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ADMINISTRATION
INTRODUCTION
The North Coast scenic spot is located in the northernmost end
of Taipei. Billboards advertising a number of popular scenic spots
(such as Pak Sha Wan (Bay), Shihmen, Jinsan, Yehliu, Green Bay) dot
the arterial road to the North Coast, a 60-km Coastal Highway
(Highway Tai-2) that stretches from Tamshui to Keelung. It has a
variety of tourist attractions; namely the wave erosion caves, hot
springs, Ventifact, Wave-dolmen, big gravel beach, seascapes, marine
ecology, aquatic resources, rock wonders, hill and farm terraces.
The Pak Sha Wan (Bay) and Jinsan development centers provide a
series of facilities for the recreational needs of the northern
region; such as sea fishing, swimming, hiking, camping, sea-bathing,
hang gliding, sightseeing, water sports, etc. The complete
information service system provide tourists a better understanding
and knowledge of the scenic sport environmental features and
recreational resources, allowing tourists to get a better leisure
experience. Better understanding and pleasurable experiences that
slowly nurtured visitor love and concern also prevented
environmental destruction from tourist garbage and negligence, thus
preserving recreational resources for posterity.
RESOURCES SPECIALS
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NATURAL WONDERS
"Kuanyin lying by side of Tamshui, "both good for mountain climbing
and sea watching". This short and simple verse aptly describes the
beauty of Mt. Kuanyin, and the methods of its attraction. Mt.
Kuanyin sits at the estuary of the Tamshui River provides a
magnificent mountain and sea view that has been popular for ages.
Today, tourists continue to find their way to Mt. Kuanyin during the
holidays; yet it seemed only known to a few that this elegant
mountain is a natural wonder formed from the flowing lava of a
volcano that erupted some 600,000 to 200,000 years ago.
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CULTURAL FEATURES
The unique terrain of Mt. Kuanyin that spans the towns of Wuku and
Pali of Taipei County gives it a different facet when viewed from
different vantage points. Viewed from Tamshui and Kuantu, it appears
like a reclining Kuanyin; but when viewed from the Yuanshan
Observatory, the mountain looks lime a Buddha reclining with both
knees bent. The scenic peak of Mt. Kuanyin, Yinghan Peak is the
favorite haunt of avid mountain hikers and a popular domestic
tourist spot. Thefast and comfortable transportation network and the
attractive leisure spots surrounding Mt. Kuanyin provide tourists a
wealth of mountain and sea experiences. Its early development has
made Mt. Kuanyin a cultural assembleage. Green bamboo shoots
harvested from the fertile soil of the Mt. Kuanyin lava terrain are
specially endowed; hence a tour around Mt. Kuanyin is more than just
a spiritual journey, it is also a gustatory delight. Don't miss the
green bamboo shoot meal; the taste of bamboo shoots juicy and sweet
like pears is a delight to remember.
LANDSCAPE
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PARK SYSTEM
1. Scenic spots are run under a corporate design and operating plan.
Since government budget is limited to necessary investments only,
hence the park encouraged private investment and the principle of
"one who enjoys, pays."
2. The "paying guest" operating system placed almost all
recreational park facilities under a "user paying" system; thus
allowing the efficient management and maintenance of scenic spot
development and operation matters under limited human and financial
resources.
3. The park also increased the management training programs,
aggressively cultivated future managers, as well as introduced new
management techniques and skills in a bid to upgrade park management
performance.
4. Park administration departments and offices are well coordinated
to ensure proper tourist facility and resource maintenance.
5. Tourist safety maintenance efforts included :
A. Safety guidelines of the Taiwan Tourist Sport Reinforced Safety
Management Procedure were applied in areas with tourist safety
considerations or hazards.
B. Tourist safety information dissemination has been reinforced;
e.g. disaster prevention measures and cautionary warning signs are
placed in coastal wading or swimming areas.
6. Tourist activities containing local customs and seasons folk
programs (e.g. hiking, fishing, camping, mountain climbing, water
sports, photography, boating, etc.) are held to enhance tourist
enjoyment. Activity promotion through mass media advertising had
effectively drawn local tourists into the park.
OUTLOOK
Aggressive scenic sport planning and development following the
promulgation of the Executive Yuan's "New Scenic Spot Development
Program" in 1987 were implemented from Jinsan, Laomei, to Paksha
Bay; such were evident in the parking lots, botanical garden,
recreational facility, sand preservation and forest constructions
that were completed. In the future, the administration office, under
government and private sector support and guidance, will
aggressively implement additional facilities to preserve the natural
ecology of the North Coast and scenic sights of the Taipei
metropolitan area. We will also provide the northern Taiwan
residents with the best recreation destination.
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SCENIC SPOTS
1. Cannon Hill :
The antique cannon relic site of the late Ching Dynastic military
fort provides a beautiful vantage point of the Keelung open sea. The
port used to be an important Ching Dynasty naval defense fortress.
2. Lover's Lake :
The view of a myriad of shimmering sunlight glistening on the clear
blue water of the little lake formed from the basin where six creeks
meet has become a favorite haunt of holiday tourists.
3. Choutze Bay :
An inlet positioned between Tamshui and Chienshui Bay.
4. Mangrove :
The Mangrove of Chuwei, Tamshui is a valuable natural treasure for
ecology conservation or academic research studies, or a commonplace
holiday relaxation.
5. Dutch Village :
This three-hundred-year-old relic has been declared a class 1 relic
by the Ministry of Interiors. The village still holds the antique
cannons dating back to the reign of Ching Emperor Chia-ching.
6. Shalun beach :
The flat and spacious sandy shore with its gently lapping waves
provides the ideal spot for beach activities and sunbathing.
7. Paksha Bay beach :
The beach is popular for its spacious white sand shore and clear
waters.
8. Fukuei Cape :
The only place in Taiwan where one could find the largest Ventifact
clustering the foreland.
9. Shihmen Cave :
This cave sitting beside the Tamshui-Jinsan Highway is a product of
years of wind and wave erosion. The changing tide and waves created
a constantly changing view of the cave.
10. Shih-Ba Wankung Temple :
This strange temple earned its fame from the countless incenses
offered by its midnight worshippers.
11. Jinsan Youth Center :
The center and its natural hot spring provide young holiday seekers
an ideal background for relaxation and fun.
12. Jinsan Coastal Park :
This serene and elegant park with its open beach provides the best
shoreline view and sea view.
13. Candlestick Island :
A candlestick shaped reef sitting just around 400 to 500 meters to
the east of the Jinsan Coastal Park
14. Jinsan Coastal Botanical Garden :
The only beach in Taiwan that provides the scenic and recreation
resources of a bay, sea, sandy shore, and coastal flora.
15. Yehliu :
A pacific rim coastal foreland dotted with artistically shaped
wind-eroded rocks. The natural rock wonders and wave-cut terrain
created a uniquely haunting view.
16. Green Bay :
It houses the only holiday amusement park located on a beach. The
park holds a well-designed recreational facility.
17. Wanli Beach :
The flat shoreline and its fine sand make a great setting for sports
and recreation.
18. Ho-pin Island :
The island is famous for its oddly-shapes boulders and rocks, as
well as spacious flat crisscrossing wave-cut platform.
19. Patoutzu :
The numerous wave-cut platforms forming a great part of the
shoreline made the beach the home of breathtaking sunset views,
hence the popular title "Patou Sunset".
HO-PIN ISLAND
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SCENIC SPOTS
Ho-pin Island was called Shihliao Island in the old days. A part of
the seven Keelung outer islands, Ho-pin Island sits on the east side
of the Keelung harbor. The numerous odd-shaped boulders and spacious
flat crisscrossing wave-cut platform on its north-side coast created
a breathtaking view. Since the northern vantage point of the island
looks towards the east, it allows a distant view of Keelung Island
sitting around 3,000 to 4,000 meters away.
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SPECIAL TERRAIN
A unique geological sight in Ho-pin Island is the thousand-tile rock
(looking like thousand pieces of tatamis) that created the vast,
crisscrossingwave-cut platform. Another unique view is the Pedestal
Rock. Constant lashing waves washing the sandstones eroded
crisscrossing boulders to form this rock pillar.
The soft beach of Ho-pin Island is made of limestone sandstones
masses that eroded and formed into Hairy Rock. The boring shell
holes on the surface gave it a porous surface; hence the name
Beehive Rock.
The softer sandstones contain hard limestone sandstones. Exposed to
sea erosion, hard rock residues stayed on the soft rocks and formed
a head-like shape. This Hairy Rock cluster, also popularly called
the Ten-thousand Grave is among the unique features of the island.
The odd-shaped boulders on the north-side coast of the island are
actually a cluster of hard rocks forming an irregular limestone mass
or boulder. The uneven erosion created the eerie looking odd-shaped
rocks. The vertical fragmented face (texture) cutting across the
stretch of wave-cut platform is the actually expansive erosion canal
formed through the erosion of water passing through the fissure.
PATOUTZU
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SCENIC SPOTS
Patoutzu scenic spots include the Patoutzu fishing port and Wan-you
Gorge recreational park. The Patoutzu fishing wharf is a natural
harbor located on the eastside of Ho-pin Island, the north hill of
Keelung Mountain, surround by the sea. The numerous wave-cut
platform and the wave-eroded ledges on the shore form the popular "Patou
Sunset", home of breathtaking sunset panorama.
The wide gorge bed of the Wan-you Gorge has a wavy surface that
makes it suitable for camping, barbecue picnics, waterside sports,
and long strolls.
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SPECIAL TERRAIN
The wave-cut platform (wave-eroded ledges) clustered across the
shore was formed through the years by incessant waves lashing on the
sea cliffs. Due to the main geographic aspect is coastline in this
area, and as a result of wave-cutting day by day for a long time,
the cliff is gradually collapsed. Years of erosion created a rock
platform that is almost level to the sea (see picture). Since the
wave-cut platform is the terrain left after long years of wave
erosion on the sea cliffs, it may be said that its formation is the
combination effect of the strength of the lashing waves as well as
the natural terrain and properties of the boulders. The geological
structure and layers of this terrain is positioned vertically
against the shoreline; hence the wave erosion of the strong
northeasterly monsoon on the soft rock layers molded a concave
formation and formed a bay. The hard, erosion-resistant rock layers
jutted out to form the headland. Looking down from the foreland, one
could some tofu-shaped rock boulders called the Tofu Rocks. This
phenomenon is due to the fissures cutting the hard rock layers that
were widened by erosion.
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