H O P P I E P O L L A Travels North of Taiwan // Spring in Taiwan
T R A V E L T O N O R T H OF T A I W A N
Remembering last year's travel to North of Taiwan - nice and cool climate that envelope the beautiful foliages of Taipei all the way to northern coasts of Taiwan. Apart from good food and friendly locals, Taiwan is one of the cleanest places I've been to!
P L A C E S E X P L O R E D //
Yonghe District
Lehua Night Market
Taipei 101
Shiding District
Shengkeng Old Street
Beitou Thermal Valley
Bagua Tea Plantation
Yangmingshan National Park
Shimen District
Guanyinshan North Coast
Baishawan Beach
Feng Zhi Men Bike Trail
Linshan Cape
April, indeed, is the best time to go to Taiwan and witness their Spring season!
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Hiking in Bali, Taiwan - Episode 32
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Need to know what to see in Taipei? Today Jesse shows a lesser known tourist spot near Taipei: Bali District and Mount Guanyin. This is one of the best day trips near Taipei and a great escape from Taipei. Have you been to Bali District? Let us know in the comments down below.
We are Nomad Bears. A couple in their early 20s who decided to leave the comfort of home behind and embark on an adventure to Taiwan to save money, travel and share our budget travel lifestyle. We create daily budget travel vlogs about where we've been, how we got there and travel tips along the way. We are budget traveling in Asia and sharing our budget travel lifestyle. You can learn more by checking out our blog at nomadbears.com
#bali #travel #hiking
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{Hiking} Taiwan Travel -- Mt. Guanyin (觀音山)
Mt. Guanyin is the mountain you can see from the town of Tamsui on the other side of Tamsui River. It's a steep climb over hundreds of stone steps, but from the peak you have awesome views.
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Also watch the latest video on this channel: {Trip} LALASHAN on the Northern Cross-Island Highway (北橫拉拉山)
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From Travel in Taiwan (2016, 3/4)
By Richard Saunders
Mt. Guanyin is one of the scenic highlights you’ll see on the way to the port town of Tamsui from central Taipei. Situated on the opposite side of the Tamsui River, the mountain resembles Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, lying down. There are numerous trails on the mountain, ranging in difficulty from easy but steep to steep and challenging. The views from the peaks are magnificent, and there is also a very special tiny temple in a narrow cave to be explored.
That fine profile is one of the main reasons why Mt. Guanyin is such a popular hiking spot in the Taipei area. There are several ways to the top of the highest of its various summits, known as Yinghan (“Tough Man”) Peak because the Japanese military used the trail for fitness training during the 1895~1945 Japanese occupation period. The most popular route is the relatively easy one from the southwest, beginning at Lingyun Zen Temple, which sits in a beautiful spot, backed by the sheer cliff face of an outlying peak. Below lies the much smaller Lingyun Temple, a pretty and very photogenic place of worship.
After arriving at Lingyun Temple bus stop, walk uphill, following the signs, to the Lingyun Zen Temple complex. After exploring the temple and enjoying the magnificent view, walk past the front of the main prayer hall and through the temple grounds and car park, to reach the adjoining road. The signposted, stepped trail that leaves the road here, on the right, is the path to Mt. Guanyin’s highest summit.
Winding up the wooded hillside, the first section of the climb is quite steep, so proceed slowly. Turn right at a “T” junction reached after about half an hour. From here the gradient becomes a bit more gradual as the trail gains the main ridgeline and follows its rolling curves, and there are views at intervals through the trees over the Taipei Basin and ahead to Yinghan Peak.
After about 20 minutes of hiking from the “T” junction, you come upon a trail crossroads just below the summit. Turn right up the stone steps and walk for a couple of minutes to reach the main Mt. Guanyin summit (616m). The view from the peak is tremendous, and you can see Yangmingshan on the opposite site, the whole of Taipei City laid out far in the distance to the right, and Tamsui and the mouth of the Tamsui River to the left.
To descend the mountain, you have several choices. One is to retrace your steps to the crossroads just below the summit, and then to follow the stepped trail on the right, which descends the eastern side of the mountain. After meeting a narrow lane after about 30 minutes walking, turn left and follow the lane downhill through a cemetery and orange orchards until you reach the highway (No. 15) that follows the west bank of the Tamsui River.
Cross the busy highway with care, and walk to the bicycle path that runs parallel and right beside the river. Turn left and follow the path (north) for about 20 minutes, to the Bali Ferry Pier. For a fare of just NT$23 (get your ticket at the ticket booth behind the pier before joining the queue, or swipe your EasyCard before boarding the ferry), you can take the little ferry across the river to Tamsui. There are services every 15 minutes or so. Don’t forget to look back at the towering bulk of Mt. Guanyin while crossing the river, or, even better, spend an hour or two exploring the promenade at Bali Left Bank before boarding the ferry in time to see the famous Tamsui sunset (weather permitting), which looks especially great from the deck of the boat. The ferry docks right in the heart of old Tamsui, 10 minutes from MRT Tamsui Station.
Bali 八里
Guandu 關渡
Guandu Temple 關渡宮
Lingyun Temple 凌雲寺
Lingyun Zen Temple 凌雲禪寺
Mt. Guanyin 觀音山
Mt. Qixing 七星山
Tamsui River 淡水河
Yangmingshan 陽明山
Yinghan Peak 硬漢嶺
Yingzai Peak 鷹仔尖
Zhanshan 占山
A short trip to the hardly known coastal area of Miaoli County in western Taiwan. Small towns, small railway station, the sea, quiet countryside, and a strange park.
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Music by Isaac Chambers (
Gear used for this video
Camera:
Panasonic Lumix GH4:
Lenses:
PANASONIC LUMIX G X Vario Lens, 12-35mm:
PANASONIC LUMIX G Vario Lens, 100-300mm:
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8:
Panasonic DMW-MS2:
Travel in Taiwan 2017, March/April
(By Steven Crook)
YUANLI
Yuanli is an excellent place to enjoy the morning markets which are still a key feature in urban areas on this island. Less than 100m from Yuanli Railway Station, the block bordered by Weigong, Tianxia, Datong, and Jianguo roads is crammed full of vendors.
Some sell vegetables, others fabrics, others prepared food. The range of hot and cold snacks is enticing. One especially popular option is the glutinous pork-filled disks at Jinguang Meatballs (open daily 8am to 9:30pm).
Jinguang Meatballs (金光肉圓)
Add: No. 80, Tianxia Rd., Yuanli Township, Miaoli County
(苗栗縣苑裡鎮天下路80號)
TONGXIAO
One stop and six minutes north of Yuanli is Tongxiao. Stopping here is recommended, as both fresh-air lovers and history buffs can indulge their passions at Hutoushan Park.
First, you’ll come to the remains of a Shinto shrine built in 1937 by the Japanese authorities then ruling Taiwan. After World War II it was preserved by the Chinese Nationalist government, which had reclaimed Taiwan in 1945, but rededicated to heroes of the Republic of China (ROC). Despite post-earthquake modifications since carried out, which reflect postwar political correctness, the site retains considerable elegance.
A little further up, what was once a military lookout post is now shaded by an immense concrete lotus. The lotus flower is a Buddhist symbol of purity, so this is perhaps an attempt to counter the site’s military atmosphere with peaceful sentiments.
At the very top of the hill is a monument that since 1945 has served as a celebration of Taiwan’s return to the Chinese fold, but which was originally erected by the Japanese to mark a crucial moment in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05.
XINPU
Some might think there’s nothing to see at Xinpu but the station itself, a quaint 1922 wooden structure. But they’d be wrong.
Known to rail enthusiasts on the island as the location of one of the stations closest to the sea, Xinpu is a splendid place to stop if you want to feel sea breezes. Here, as at several other spots along Miaoli’s coastline, there are boardwalks and bicycle paths.
There’s also a rather odd park called Qiumao Garden, 350m south of the station. Its garish yet cutesy statues – among them are representations of ROC founder Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Daoist deity Guan Gong, and the entire cast of Journey to the West – are clearly visible from passing trains. Kids will enjoy the slides and concrete animals.
BAISHATUN
Baishatun enjoys island-wide fame of sorts, thanks to Gongtian Temple and the annual pilgrimage that begins and ends here. Like the better-known festival that kicks off down the coast at Dajia Zhenlan Temple, it’s an expression of the Taiwanese people’s adoration of Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea. In 2011, this pilgrimage was declared a national intangible cultural asset by the central government.
ZHUNAN
It’s impossible not to notice the immense statue of a stern-looking, burgundy-skinned man, naked from the waist up. His head is 156m above street level, making this representation of Shennong, the Chinese God of Agriculture and putative inventor of herbal medicine, the largest religious icon in the region.The statue sits atop Wugu Temple, inside which you’ll find other effigies of Shennong. He’s easy to recognize, because he’s invariably depicted holding sprigs of millet in his right hand. Another of his names, Wugushen, means God of the Five Grains.
Getting There:
Taking a train from Taichung Railway Station to Yuanli takes about 70 minutes (NT$79); from Yuanli to Zhunan takes about 45 minutes (NT$61). If you want to get from Zhunan to Miaoli THSR Station, take a train to Fengfu Railway Station (10 min.; NT$16), which is next to the THSR station.
The stations between Yuanli and Zhunan are not far apart from each other, but as the gap between services on this stretch of railroad often exceeds an hour, do carry a schedule of train times. This information can be found on the TRA’s bilingual website, railway.gov.tw.
Gongtian Temple 拱天宮
Houlong 後龍
Hutoushan Park 虎頭山公園
Qiumao Garden 秋茂園
Shennong 神農
Tongxiao 通霄
Wugu Temple 五穀宮
Wugushen 五谷神
Xinpu 新埔
Yuanli 苑裡
Zhunan 竹南
mountain jade in taiwan
mountain jade in taiwan
Longshan Temple in Taipei, Taiwan
Visiting Longshan Temple in Taipei, Taiwan.
A Romanian in Bangkok. simandan.com
Music by Josh Woodward. joshwoodward.com
Beautiful Taiwan
Flowers of Taiwan
八里 Bali in Taipei County, Taiwan
Sony HDR-CX150
After Effect CS5
在遊客服務中心塔頂拍攝
Bali, Taipei, Taiwan
WuLai (烏來鄉) , Taipei Taiwan 07/04/2010 - Part 2
Wulai (烏來) is a small town in Taipei County, Taiwan, famous for its hot springs and aboriginal culture. The name of the town derives from the Atayal phrase kirofu ulai meaning hot and poisonous. Don't let this scare you away from this lovely town! Consider going during the week if you can as it is quite crowded on the weekend. Also, in the summer, it might be a few degrees cooler than Taipei, but the elevation is not sufficient to provide real cooling.
Xindian District
Taipei, Taiwan. January 2016