Yehliu Geopark - Jiufen Old Street - Shifen Old Street - Keelung Night Market
It was the season of 梅雨 (plum rain) when we visited in June. The weather forecast in Taipei was persistent rain the whole entire week! It did make sightseeing a little challenging but we tried to make the best out of it.
However, we woke up to clear sky and warm sunshine and we can't wait to start our tour which was arranged kindly by my brother-in-law.
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| Simple breakfast at beverage corner |
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| Saw this in the hotel toilet cubicle - the least we expected to find a funny quote |
We set off to Yehliu Geopark on a bright cheery note. After making a short pit stop at a lookout point, we reached the destination in about an hour.
Yehliu is a cape situated on the north coast of Taiwan and Yehliu Geopark is famous for its uniquely shaped rock formations caused by weather and sea erosion, the most famous being "The Queen's Head". As each rock is eroding at a fast rate due to nature (weather and waves) and manmade (tourists) factors, please do not touch any rocks. You are most welcomed to take as many pictures as you like but DO NOT TOUCH! There are staff situated around the area to look out for over-eager tourists and they will not hesitate to blow the whistle (and shout!) at you if you try to touch any protected rock.
The walk to see the rock formation is full of steps, uneven roads and slopes. The boardwalk is narrow and is not wheelchair or baby stroller friendly. Do wear comfortable walking shoes and be prepared to walk. I mean walk a lot.
It was a hot scorching day despite the raining season. There are no shelter or trees to hide from the blazing sunrays. So please bring along all the necessities (sunblock, sunglasses, umbrella, hat, hand held fan etc). Else be prepared to get sun-burnt!
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| Blessed with good weather despite the raining season |
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| The princess with the cutesy version of Queen's Head |
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| He was lucky to escape the fierce security eyes |
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| So I tried to do the same but was shouted at Bleh ~~~~~~~ |
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| Hot Hot hot day! |
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| The Queen's Head We waited in line (under scorching heat!) for 45mins to take this shot |
After we exited from Yehliu Geopark, it was a motivated walk to 7-11 for ice cold drinks and air-con! We bought some onigiri (Japanese wrapped rice wraps) as well as we depleted too much energy from all the walking and climbing. I must say they were super delicious! Even the princess exclaimed it's yummy!
It started to drizzle the moment we hopped on our chartered car with our goodies from 7-11. Phew!
We started to make our way to our next destination - Jiufen Old Street. En route we passed by Yin Yang Sea (distinct colouring of yellow and blue sea due to pollution from past mining activities) and Golden Waterfall (cascading water reflected as golden hue due to mining deposits on riverbed. No gold bars spotted). As it started to rain, I chose to remain in the car with the princess. Thus, I do not have any photos to share.
It was still raining when we reach Jiufen Old Street. But it did not stop us from eating, shopping and seeking fun in the rain. I personally like this place a lot - feels like stepping into the olden times of Taiwan. I hope I will have a chance to visit this place again at a slower pace and hopefully on a dry day too.
The old street has shops lining on both sides selling food (mainly local), snacks and souvenirs.
There are also plenty of tea houses at Jiufen. Even the animation 'Spirited Away' creator draws inspiration from this place. A pity we didn't have the time to visit any tea house. Well, that gives me the perfect reason to go back again!
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| This was the first stall we visited |
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| Menu |
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| Fishball soup with glass noodles |
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| Fried beancurd with sauce |
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| Dry glass noodles |
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| So pretty! |
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| Ice cream found! |
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| Dried loquat Supposedly good for treatment of cough |
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| This bowl of meatball, fishball and crabball is awesome! |
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| Beautiful Jiufen |
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| Even more beautiful when you are there with your loved one(s) |
Our next stop was Shifen Old Street. On the way, we stopped by Shifen Waterfall. The princess was too tired and fell asleep. So I waited in the car while the rest of group trekked to the waterfall in the persistent rain.
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| Feeling sad that I had to give the waterfall a miss ~~~~~~~    |
Located in Pingxi area, Shifen Old Street is a collection of lanes and alleys in and around the Shifen railway station area.
The main attraction at Shifen Old Street is the releasing of Sky Lantern. According to folklore, you write your wishes on the lantern and release it to the sky. The higher it flies, the higher your chance of the wishes you wrote will come true.
There are many shops on both sides of the railway tracks selling local snacks, souvenirs and the sky lantern. The prices of the sky lantern are competitive, so just choose any shop that you fancy. There are different type of lanterns to choose from - different colour representing different meaning. The friendly shop assistant will explain patiently to you.
After you made payment, you can start to write your wishes with a calligraphy brush (that explains our awful scribble) on the lantern. You can write anything you want but most people wish for good health, fortune and good results (for children).
When you are done writing, the shop assistant will bring you onto the track to release the lantern. But not before taking pictures! I must say they are super professional (they probably have done this a million times) as they will tell you exactly where to stand and how to pose. Give them a 👍.
Do note that the railway track is still operational. Though you may cross the tracks freely to either side anytime, please look out for oncoming trains! It's quite a sight to behold. You will hear people shouting "train is here", shop assistants "evacuating" customers, folks running away. After the train passed, everyone will resume all activities on the track. So cool!
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| Still a little moody after nap |
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| But she brightened up immediately when she knew she can doodle on paper |
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| What's her wish? |
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| The adult wishes HUAT ah~~~~ |
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| The princess wanted to be Elsa |
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| Getting ready.... But take photo first! |
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| May happiness be with us always! |
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| The shop assistant will tell you exactly where to look and how to pose. So pro! |
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| The train arrived seconds after we released our lantern |
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| Happy Family |
While our drivers walked back to the parking lot to retrieve the cars, we waited patiently at a bridge. The men/boys tried their hands on firecrackers. I was too engrossed in watching the process till I didn't take any photos <slap forehead>.
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| Doesn't Shifen look so beautiful???? |
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| While waiting for our pickup |
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| The hungry princess |
Located at Taiwan's north-eastern coast, Keelung Night Market is situated at the entrance of a temple, thus explaining the name. It can be easily identified by the three rows of yellow lanterns at the entrance.
It's relatively smaller compared to other night markets but the diversity of the food certainly makes up for it. As the location is near to the sea, you can expect fresh seafood here.
Most visitors will come here for dinner after visiting Jiufen/Shifen.
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| Entrance of Keelung Night Market Not sure why the lanterns were not lit up |
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| This crab stew and oily rice is so good! |
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| A plate of simple fried bee hoon |
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| Noodle soup |
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| Check out all the oysters! |
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| The Taiwanese style oyster omelette |
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| Suckling pig |
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| Candied fruits on skewer |
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| Soya beancurd with yam and pumpkin balls |
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| Soya beancurd with peanuts |
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| Soyabean shaved ice with fruits |
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| Can hardly contain her joy |
We came with an empty stomach and left on a full tank. As we rode back to Taipei, all of us dozed off in the car, tired from a long day of fun and of course an extremely satisfied tummy.
We will be exploring Taipei city on our own for the next few days. So it's our OTOT (own time own target) days!
<---- Family Taiwan Trip - Day 5 Family Taiwan Trip - Day 7 ---->
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