Beitou (北投) is a district of Taipei City at the foot of Yangmingshan (陽明山 or Yangming Mountain), a collection of mountain peaks that make up Yangminshan National Park. These include Seven Star Mountain (七星山 or Qixingshan), a dormant volcano that last erupted around 700,000 years ago.
Xinbeitou (新北投), the hot spring village around Xinbeitou MRT station, occupies a lush valley that is home to 1200 species of plants, 110 species of bird, and 160 varieties of butterflies.
Beitou Thermal Valley (also called Beitou Geothermal Valley or Hell Valley) is a second, highly acidic “green sulfur” hot spring that is a major tourist attraction in Beitou and the source of the hot creek running through Beitou Hot Spring Park.
The spring water is high in radium, which in the past underwent a corrosive reaction with the andesite rocks on the river bed about 150 meters downstream, creating layers of cream and white diamond-shaped crystals named Hokutolite or “Beitou stone”, ...
Taiwan is a very tourist friendly country. There is so much to see and do. It is super easy to jump on a train from Taipei to see the port city of Keelung. The train is very inexpensive and easy to ride.
Keelung, officially known as Keelung City, is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. The city is a part of the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with its neighbors, New Taipei City and Taipei, respectively. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport (after Kaohsiung). The city was founded by the Spanish Empire in 1626, then called La Santisima Trinidad.
Keelung has a lot of history and many things to see. It’s worth at least one day to explore as well as an evening at the largest night market in northern Taiwan. During my stay in Taiwan this was the highlight of my trip and I can’t wait to return.
For 41 NTD it’s very inexpensive and everything is easy to navigate. I walk you ...
Ruifeng Night Market (or Rueifong Night Market) is the largest, busiest and the best night market in Kaohsiung. The large outdoor market takes up the entire northwest corner of Yucheng Rd and Nanping Rd and has been around for over 20 years.
The market is in a grid format with aisles run parallel to each other. Some aisles are a bit cramped especially during the weekend crowds as there are hundreds of stalls serving Taiwanese snacks and western food. Some food vendors even have dining areas for food like noodle soup and hotpot.
Besides food, Ruifeng market has a toys and games area like the ones you would find at a carnival.
This is the best night market in the city and should be visited. It’s very easy to reach by the red line MRT.
Ruifeng Night Market 瑞豐夜市 - Biggest & Best in Kaohsiung City - Taiwan 2025
The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall 國立中正紀念堂
The most prominent historical landmark in Taiwan, the CKS Memorial Hall was erected in honor and memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, the former President of the Republic of China, and was opened in 1980 as part of a national park and gathering area.
The name of the square is officially Liberty Square (自由廣場), as seen above the front gate, however the name change was politically motivated and most people in practice still refer to the entire complex as Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.
The octagon-shaped white building rises 76 meters and is covered with blue tiles and red accents, echoing the flag of the Republic of China. The eight sides represent the Chinese cultural symbolism of the number eight which is traditionally associated with fortune and wealth. The two sets of 89 steps represent Chiang's age of death and lead up to main hall housing a large bronze statue of Chiang protected by military personnel which change ...
