Tripbaa – Asia’s Free Travel Expert
Have you decided how to spend New Year’s 2019 yet? Leave behind the stressful work and the hustle and bustle of the city and head to Green Island for the countdown instead. Soak in the hot springs while watching the sunrise – Green Island’s Sunlight Hot Springs is the perfect place to give travelers a taste of happiness. Watching the first light of the new year rise over Green Island and welcoming a brand-new day, this unique dawn experience is sure to be unforgettable!
Fugang Pier → Green Island Lighthouse → Green Island Prison → Guanyin Cave → Little Great Wall → Haishenping (Human Rights Memorial Park, Snorkeling) → Enjoy BBQ – Nighttime Sika Deer Viewing & Starry Sky Series
Sunlight Hot Springs → Special Hot Spring-Style Breakfast → Sailboat Nose → Ziping Ecological Park → Big White Sand → Bingyu (Ancient Trail Over the Mountains, Horseshoe Bridge)
This year’s Green Island New Year’s Sunlight 3.0 event has been upgraded from last year’s version. In addition to the thoughtful pick-up service from Taitung Train Station to the pier, there’s also the amazing “expert-led guided tour with commentary throughout the trip.” The evening itinerary is rich but not too tiring, featuring “charcoal-grilled BBQ, nighttime sika deer viewing, and stargazing under the Milky Way.” Keep reading to find out how exactly you can enjoy it all!
Recommended New Year’s Attraction on Green Island – Sunlight Hot Springs. (Photo / Tripbaa – Asia’s Free Travel Expert)
Our starting point today is Fugang Pier on Green Island. There are only two ways to get to Green Island – by boat or by plane. For a more budget-friendly option, taking the boat is the way to go. With just a 30-minute ride, you’ll arrive at this paradise – Green Island. As for the best way to explore the island, it’s definitely renting a scooter and traveling around freely. Go for it!
Green Island Lighthouse was built in 1939. This white tower stands atop a lush green hill, under the blue sky and white clouds, looking like an exquisite impressionist painting. At night, it transforms into the “Guardian of Seafarers,” serving as an important landmark for fishing boats and airplanes and a historic beacon in the Pacific Ocean.
Green Island Prison is famous for having once housed top-tier gang leaders. Green Island was once the island with the highest density of prisons in the world. On this small piece of land, there were three different types of prisons: Oasis Villa, Taiwan Green Island Prison, and Green Island Skills Training Center. Even now, a solemn and tense atmosphere still lingers at the entrance, but visitors are welcome to take photos here and shop for souvenirs made by inmates. Handcrafted by these “brothers,” the quality and uniqueness are truly one of a kind.
Recommended New Year’s Attraction on Green Island – Green Island Prison. (Photo / Taitung Tourism Website)
Guanyin Cave is actually a stalactite cave. Legend says that a hundred years ago, fishermen who encountered trouble spotted a flickering fireball to the east. They sailed in that direction and amazingly managed to return safely. Later, they discovered a cave with a stone stalagmite about one meter tall resembling the Goddess Guanyin, so the place was named Guanyin Cave. At the entrance, there’s a traditional Chinese-style archway with a blessing bulletin board nearby where travelers can write their wishes on wooden plaques and hang them up to pray for safety.
The Little Great Wall Trail is located along the eastern coast of Green Island. A winding stone staircase leads up along the mountain ridge to a viewing pavilion on the cape. From a distance, the path looks like a miniature version of the Great Wall, which is why locals call it the “Little Great Wall Trail.” The viewing pavilion at the end of the trail is surrounded by steep cliffs on three sides, paired with crystal-clear blue waters – it’s arguably one of the most beautiful views on the whole island.
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About 400 meters from the Little Great Wall is a bay formed from an eroded volcanic crater. Viewed from the Little Great Wall, the two giant rocks look like a “pug dog” and a “sleeping beauty.” Their shapes are so unique, the resemblance is uncanny. Legend says the pug dog’s role was to guard the sleeping beauty. It quietly stands watch at the front, the most loyal guardian and most reliable friend of the sleeping beauty.
Recommended New Year’s Attraction on Green Island – Green Island Sleeping Beauty Rock. (Photo / Tripbaa – Asia’s Free Travel Expert)
Green Island Sunlight Hot Springs is a very rare seabed hot spring, found only in Green Island, northern Italy, and Kyushu, Japan – a world-class geological wonder. In addition to watching the sunrise, you can also gaze at the starry night sky, listen to the sea waves, and leisurely enjoy an island-style hot spring experience.
Recommended New Year’s Attraction on Green Island. (Photo / Tripbaa – Asia’s Free Travel Expert)
Before dawn, we hopped on our scooters and hit the road. Today, we’re starting with watching the sunrise, catching the first beautiful rays of light outside of mainland Taiwan. Soaking in a natural seabed hot spring, listening to the distant rhythmic sound of the waves, and witnessing the first beam of happiness in 2017. Watching the first light appear in the distance, its dazzling brightness making it hard to keep your eyes open, everything is so beautiful – not just the sunrise, but the hot spring experience itself feels almost surreal, as if it’s not even happening in Taiwan.
Recommended New Year’s Attraction on Green Island – Sunset. (Photo / Tripbaa – Asia’s Free Travel Expert)
After enjoying the stunning sunrise, walk to Sailboat Nose, where vast grasslands meet beautiful ocean views – a perfect blend of blue and green. From here, the coastal scenery is impeccable.
Ziping is located at the southernmost tip of Green Island and boasts the island’s most intact lake area and coral reef vegetation. The outer bay has rough waves crashing, while the inner bay is as calm as glass.
When you’re near the sea, you’ve got to find a beach to dip your toes in. Big White Sand is Green Island’s largest sandy beach. It’s also one of the island’s top three diving spots. Having gone diving the day before, we sat back on the beach and admired the crystal-clear water, complemented by the blue-and-white waves – incredibly romantic.
Bingyu is an ice cream shop themed around Green Island Prison. With its iron-bar decorations and strong black-and-white color scheme, it embodies the prison vibe. Sitting inside eating ice cream really gives you the feeling of being in a jail cell.
Before the start of the new year, have you figured out how you want to enjoy your holiday differently? Are you dreaming of traveling abroad but stuck battling your budget, or do you have absolutely no idea?
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Green Island Prison Ice Cream. (Photo / Green Island Bingyu – Official Facebook of Prison Ice)
How about taking a two-day, one-night 2019 New Year’s trip to Green Island? Ride your scooter through the scenic ring road, soak in the relaxing seabed hot springs, admire the beautiful starry sky and dazzling sunrise, all accompanied by the rhythm of the waves. This is probably what an exotic local trip is all about!
Green Island Prison Ice Cream. (Photo / Green Island Bingyu – Official Facebook of Prison Ice)
[Tripbaa Funba]Authorized Repost | Original Source: [2019 New Year's Dawn Secret Spot 3.0 - Sun Moon Lake Hot Springs: Plan Your Green Island New Year's Trip Like This!]