the extraordinary sunsets over the Taiwan Strait (the body of water between Taiwan and mainland China — the most politically and geographically significant strait in Asia).
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Tamsui — The Historic River Town at Sunset
Tamsui (淡水, the historic river port at the mouth of the Tamsui River, MRT Tamsui, end of the Red Line, 35 minutes from central Taipei) was Taiwan's principal port and the site of the first contact between European powers and Taiwan's indigenous Pingpu people — the Fort San Domingo (紅毛城, 1628, Dutch built on the site of the 1629 Spanish fort, ¥80 adults, Tuesday–Sunday 9:30am–5pm) and the adjacent British Consular Residence (1891, Victorian architecture, the British presence lasted until 1972) are the most intact colonial buildings in northern Taiwan; the sunset over the river (facing west, viewed from Tamsui Old Street) is the most visited sunset in Taipei area.
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Fisherman's Wharf and the Lovers' Bridge
Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf (淡水漁人碼頭, 2km west of Tamsui MRT, accessible by river boat or bus) is dominated by the Lover's Bridge (情人橋, 2003, the white cable-stayed pedestrian bridge that has become the iconic image of Tamsui's waterfront) — the wharf's boardwalk restaurants (grilled Tamsui sausage, agei/tofu stuffed with glass noodles and pork, oyster omelet — the three Tamsui specialties) and the outdoor live music area (weekend evenings, local musicians) create a consistent weekend evening scene; the sunset light on the Lover's Bridge is the most photographed moment in Tamsui.
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Bali Left Bank — The Forgotten North Shore Village
Bali Left Bank (八里左岸, the small town on the south bank of the Tamsui River mouth, accessible by ferry from Tamsui Old Street pier, ¥20, 10 minutes) is the less-touristed counterpart to Tamsui — the Left Bank Bicycle Path (4km along the river) and the Shihsanhang Archaeological Museum (十三行博物館, 200 Bowuguan Road, ¥80 adults, Tuesday–Sunday 9:30am–5pm, housing the remains of the Shihsanhang people, an Iron Age culture 1,800–500 years ago, the first people in Taiwan known to smelt iron) are the principal attractions; the view from Bali back across the river to Tamsui and the distant mountains is superior to any in Tamsui itself.
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Guanyinshan — Hiking Above Bali and the River
Guanyinshan (觀音山, 612m, the mountain forming the backdrop of Bali and the Tamsui River estuary, accessible by bus from Xinzhuang MRT) is the finest hiking destination in the Taipei metropolitan area north of the Tamsui River — the hardrock trail (the 5km Main Peak Trail, 2 hours one way, steep granite steps) and the Xiaopan Ridge (the knife-edge ridge between the summit and the adjacent peak, the most dramatic hiking terrain near Taipei) afford views of the Tamsui River estuary, the Pacific Ocean, and on clear days the buildings of central Taipei; the Xiyunyan Temple (the ancient temple complex on the mountain's eastern face) is the highest-altitude historic temple in the Taipei area.
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Danhai New Town — Taipei's Urban Expansion and Light Rail
Danhai New Town (淡海新市鎮, the 2020s urban development north of Tamsui, served by the Danhai Light Rail — Taiwan's first light rail in the MRT system, opened 2018) represents the northern frontier of the Taipei metropolitan area — the Tamsui Estuary (the river's last 2km before reaching the Pacific) and the Guanyinshan mountain provide a dramatic natural setting for the new town's low-rise residential development; the light rail connection (from Tamsui MRT to Danhai Terminal, 8 stations, 30 minutes, ¥25 per ride) opened the area to development; the Danhai beach (the undeveloped Pacific beach at the northern terminus) is currently the least-crowded beach in the Taipei metropolitan area.
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North Coast Scenic Highway — The Pacific Coastal Drive
The North Coast from Tamsui to Jiufen (台2號, the Provincial Highway 2, 70km, the most scenic coastal drive in northern Taiwan) passes: Baishawan Beach (the most popular beach in the Taipei area, weekend crowds 50,000+), Stone Gate (石門, the natural arch formation eroded by Pacific waves), Laomei Green Reef (老梅石槽, the tidal platform covered in green algae April–May only, the most dramatic single natural spectacle near Taipei), Shimen Caolu (the mushroom rock coastal park), and Jinshan (the hot spring and temple town midway along the coast — the Jinshan Municipal Beach, the most family-friendly beach on the north coast).