Taiwan Taiwan North Coast: Shuinandong to Bitou Cape Route New-Taipei, Travel to Taiwan 4.3 (3)To put it in context, we had just spent several days visiting the essentials of Taipei (see the summary article here). Apart from the visit to Tamsui, which is part of New Taipei County, we had not yet seen anything outside the capital and only enjoyed the urban atmosphere.Due to time and organizational restrictions, we couldn't go too far, as the idea was to return to Taipei to sleep in the evening.With these elements in mind, we decided to travel the northern coast of the island (and venture into the nearby mountains the next day) in order to get out of the city for a bit. This coastal getaway would allow us to discover a sample of the nature and landscapes that Taiwan has to offer. Summary hide Rent a car in Taiwan Yinyang Sea and Shuinandong Remains of the 13 levels (former Shuinandong foundry) Golden Waterfall Nanya Village The Nanzilin Trail Nanya Rock Bitou Cape Jiufen Old Street Rent a car in TaiwanIf I had to answer the question " why rent a car " in Taiwan, here is how to summarize it:Flexibility of movementEasy access to remote sitesComfort and convenienceActually, originally (as usual, I would say), I was looking to rent a scooter. The reason being that it is easier on two wheels to stop spontaneously on the side of the road to take photos.Except that while doing my research, I quickly understood that it was more complicated than expected… not to say impossible to rent one for a foreigner, at least from Taipei (I know via my friend Brice from WorldWideBrice blog that it is feasible in other regions).Our car in Taiwan (white Honda City).Where to rent a car?As such, I also struggled to find a rental car at the time of my research, even with well-known international agencies... There are two major agencies that have offices in Taipei:International agencies:Hertz TaiwanTaiwan ReviewsAvis is quite expensive so not necessarily a good option. Hertz is still a good option, but my problem was the location of the offices. The context being that that day, we were changing hotels, so we had to move our suitcases. I was afraid of losing too much time going to our new hotel and picking up the car at Taipei Main Station.Ultimately, as I continued my research, I found a local agency (which turns out to be a partner of Hertz since a link on their site refers to this rental company) that had an office ideally located less than 10 minutes walk from our AirBnb.Taipei Main Station.Rent a car in TaipeiSo my choice fell on Chailease. Not only is the site available in English, but everything is clear and well presented, easy to use to make a direct rental request online, and what's more, the cheapest!As I like to be complete, I'll give you two other agencies, but for the first one, the request must be made in advance by email, with a process that is not the most direct. And the second one, it is mainly intended for Taiwanese people, if there is a page in English with a form, you can't even choose the type of car or see the default rates.Other local agencies:IWS Rent-A-CarCarPlus Auto RentalIn any case, here are the Necessary documents:International Driving LicensePassportDebit cardA deferred debit card also works since that's my case and it works, the goal being to make an "imprint" for the deposit.Basically, depending on the vehicle range, you will have this type of rates:Average price: NT$2 to NT$000 per day (varies depending on vehicle type)Fuel cost: About NT$30 per literBonus : One thing that won't bother you is that in Taiwan people also drive on the right.Yinyang Sea and ShuinandongThe road is perfect and with the GPS, it was pretty easy to get out of Taipei. We left shortly after 9:00 am and arrived along the coast after only 30 minutes. As soon as I saw a parking lot on the waterfront, I made a point of stopping for the first time to take some pictures of this rocky and jagged coastline.The fact is that we find them at regular intervals, which means that I stopped a second time not even 2 minutes later... I think to myself that at this rate, we're not going to see half of what was planned, so I held back a bit after that.2nd minute stop.Not even 5 minutes later, we finally arrived at our first “official” stop, Yingyang Sea. We can see that the area is touristy because even though there is no beach nearby, there was a huge car park (free too) where we parked.At the edge of the latter, there is a platform which allows you to admire the seaside, the particularity of which here is to display two colors, the blue that we are used to seeing, and another more atypical shade, tending towards yellow.Large free parking available.It is this dual colouration that gives this sea its name, the complementary blue and yellow colours of this bay recalling the Chinese principle of yin and yang, the natural concept of duality. The reason is however less glamorous since we owe this colouration to the mining activities nearby in past years.For a long time, locals believed that the coloring was caused by chemical runoff. However, even several years after all the mines were closed, the unusual hue of the water remains.A study will provide an answer, the presence of this yellow color being the result of floating iron ions which are insoluble, the latter coming from the high concentration of pyrite (also known as "fool's gold") in the region.Useful link:I found a lot of information and an immersive map to help me find my way on the official website of the New Taipei tourist office, super practical: https://newtaipei.travel/immersive/en/b-0/Remains of the 13 levels (former Shuinandong foundry)It was precisely the remains of this old mining factory that interested me at first. Seeing the photos on the Internet, I found the place very photogenic.This is a former smelter built in 1933 during the Japanese period. This facility was crucial for the enrichment and extraction of precious metals, mainly copper. After the Japanese left, the plant was expanded to extract and refine gold, silver and still copper ores from Jinguashi and Jiufen. As the mining industry declined, it was finally abandoned in 1987.The still-visible structure is sometimes compared to an abandoned palace, earning it the nickname "Potala Palace" of the Mining Mountains, in reference to the actual fortified palace in Lhasa, Tibet, home of the Dalai Lama.And speaking of names, it has a bunch of them. Besides “13 Levels Remains”, the most common one, which is the one I’m using for this paragraph, it’s also known by its original name, “Old Taijing Mining Plant”, or “Beneficiation and Refinery Plant of Shuinan Cave”.I'm not sure which cave they're talking about, because the only one spotted in this area is the "Golden Cave", a little further into the mountains. But "cave" translates to "dong" in Chinese, hence the other name "Shuinandong Ancient Foundry".For a moment, I thought that the village that can be seen clearly at the foot of the enormous rocky peak from the parking lot observatory was precisely "Shuinandong" ... Except that no, the latter is apparently called Liandong. It is the old mining town where the former workers of the factory had settled.Liandong Village.We didn't have time to go there, but you can see a viewpoint over the bay and find a few restaurants, even if they are not very "local" since one offers Canadian cuisine (Home Sweet Home) and the other, more Italian (About Café).Since 2019, the New Taipei government has commissioned local artists to create the public art installation “Illuminating the Remains of the 13 Levels” to highlight this imposing vestige of the past.From 18pm to 21pm every evening, you can see the ruins lit up with bright lights.Golden WaterfallFrom the car park at the bottom of the ruins, we took the car again to climb a little on the mountain, and less than 5 minutes later, we arrived at one of the other local attractions: the "Golden Waterfall". This waterfall is the source of the stream that flows below and gives the famous yellowish tint to the bay.The water, which appears to spring from beneath the mountain, has seeped through the mines and now contains many minerals, including sulfur, arsenic, and copper ore. Similar to Yinyang Bay, the rocks along this water source are saturated with the same minerals, giving them their orange-like color.As it is a local curiosity, there is a small car park for you to stop, but the spaces are really limited… only for 5 cars!On the website that helped me find information about local attractions, I saw the waterfall written as "ShueiNanDong Golden Waterfall". ShueiNanDong is obviously the same Shuinandong mentioned so far, but transcribed differently.When we arrived, the parking lot was full, but since there is no need to stop for long, people do not hesitate to park quickly on the side of the road. We did the same, because we stayed there less than 5 minutes, just enough time to take a few photos of the waterfall and the view of the village of Liandong, before leaving and going back down the same road, just to continue our journey along the coast.View of Liandong from the waterfall.Shuinandong is also the name of the small fishing port at the end of Yingyang Bay, where there are a few houses. It is from this area that I took a photo of the whole of what is finally called "Shuinandong", from what I understand.Just after the small harbor and an S-bend, there is a small parking lot from where it is possible to go see some rock formations, one of them being called "Big Head Dog" Rock, the rock in the shape of a big dog's head. Since I had planned to see another rock formation a little further, I did not stop there and continued on my way.Overview of Shuinandong Bay.Nanya VillageBefore reaching the formation in question, I stopped barely 10 minutes after our express visit to the waterfall. We then arrive in a small village called Nanya (I found out while writing the article…), with again a small fishing port.The reason for my stop was that I had spotted a beautiful viewpoint, accessible by a path (Nanzilin Trail) located at the foot of this village. I first take some photos of the beautiful wild coast, visible from the parking lot where I had just parked.If I detail, the car park itself was full, but I managed to find a space along the small road below on the side of the port. There is also a pedestrian crossing there leading to the village (under a bridge over which passes the road we arrived).Arriving in the village itself, the place seems quite calm, if not deserted. It is only 10:30 but we have not yet had breakfast. As I am feeling hungry and as I know that the walk is not going to be easy, I tell myself that it would be nice to gain some strength.We walk around the small village and the stalls, few in number, seem to have just opened. By the time they set up and we decide, after having spotted the start of the path, we end up settling into a small local restaurant, after watching a little granny prepare her counter, where we guess bowls of noodles as a dish.At the time, I admit that I wasn't confident or excited about the place... but clearly there wasn't much choice... A somewhat shameful error of judgment when faced with a seemingly innocuous little place... Not only was it good and inexpensive, but the little lady welcomed us warmly despite the language barrier.The Nanzilin TrailOnce we were full, we could tackle the climb of this path, which was going to turn out to be a little more difficult than expected, even if I wasn't expecting it to be a walk in the park either.In anticipation of this, I had even suggested to Jitima to wait for me downstairs, because I know that this kind of effort is not her thing and that her pace is not the same as mine. As a result, she insisted on accompanying me, but since I was going faster, I had to wait for her regularly.Let's go !At the beginning, we are treated to a beautiful wooden staircase.View of the village of Nanya and the coast. In the distance, we can make out Cape Bitou, our next destination of the day.Just after the wooden steps, there are stones.Even so, I reached the first viewpoint after 25 minutes of climbing, knowing that the hill peaks at 196 m altitude and the path covers 990 m. But you have to take into account that the horizontal distance is only 460 m, which makes an average slope of 42%!From where I am, I have a superb view of the road we had just traveled, with the village of Liandong clearly visible as well as YingYang Sea.In the distance, I can make out with the phone's zoom the small fishing port of Shen'ao, known for its rock in the shape of an elephant's trunk but also for its rail bike between the station of the same name (Shen'ao) and Badouzi (for more information, see here), located on the outskirts of Keelung city, where I can see buildings in the distance.On the other side, I can see the main destination of the day, Cap Bitou and its fishing village. Time to take my photos and I see the miss, a little at the end of her life, arrive all out of breath. Even if I had suggested not to come, she seems to be angry with me that it was so hard… and I can see that she is not enjoying the show very much.Needless to say, she left me alone to climb the last 100 m leading to what I could call the main viewpoint, where you will find an orientation table and benches to sit on. In front of me, I can admire this beautiful mountain with its well-marked ridges, the result of the volcanic activity of the island.So far, the weather was quite good, and the sky was still blue when I reached the first viewpoint. But by the time I reached the top and after the 15 minutes spent there, it had given the mountains a grey sky, contrasting with the still clear sky on the sea side.Nanya RockBy the time we got back down and got back in the car, we arrived at the next stop located just 500m after the car park. The area around the village of Nanya is known for its rock formations and coral shores eroded by the sea.The entire coastline here bears witness to weathering and wave action, with a steep coastline and red-streaked sandstone rocks from the oxidation of iron ore. Although the shapes themselves are not spectacular, Nanya's striped patterns and natural sculptures are considered unique to Taiwan.Nanya RockFrom the Nanya Rock car park (free, by the way, like most of the car parks you come across outside the towns), it is possible to take a hiking trail called the “Old Shitikeng Trail”.The starting point of the Old Shitikeng Trail.This is also the meeting point with a stream coming from the neighboring mountain. The place remains quite photogenic and I left after 15 minutes on site.Stream at Nanya Rock flowing into the sea.Bitou CapeThe next destination was once again my own. While planning this day, I had come across this peninsula located in the far northeast of the country, spotted by Bitoujiao Trail, a picturesque walking path along cliffs, with observation pavilions whose photos really made me want to discover this place.Cap Bitou is located next to a fishing village of the same name, which is the starting point for exploring the local trails. So it was in the village that we were looking for parking when we arrived. As the spaces around the port area were limited, we had to fall back on the main car park located about 500 m downstream from the village.This time, the parking is paid (50 NT$ per hour) but only the part with a barrier. Luckily, I quickly found a free space, right next to the small local temple, which, as is often the case along the coast, is dedicated to the goddess of the sea, Mazu. From there, we had a beautiful view of the village and the shore.Taking our time, particularly photographing the small port and its peaceful atmosphere, we arrived at the heart of the small village after 20 minutes, near the developed banks, forming the Bitou Cape Park.There aren't many people so it's pretty peaceful. We come across a few locals going about their business. We also notice that there are a few tourists passing through like us.We then pass in front of a nicely decorated and welcoming café, the B1 Ocean Cafe. As we were starting to get hungry and, above all, as we were never against a coffee break, we decided to stop there to test out this establishment which had accumulated excellent reviews.If the food was very limited, it was just what we needed and above all, we finally had a coffee worthy of the name (well after all we have our habits and requirements from this point of view as Thai coffees are so good). As I saw the time passing, we didn't hang around and after about half an hour, we resumed our exploration.After a glance at the small park nearby, from where we can see a few locals busy taking photos along a coastal path and digging for stones while the tide is low, we decide to start walking.We then join a small street that leads to the foot of the hill, where the trail starts, thanks Google, because on site, it is not easy to guess where to go. The climb is easy at first then it goes up suddenly with a series of wooden steps, but the whole thing takes little more than 15 minutes to reach the crest.The passage leading to the entrance of the path.Partial view of the village of Bitou below.During the ascent.We then discover the surrounding landscapes from a shelter set up a few meters from the top of the steps that we have just crossed. Fortunately, it is much shorter than for Nanzilin so Jitima tolerates it better and keeps her good mood.Unfortunately, it is under a sky that has become very grey that we admire the landscape. We follow the narrow ridge, seeing further away another shelter, with in the distance, the sea on the other side of the peninsula.Landscape with a view of the village of Bitou.Ridge path.After a quarter of an hour, you arrive at a crossroads, at the height of a platform with a view of the sea on the west side.In relation to where we are coming from, opposite, a path leads to installations still used by the military to monitor the sea (with the current tensions concerning mainland China, it is better not to cross the fence).On the side, a path descends towards old military barracks, now converted into a cafe (the Tingtao Cafe, closed on the day of our visit). Behind us is the path that we were to take to continue our walk, then along the eastern side of Cape Bitou.A few meters down this path, there is another fork, a barrier prevents any change in our case, but if it is open, it leads on one side towards the tip of the peninsula, where there is a small white lighthouse.The walk takes us along the shore, with the waves crashing on the rocky plateaus visible below. The vegetation is completely different from the trees we were passing by on the way up.In front of us, we begin to see buildings appear, passing nearby, we learn that a primary school is located on this privileged spot with a view of the sea. Opposite, we can see tombs, typical Chinese, namely placed on the hillside.We land shortly after on a small road, the same one that allows access to the primary school that we have just passed. In this area, we are surprised to come across a wooden hut at the side of the road, with a concrete roof: a café!The place is unusual, the interior is a real mess and the seller present seems friendly. In front of the cabin, chairs are lined up and made available to sit down a little, knowing that we are arriving at the end of the loop, it is a good place to rest after having trudged on the Cap Bitou.Jitima then offered me to have a coffee there, but unfortunately, I saw the type of bean and the color of the coffee, while a customer had just received her drink and I knew that I would be disappointed so I declined the offer and we went our way.Shortly after, we pass a pedestrian bridge with a view of the village of Bitou on one side, and a tunnel on the other, where the main road continues its loop around the island. There is another car park there.We then had 500 m left from this point to reach the car at the entrance to the village. In total, this walk to Cap Bitou took us an hour, but that's also because we couldn't hang around too much.In absolute terms, given the terrible weather, I didn't need to linger there to take more photos than those taken until then, but above all, it was already 16 p.m. and we still had one visit to make. So, on the way to Jiufen.Jiufen Old StreetWe literally retraced our steps, going back along the entire coastline we had traveled earlier that same afternoon, and when we reached the YingYang Sea, we took the same road that had led us to the Golden Waterfall. But this time, instead of turning left on a small bridge, we went straight ahead.Actually, we could have walked past the waterfall again and continued on the Jinshui Highway to reach Jiufen. So it is possible to see the waterfall at this time of day rather than taking the detour from the main road as we did earlier in the day.But in my reasoning, as I saw the uncertain weather, I had preferred to see the place at the time, while there was a bit of sun, which would bring out the colors better rather than waiting until the end of the afternoon to pass in front of it, with the risk of having a sad gray sky (which was the case).In addition, at the time, the GPS indicated a slightly shorter route by staying on the same side as the village of Liandong, so I stuck to this indication. We arrive shortly after in the climb on a hairpin road, where it is stronger than me to stop to take a photo, the road being deserted. We see in the distance the village of Qitang, another old mining village which also has its "old street".View of Qitang village.Arriving in Jiufen, I park surprisingly easily and very close to the entrance to the street, in particular thanks to the private parking lots made available to visitors (for a reasonable price, NT$150 for 3 hours).We were lucky to come across a day when it wasn't really crowded, Jiufen being quite famous in the country. We strolled quietly through its narrow streets, which are illuminated by lanterns, giving the place an undeniable charm (a charm that would earn Jiufen the inspiration for the streets of the village traveled through in "Spirited Away").I am not going to detail here everything that was done there and overload this already full article, I have therefore written an article dedicated to Jiufen:Jiufen: A picturesque village in the mountains of northern TaiwanI will just sum up by saying that despite the gloomy weather, we enjoyed this walk in this iconic village, even if we arrived later than expected so we didn't linger there too long because we had to return to Taipei not too late and check into the new hotel.Coming back from Jiufen took less than an hour, but by the time we found somewhere to park (unfortunately the hotel, which said it had parking, didn't actually have any...) and got some rest, it was already past 21pm.We walked around the block and couldn't find anything really interesting to eat, so, for the first time, we had dinner at the local 7/11, with the special feature that they have little tables available for eating on site.The next day, another adventure in the mountains of northern Taiwan awaited us! 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