History and Culture in One Journey — Professional Guide for Just ¥199 Takes You on an In-Depth Tamsui Tour

Text & Photos /Purple Smile

Friends living in Taipei must be familiar with Tamsui. It takes less than an hour by MRT to enjoy the beautiful mountain and sea scenery as well as the sunset. In fact, Tamsui itself is also a place rich in history with many historic sites. The New Taipei City Government has specially planned a DIY Tamsui Fish Ball Making One-Day Tour for just ¥199, which includes<淡水古迹园区>a tour, connecting different eras of history and culture to give visitors a deeper understanding. That day, a few of us friends followed the steps of a professional guide to rediscover the town of Tamsui. As expected, having a professional guide makes all the difference!!

We got off at Tamsui Culture Road and walked along MacKay Street and Truth Street. This area offers a bird’s-eye view of the beautiful Tamsui River estuary, no wonder there are so many old houses around here—the scenery is simply gorgeous!!

Our first stop was the Little White House, the former residence of the Qing Dynasty’s Tamsui Customs Tax Officer—essentially the customs official’s quarters—with a strong Spanish architectural style.

The large verandas, arched structures, and floor-to-ceiling windows make it feel like a microcosm of various architectural styles.

The old photos on the walls offer a fun comparison between past and present.

It now also serves as an arts and cultural exhibition space, with the interior decor well preserved—including the original fireplace.

Here we made a new discovery: there were free New Taipei Art Travel Micro Cool Cards nearby. The cards had brief introductions, and scanning the QR code provided more detailed information. It turns out that New Taipei City has 18 museums and facilities you can visit for free—absolutely worth checking out!!

Hehe, needless to say, this is also a popular spot for newlyweds to take wedding photos—not just here but throughout the whole cultural heritage park, where you’ll see many couples. Strolling around and seeing these couples take photos feels like soaking up some good luck too!!

Truth Street, with its quaint charm, could easily be mistaken for the historic city of Tainan!!

The famous Tamkang High School has two notable alumni: former President Chiang Ching-kuo and Jay Chou. A few years ago, scenes from the movie “Secret” were filmed here. Since then, it’s become widely known, attracting many foreign tourists who specifically come to visit.

The Taiwan-style Missionary Hall has also been transformed into a new arts and culture space.

This Tamsui Girls’ School is a landmark of women’s culture—unfortunately, we couldn’t go inside that day.

As we strolled along, we arrived at Tamkang University, which is also home to Oxford College founded by Dr. George Leslie Mackay—it’s definitely worth a visit!!

The summer weather is really hot—let’s take a break at the heritage garden café, which was renovated from the adjacent pastors’ building!!

This building was constructed in 1909 and is a beautiful red-brick structure with arched corridors. It’s now a century-old building.

The space is small, and it might have been rooms for church staff in the past—how interesting!!

You can tell the age of the place just by looking at the floor tiles. There are also many paintings of the area hanging on the walls, very much worth seeing!!

Right across is the Gothic-style cathedral of Tamkang University, which houses one of only two pipe organs in the country—the other is at the National Concert Hall. They even have performances at noon!! Make sure to come back at the right time someday!!

Have a slushie in the summer—that’s the way to go!!!

This is also a hidden gem spot for watching the Tamsui sunset.

This is the famously historic Fort San Domingo, standing proudly in Tamsui for over 300 years and recognized as a national first-class historic site. This time, I’m just helping everyone explore the content of this excellent tour. For the full itinerary, you can check the link below:http://www.cts-travel.com.tw/3108/web3108-01.html

Hehe, eagle-eyed friends will surely recognize this as the Fleur de Chine Hotel next to Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf!!

But today, we’re heading to the World Chocolate Dreams Park, which just opened in July this year.

The entrance design is super chocolatey!!

Once you step inside, it feels like a fairy tale!! So cute!! Every corner is a great photo spot. After buying your ticket, you can exchange it for a little suitcase. Hehe, it comes with 3 chocolate gold coins that you can use in activities inside to redeem items—don’t gobble them all up in excitement!!

There’s a full-scale, genuine chocolate car in the inner courtyard!!! Isn’t that amazing!! Because it’s made of chocolate, the temperature inside is kept cooler. Otherwise, it would just melt!!! Hehe, there absolutely must not be a power outage here!! Parents bringing kids, be sure to pack an extra layer of clothing.

There are several small doors here, and each one leads to a surprising and uniquely themed area.
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The first stop, of course, is to explore the birthplace of chocolate — the Mayan civilization of Central America!!

Here comes the suitcase!! Quickly grab your first gold coin to exchange for a cup of spicy hot cocoa with multiple spices. Wow~~ it’s really delicious!!! This drink would definitely be a bestseller if sold outside!!

In ancient times, chocolate was an important currency. Just step on the scale to see how much it weighs, and you’ll know what you can trade for.

You’ll find so many surprises here!! This one is also incredibly lifelike!!

It’s real chocolate coating, no doubt about it — every piece is truly a delightful surprise!!

This is also made of chocolate, amazing right!! You’d never recognize it if you took it out!!

Ladies would probably scream at this sight!!! This is probably something only Lady Gaga would dare to wear!!

It’s really hard to believe even this is made of chocolate.

And this too!! You can even walk up close to take a look — it even has a rich chocolate aroma when you sniff it～

Chocolate is, of course, also the best companion in love～

This area introduces the related history of chocolate.

There’s also a DIY section here, which is very popular — be sure to make a reservation when you come!!

The process is quite simple: squeeze it into a plastic mold, tap it gently to distribute it evenly, insert a small plastic stick, and once it’s set, pop it in the freezer and you’re done!! There are also master artisans creating different pieces nearby — we stopped to watch for a while, and it’s really impressive — a little flower just emerged!!

After seeing so many chocolate creations, you must want to try some for yourself, right? The exit area lets you buy to your heart’s content!!! There are lots of treasures inside — chocolate lovers will definitely be delighted～

This view is beautiful no matter when you see it!! No wonder the Tamsui area is a famous leisure spot in northern Taiwan!! When you visit Tamsui, be sure to find a place to sit down and slowly enjoy the scenery. We sat down at the ALOHA restaurant nearby for a cup of coffee.

How about a coconut juice? The relaxing atmosphere is just perfect for the mood right now!!

Tamsui sunset!!!! I thought the weather wouldn’t allow us to see it, but in the end, the heavens smiled upon us!! The view is truly stunning, and Lover’s Bridge is packed with tourists admiring the sunset!!! Wow, what a spectacle!!

For just NT$199, you get a professional guide to show you around — isn’t that great?! There are many such hands-on mini-trips in New Taipei — friends who like them should sign up quickly!!!

New Taipei Hands-On Mini-Trips inquiry website: New Taipei City Tourism Official Website http://tour.ntpc.gov.tw ）

The Little White House
Address: No. 15, Zhenli Street, Tamsui District, New Taipei City
Phone: 02 2628 2865

World Chocolate Dream Park
Address: No. 91, Guanhai Road, Tamsui District, New Taipei City
Business Hours: 10:00–19:00

We are Ben & Jean — we love food, travel, photography, and 3C.
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