Taiwan Hiking Journal

Sunday, June 28, 2026

Zhengbin Colorful Houses and Heping Island Geopark

This is a nice day trip from Taipei that can be made into an easy walk. From the colorful houses at Zhengbin Fishing Harbor its about a 15-20 minute walk to Heping Island Geo Park and there is a path around the park. Expect to spend about 2 hours or less walking. Of course the total length of your visit depends on how long you spend in the park. There are many points of interest, including salt water swimming pools, phantasmagorical rock formations and a hill top former military radar station that is now a cafe. In order to protect the environment and rock formations, some features of the island are off limits without a guide. There is a visitor center with showers and changing rooms and there are restaurants on the second and third floors. Another nearby attraction is the huge, crumbling ruin of a former shipyard just next to Heping Bridge.

Distance/duration: About 5.5 km/ 2 hours. This is an estimate of the distance and the total walking time --not the entire time we spent on the island. When we stopped for lunch in a cafe I turned off my tracking app. After lunch we walked back to the bus station by the houses.

More details as well as a map and GPX file can be found here on ramblr.

Walk Overview: All of this walk is on roads or surfaced paths and is mostly level and easy. It's easy to find your way from Zhengbin Fishing Harbor to the park. Just follow the signs and other people.

The buildings lining Zhengbing Fishing Harbor were painted in bright colors in 2018 and since then have become a popular tourist destination. There are cafes and restaurants. Some visitors go at night when the houses are lit up. The fishing harbor was built by the Japanese in 1934.

Heping Island Park is known for its unique coastal geology and cultural and historical significance. Heping Island, located off the coast of Keelung, has a history shaped by maritime trade and colonial influence. It was originally inhabited by indigenous people and later became an important port when the Spanish established a settlement and built Fort San Salvador in 1626. The Spanish were expelled by the Dutch, and the island came under the control of the Qing Dynasty and later the Japanese during the colonial period.

There is a visitor center with a gift shop and restaurants (on the second and third floors), a former military radar station turned into a cafe at the apex of a hill (the cafe is simply called The Hill), salt water swimming pools, a walking path and numerous rock formations all of which have imaginative names. A sampling of names: Sphinx, Seal, King Kong, Sea Hare. To cross the footbridge called Zigzag Bridge, also known as the Bridge of Nine Turns, and tour Alabao Bay you need to go with a guide. They understandably want to keep tourists from wandering off the path and damaging the environment and rock formations.

The park is open from 8:00 to 19:00 from May to October and from 8:00 to 18:00 from November to April. The pool, however, is only open until 18:00 from May to October and until 17:00 from November to April.

The posted rules for the swimming area say that you must wear swimming footwear to avoid injury on the natural bottom and wear reef safe sunscreen or no sunscreen. The pools are closed from 1-2 pm.

There is a children's swimming area where the water is shallow, a deeper (2.5 meters) Blue Ocean Pool and a "pet friendly" pool. There are fish and other marine life in the pools.

There is also a play area called the Toddler Waterway where kids can play in ankle deep water and sand.

Park admission for adults is NT$120 but there are student and senior discounts (NT$60). Children under six are admitted free.

The Agenna Shipyard Ruins are next the bridge which takes you to the island. The site was used for coal storage starting in 1919 and then used as a shipyard from 1966 to to 1987. It gained some brief fame and popularity in the twenty teens when Chris Evans, the actor who played Captain America, did some filming for Call of Duty here.

There is also an old fort, Sheliao East Fort. It is on the island but not in the park. We did not go there but I read that it is at the top of a hill and has good views. The fort was first built in 1626 and later modified in 1886 and 1903.

What to bring: There are lots of stores in Keelung near the Train Station and near Zhengbin Fishing Harbor.

We didn't take any food since we planned to eat lunch in the park. If you plan to swim take swim wear and a towel. I just carried water. I wore sandals.

Transportation: We took a train from Taipei Main Station to Keelung Station. Trains to Keelung are frequent and most take 50 minutes or slightly less.

On the train I was reading, Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon.

At Keelung station we took the North Exit (though you can take either) and walked to the Keelung Transit Station. We walked through the station and following signs for city buses went to an outdoor transportation platform.

We took bus 104 to the Old Zhengbin Police Office stop which took about 25 minutes. Lots of buses go there. You can also take bus 101, 102 and 791.

You can take the T99 tourist shuttle directly to Heping Island Park but it only runs 6 times per day.

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The Walk

On the side of the Keelung city buses I noticed the city's mad-lib-like tourist slogan: Keelung: A city full of_______. I guess they gave up trying to think what the city was full of and just decided to let people fill in the blank by themselves. I can imagine some jokesters or perhaps disgruntled residents coming up with funny options for filling in the blank.

The driver of our bus was a maniac. He drove like he was in a rush to get to the toilet; roaring off from a dead stop and then braking so suddenly that everyone was thrown around. It's typical of Taiwan's go along to get along culture that no one complained, even me. Going around one curve in a long stretch where he had been able to build up some speed I really felt like we might tilt up on two wheels. An old lady with a cane fell and four of us had to help her up. We passed some cyclists riding in the right lane and I feared for their safety.

We got off at the Old Zhengbin Police Office station. It was a typical commercial street.

It was Dragon Boat Festival and a really hot day. Dragon Boat Festival is thought to mark the beginning of summer weather in Taiwan. In addition, there were tropical storms nearby bringing hot, humid weather. I had brought my Gossamer Gear Lightrek hiking umbrella for shade. I love it because it is super light weight. When I'm not using it I hardly notice I'm carrying it. In addition, it has a reflective upper surface for sun My wife did not bring an umbrella because she said she thought we could "share" mine. In practice what that meant was I gave her my umbrella and I suffered in the hellacious sun. Luckily I had a hat, as well.

We walked straight down the road and followed it around a sharp curve. (Now I think we could have gone straight at the curve and walked to the harbor but did not know that at the time). We were above the harbor and could see it through the gaps in the buildings. 250 meters from the bus stop we turned left on Zhengbin Road. There was a brown sign over the intersection pointing the way to Heping Island Park.

Almost immediately after turning left we turned into a narrow alley that led down to the harbor and the Zhengbin Colorful Houses.

Colorful fishing boats floated in the harbor and fingerlings wriggled in the water. We walked back and forth in front of the houses and took some pictures. It was relatively early and not many people were there. There was an ice cream place, some cafes, a ramen restaurant and a tapas restaurant.

The other side of the harbor is a better vantage point for photos.

We walked to Heping Island Park. We crossed the bridge and followed signs. There was quite a bit of traffic but it was mostly slow moving. Lots of other people were walking that way. There was one turn but there was a sign.

In my opinion, if you are able-bodied and don't mind walking, it is more convenient to go to the park by public transportation -- particularly on a weekend or holiday. The parking lot nearest the park was full and people were parking in a further lot and walking anyway. We strolled past a line of cars that were waiting for a parking space to become available.

We arrived and paid for our ticket. Despite the parking lot madness the line at the ticket booth was short.

Just inside the gates there was a view of the inter tidal zone and the skerry that is called Island In the Island.

We bore left and came to the path. First we went straight ahead into the visitor center.

The first floor of the visitor center was mostly a gift shop full of the usual touristy bric-a-brac and frippery. We didn't linger long. We passed through and walked out the other side to check out the swimming pools.

children's pool

blue ocean pool and the pet friendly pool

We went back out to the path and walked counter-clockwise around the island. We passed Wan Shang Temple and Heping Rock and walked to a scenic pavilion with a view of the rock formations, the ocean and Keelung Island.

Heping Rock

After the viewing platform we took the Mountain Trail. Don't let the name mislead you. There is a steep climb at first but its just a small hill and it's a short walk around the side of the island, past a campground and back to the visitor center.

We were getting hungry and I wanted to check out the cafe on the hill in the middle of the park. We walked back out to the path and this time instead of continuing straight to Heping Rock we turned left onto a path up a hillside. There was a sign for the cafe. This was a nice little walk, at first on a paved track and then up shaded steps.

The cafe is in the site of a former military radar station. It's a great location and worth checking out but unfortunately they do not serve food other than some cake. I was pretty hungry so we went back down to the visitors center where we had a margarita pizza, apple pie and ice cream and some cold drinks.

After lunch we walked back to the bus stop crossing over the road to see the Agenna Shipyard Ruins on the way.

Nearby Hikes:

Mt. Dawulun 大武崙山 and Dawulun Fort 大武崙砲台

Lots has been written in English about the Zhengbin Colorful Houses and Heping Geopark. Here are some other resources:

https://www.taiwanobsessed.com/zhengbin-fishing-harbor-color-houses/

https://www.taiwanobsessed.com/heping-island-geopark-keelung/

https://www.foreignersintaiwan.com/blog/heping-island-park

https://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002105&id=R80

https://taiwantrailsandtales.com/2024/05/28/heping-island-park/

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Map and Google maps links:

More details as well as a map and GPX file can be found on ramblr: https://rblr.co/p4zK5

Zhengbin Colorful Houses

Heping Island Park entrance

Agenna Shipyard ruins

Saturday, May 16, 2026

Taoyuan Valley Trail 桃源谷步道 and Caoling Historic Trail 草嶺古道

Along the Taoyuan Valley trail there are sweeping 360 degree views: forested hills and mountain ridges to the north west and the Pacific Ocean and Turtle Island to the south east. It rambles up and over lofty, exposed headlands and through grassland where you can see the water buffalo that have shaped the landscape with their grazing. Later this hike joins the Caoling Historic Trail, part of the ancient route between Tamsui and Yilan, which couldn't be more different. It descends into a valley and follows a shady trail next to a stream. The last section follows country roads to Fulong Train Station. Almost the entire route is surfaced and there are clear map boards and signposts. It is a long hike but there are options for breaking it up into shorter sections.

On the Caoling Historic Trail

Distance/duration: 19.7 km/ 6 hours 34 minutes. It should have been a little shorter but I spaced out near the end and missed a short cut. I did not take any breaks except for a quick stop for lunch. Expect it to take around 7 hours.

More details as well as a map and GPX file can be found here on ramblr.

Trail Overview:

It seems like in the last couple of years my hikes have settled around a theme. Last year I explored the hikes around Xizhi, going there six times. This year the theme seems to be old favorites that I have not hiked for a while. In March I did Mt. Tianshang, Sun Moon Cave and a Ridge Walk. In April I walked the The Walami Trail 瓦拉米步道, a hike that I first did 18 years ago. This post is about another old favorite which is an amazing hike and a northern Taiwan classic.

The Touyuan Valley Trail mostly follows a ridge that passes through a grassland high above the ocean between Daxi and Dali. The grassland was formed by the grazing of water buffalo which deters the growth of other plants. The buffalo were first introduced during the Japanese colonial period, the ones you see today being the semi-wild ancestors of the original ones.

The Caoling Historcial Trail dates from the Qing Dynasty. The section that hikers walk today is part of the old route that was used to connect Tamsui to Yilan before a modern road was built.

The route I walked starts at Daxi Train station in Yilan. A trail near the train station takes about two hours to climb to the top of the ridge. Expect to spend 2 hours to reach the ridge, 2-3 hours to walk the ridge to the intersection with the Caoling Historic Trail and another 2 hours to walk the Caoling Historic Trail to Fulong.

The climb is gradual but not that easy. There are lots and lots of steps but also some downhill sections and level parts. There are benches, shelters, tables with seats... seemingly every few meters but don't be too tempted to rest because there is a long way to go.

The trail goes through the first of many cow stiles and then reaches the ridge near an Earth god shrine. Once the ridge is reached there are expansive views. Because the route crosses a narrow peninsula, the Sandiao Cape, the ocean is at times visible on both sides.

Not long after reaching the ridge there is a huge grassland. This is where you will encounter the most people because there is a parking lot nearby. Many people just walk from their cars, snap some pictures and then go back to their cars. Outside of this area I only saw a few other people.

You are certain to see buffalo grazing next to the path. It should go without saying that you should keep a respectful distance from them. Mostly they just ignore you but its not a good idea to pose for a selfie next to them.

The Taoyuan Valley Trail meets the Caoling Historic Trail at a placed called Yakou where huge wooden viewing platforms are a distinctive landmark. The route I took then turns left and starts downhill next to a stream toward Fulong. At the end there is at least an hour of road walking but it is on pleasant, quiet country roads and there are signs pointing the way to Fulong Station.

Near the end you can cut off a kilometer and avoid walking on the busy road by turning right after Yuanwangkeng Park and following signs to Fulong Station. But I was not paying attention and missed it. By the time I realized it, I was about 1.5 km past it and didn't want to backtrack. I walked to Fulong along the main road which wasn't really that bad since there is a wide shoulder.

It's best to do this hike on a nice day that is not too hot but when the weather is still clear and the ocean blue in the sunlight. A lot of it is exposed and on a very windy day or a very hot day it wouldn't be as enjoyable. I went on a sunny day in early May and it was still hot.

Route landmarks: Dali Station -- Mt. Fanshiliao -- Earth god shrine -- Taoyuan Valley grassland -- Mt. Aokengtou -- Yakou -- Tiger Inscription -- The Boldly Quell the Violent Mists Inscription Rock -- Yuanwankkeng Park -- Fulong Station

Options to make the hike shorter:

This is a long hike. If you don't want to do the entire route you could do each of the trails separately. To walk just the Taoyuan Valley Trail you can start at Daxi Station and walk to Dali Station (Turn left and downhill) at Yakou. To walk just the Caoling Historic Trail you can take a trail to Dali and then walk to Fulong. Of course you could do it in reverse but its more convenient to go to Fulong because more trains stop there.

What to bring: Take lots of water. I took three liters on a hot day in early May and that was more than enough. I took snacks, lunch, rain gear. Sun protection is important.

There isn't really anywhere to buy anything in Daxi. There might be a couple of small shops but I would not depend on them. There are plenty of stores and shops in Fulong at the end.

Transportation: I took a train from Taipei Main Station to Daxi which took an hour and 44 minutes. Only local trains stop at Daxi.

On the way back I caught a fast local train at Fulong Station which took a little over an hour.

On the train I was reading Scarcity Brain by Michael Easter.

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The Walk

As I was waiting for the train at Taipei Main Station I overheard a woman who appeared to be in her sixties telling an older man that she was going to the Caoling Gudao. I'm not usually the sort of person who interrupts strangers' conversations --in fact I'm sort of a hermit who usually keeps to himself-- but maybe because I was over-caffeinated, I chimed in and told her I was going there, too.

She turned out to be very friendly. We talked a little before getting on the train and later she came and sat next to me a few stops before she got off. She was a very good conversationalist and started by asking me innocuous questions like what I was drinking (It was chilled berry tea) and where I bought it (which was Poya) to break the ice before moving on to more personal questions.

She was meeting a hiking group at Fulong and they were hiking the Caoling Trail in the direction of Dali. When she got off I told her I would see her on the trail since we were hiking in opposite directions. Unfortunately, we didn't meet later. Since the section I was walking was longer, I assume that she had already finished and gone down to Dali by the time I got to Yakou.

On the train I had also overheard some other passengers saying they were going to the Caoling Historical Trail. There were lots of people on the train who were obviously dressed for hiking and it was a nice day, so I was expecting to see lots of people on this popular trail. To my surprise, in the end other hikers on the trail were few and far between.

At Daxi four other passengers got off. A young couple and two hikers. Right outside Daxi station I could already see the ocean and Turtle Island. It was a radiant day and the ocean was bright blue.

It was just before 9:30 am. Outside the station I turned left. I had a long way to go and felt that I was starting kind of late so I starting yomping down the road right away. At first the other two hikers were behind me but later I looked back and did not see them. After about ten minutes I came to a park on the left where there was a sign for the Taoyuan Valley Trail and a map board next to steps.

The steps went up a shaded path. I had to pay attention to my footing on the steps. Most were dry but occasionally there was a slippery one, especially in shady areas. It was easier and faster to walk in the dirt next to the steps whenever possible and I could tell from the tracks that other people had done the same.

It looked like a very "snaky" area so I kept my eyes open. There were lots of skinks that would suddenly dash off the path or under the steps in a flash of rainbow scales and a couple of times they startled me.

There weren't many good views but I enjoyed the shade while I could. Once I reached the top the route would be completely exposed all the way to Yakou.

It was two hours of climbing to the top. On the way I passed Fanshiliao Shan (456 m). Not long before reaching the ridge there is a toilet. Just after passing the toilet I passed an old man coming down who was the only other person I saw on this section.

There are occasional map boards next to the trail.

Fanshiliao Shan

side trail to a toilet

cow stile

At the top there was a large Earth god shrine that sat just of the path.

I turned right along the ridge and the view opened up in all of its glory. A group of large raptors glided just above the ridge, sometimes at my level and sometimes swooping down into the forested valley.

There was a good view of the ocean and turtle island. I passed a wooden shelter house on a promontory. The next stop was the Taoyuan Valley grassland. There were quite a few people here including families with young children who had parked nearby. This spot is one of the most picturesque vistas of the hike.

buffalo wallow

I went on and there was some steep climbing. There were quite a few cattle next to the path. The sun was fierce.

I was getting really hungry but there were no good places to stop for lunch. Finally I stopped at some benches near a turn off for a look out point. I still had to sit in full sun but I was very hungry at this point so I stopped and ate a sandwich and drank some water and ate some chips while looking at the panorama from the overlook.

calories in

As I was finishing lunch I noticed it was getting dark and cloudy in the direction of Fulong. I thought it might rain but actually was glad the cloud cover was providing some relief from the relentless sun.

I continued. I saw a few other hikers. A couple going the opposite direction. Two women from south east Asia also going in the opposite direction.Two old men-- whom I passed. The first man kept stopping to sit on the steps and massage his legs. He smiled and nodded as I passed. I talked to the second man for a few minutes but since my pace was faster I said good bye and went on. There was some steep sections and lots and lots more great vistas. The clouds moved overhead and it got pleasantly cooler. It rained a little and I put the rain cover on my backpack but it was just a cloud passing over and it soon stopped. Actually, I was already so wet with sweat that I welcomed the rain.

I head, but did not see, barking deer in the steep tree covered slopes between the path and the ocean.

Eventually the path started heading down toward Yakou and I could see the road leading to Dali.

On the way down I encountered a group of buffalo grazing right on the path.

I waited a bit but when one of them still didn't move I just walked around the side, giving it a wide berth and it barely seemed to notice me.

I came to the viewing platforms at Yakou.

Below the viewing platforms there was another map board. The Caoling Historic Trail descended in a narrow gap between two hills on the left.

The path became narrower and followed a gurgling stream. I was in shade again. I passed the Tiger Inscription rock and the Boldly Quell the Violent Mists rock.

At one point a dirt path veered off to the right. Both paths join up later. I stayed on the stone path because it seemed shorter.

The stream became wider and was very pretty with some nice pools. I stopped and splashed water on my face and over my head. I met a woman who asked me how far it was to Yakou. She asked me in Chinese and I could tell by her face she was nervous I might not understand but then looked relieved when I answered. My Chinese is still embarrassingly bad after years in Taiwan but good enough for simple conversation, directions etc...

The stone trail terminated at a road. From here there are signs showing the way to Fulong Station.

The road walk was on a narrow road and then later passed some farms

From here I just followed the signs to Fulong. But as I said in the trail overview I missed the turn off for the short cut. I walked to the main road, turned right and later, following road signs for Fulong Beach turned right again and walked on a bike path to Fulong Station.