Discover 15 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Keelung (Taiwan). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Xian Dong Yan, YM Oceanic Culture and Art Museum, and Heping Island Park. Also, be sure to include Xinshan Dam in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Keelung (Taiwan).
Table of Contents
Xian Dong Yan
Xian Dong Yan, also called Fairy cave or Deity's cave, is a natural sea cave in Zhongshan District, Keelung, Taiwan. It is a designated Cultural Landscape by the Bureau of Cultural Heritage in Taiwan. The cave was a shrine and resting place for fishermen during Qing dynasty period and was converted into a Buddhist Temple since Japanese occupation period.[1]
YM Oceanic Culture and Art Museum
Also known as: 陽明海洋文化藝術館
Museum in Keelung, Taiwan. The YM Oceanic Culture and Art Museum or Yang Ming Oceanic Culture and Art Museum is a museum about oceanic culture and art in Ren'ai District, Keelung, Taiwan.[2]
Address: No. 4, Gangxi Street, 200 Ren’ai District
Heping Island Park
Scenic spot in Taiwan. Heping Island Park is a park in Heping Island, Zhongzheng District, Keelung, Taiwan.[3]
Xinshan Dam
Reservoir in Taiwan. The Xinshan Dam is a dam located in Anle District, Keelung, Taiwan. The dam supplies water to Keelung and New Taipei districts of Jinshan, Ruifang, Wanli and Xizhi Districts.[4]
Baimiweng Fort
Also known as: 白米甕砲台
Fortress in Taiwan. The Baimiweng Fort is a former fort in Zhongshan District, Keelung, Taiwan.[5]
Ershawan Battery
Also known as: 二沙灣砲臺
Historical landmark in Taiwan. Ershawan Battery, or better known as Tenable Gate of the Sea is a battery emplacements camp in Zhongzheng District, Keelung, Taiwan. It was built during Taiwan's Qing era, and was the site of combat between the French and Chinese forces during the Sino-French War. It was the command post of Liu Ming-chuan, who was later appointed by Qing court as the first governor of Taiwan, when he was charged with the defense of Keelung during the war. It lost its military value under Japanese rule, and is currently listed as a class one national historical monument.[6]
Chung Cheng Park
Also known as: 中正公園
Park in Keelung, Taiwan. The Chung Cheng Park is a park located in Xinyi District and Zhongzheng District of Keelung City, Taiwan.
The 25-meter statue of the goddess Guanyin on top of Chung Cheng park is the biggest goddess statue in Southeast Asia and is one of the most scenic spots in Keelung city.[7]
Gongzi Liao Fort
Also known as: 槓子寮砲臺
Historical landmark in Taiwan. The Gongzi Liao Fort is a former fort in Xinyi District, Keelung, Taiwan.[8]
Dawulun Fort
Also known as: 大武崙砲臺
Heritage building in Taiwan. The Dawulun Fort, also Ta Wu Lun Fort, is a former fort on Mount Dawulun, Anle District, Keelung, Taiwan.[9]
Port of Keelung
Also known as: 基隆港
The Port of Keelung, also known as Keelung Harbor, is located in the vicinity of Keelung City, Taiwan. It is operated by Taiwan International Ports Corporation, Taiwan's state-owned port management company.[10]
Address: No. 1 Zhongzheng Rd., Zhongzheng Dist, 20202 Keelung
National Museum of Marine Science and Technology
Also known as: 國立海洋科技博物館
Museum in Keelung, Taiwan. The National Museum of Marine Science and Technology is a museum of marine science and marine technology in Zhongzheng District, Keelung, Taiwan. It received 1,395,127 visits in 2016.[11]
Khóo Tsú-song old house
Also known as: 許梓桑古厝
Heritage building in Keelung, Taiwan. The Khóo Tsú-song old house is a historical site located in Keelung, Taiwan. The place is named after its main owner, Khóo Tsú-song, a Taiwanese notable who has been in charge of Keelung city as well as Taipei province during the Japanese period. Khóo Tsú-song is his name pronounced in Hokkien, his mother tongue, but he is more well-known today as Hsu Tsu-sun, which is the same name with a pronunciation in Mandarin. Adding to his political responsibilities, he was also a well-known personality in artistic circles, especially connected with poets from all over the country.
His house has been built in 1931. Located very close to what is today the famous Keelung night market, the only streets to reach the house are narrow walking passage transforming into stairways that finally lead to the house, on the top of a hill, with a peculiar view on the rooftops of Keelung city.
Recognized as a historical building since 2001, the place which is partially privately owned, does not benefit from the protection guaranteed by the status of the Historical Site. Currently, the place has been abandoned by its previous owners and has no inhabitants since more than 30 years. Due to disrepair and weathering, the house is now a ruin, and the second floor has no roof anymore. Most of the red brick walls and the windows are still there.
The house is made of several architectural influences. The massive red brick walls remind the fortifications and official buildings erected by Dutch and Spanish colonizers in Damshui and Tainan. The two floors structure could be from the same European style influence, as for the symmetrical two sides stairway leading to the second floor. But once we are on the second floor, the style and the disposition of the rooms, as for the central square are all very typical of the Fukien architecture that we still find all around Taiwan.
In July 2014, an organization called the Keelung Youth Front started to clean the Khóo Tsú-song old house in order to allow the public to be able to visit this architectural patrimony of Keelung city.[12]
Keelung Cultural Center
Also known as: 基隆文化中心
Cultural center in Keelung, Taiwan. The Keelung Cultural Center is a cultural center in Zhongzheng District, Keelung, Taiwan.[13]
Ren'ai District
Also known as: 仁愛區
Ren-ai District is a district of the city of Keelung, Taiwan. It is the smallest district of Keelung City.[14]
Nuannuan Ande Temple
Also known as: 暖暖安德宮
Place of worship in Taiwan. The Nuannuan Ande Temple is a temple in Nuannuan District, Keelung, Taiwan. The temple is dedicated to the Goddess Mazu, the Goddess of Sea and Patron Deity of fishermen, sailors and any occupations related to sea/ocean. The temple is an important and prominent place of worship in Nuannuan District.[15]