Six Easy Spring Outings in New Taipei City: Explore Four Wealth God Temples and Cherry Blossoms

▲ The Thirteen Floors Ruins at Shuinshe Cave in Ruifang. (Photo / Provided by New Taipei City Tourism Bureau)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

Lunar New Year is approaching. During the holiday season, besides enjoying great food, it's also time for family reunions and outings. The New Taipei City Government’s Tourism and Travel Bureau recommends six exciting "Monkey" themed light travel routes for the New Year. Whether you want to slow down from the hustle and bustle of daily life or soak up the festive atmosphere, exploring New Taipei’s hidden gems during the holidays promises a joyful and prosperous start to the year.

▲ The Pingxi Sky Lantern Police Station lights up in the evening, brightening the night sky.

Pingxi – Sky Lantern Police Station & Lingjiaoliao Hiking Trail Recharge Walk
Want to make a wish for the Year of the Monkey? Visit the world’s only “Sky Lantern Police Station,” located next to the entrance of Jingmei Old Street. Made from a 9-meter-high glass curtain shaped like a sky lantern and adorned with nearly 200,000 LED lights, it puts on a unique hourly light show starting every half hour in the evening that draws crowds. To let everyone enjoy the experience of releasing a sky lantern while promoting environmental awareness, customized “Police Officer Wish Lanterns” are available. During the holidays, electronic sky lanterns are offered at a discounted price of NT$100 per lantern (for two people sharing one). Stop by the Sky Lantern Police Station, write or stick your wishes or photos onto a lantern postcard, and watch your wish brightly appear on the electronic lantern. As it rises into the sky, it symbolizes a prosperous and fantastic start to the new year.

After a festive feast during the holiday, take a refreshing hike along the Lingjiaoliao Mountain Hiking Trail to shed some extra pounds. The trail connects Wanggu and Lingjiao, both with their own entrances. Each is conveniently close to a train station, allowing visitors to choose an entry and exit point. Start at Lingjiao Train Station, then head to “Da Lu Che Workshop” for hand-brewed coffee and homemade buns and steamed buns. Next, visit the Japanese-style Western-style building “Tsai Family Mansion,” built with red bricks, to feel the charm of history. Then stop by “Wanggu Waterfall” to admire the gushing white cascade and the emerald pool, breathe in the fresh mist, and soak up the forest’s phytoncides.

Additionally, the Shiding Waterfall Park’s newly renovated viewing platform will be fully open on Lunar New Year’s Day. Everyone is welcome to come out and celebrate the spring. The “Taiwan Good Tour – Muzha Pingxi Line” passes through Muzha, Shenkeng, and Pingxi, offering rich cultural and sightseeing resources along the way. The area is beloved for its old street settlements, coal mining heritage, and nostalgic railway vibes.

▲ From above, the sea-and-mountain view of Shuinshe Cave is captivating.

Jiufen – Shuinshe Cave & Artistic Culinary Delights
Shuinshe Cave Scenic Area boasts four world-class wonders: the enchanting Yin-Yang Sea, Shuinshe Cave Smelting Plant, abandoned flues, and Golden Waterfall. Located near Jiufen, Shuinshe Cave gets its name from a cave in the nearby mountain that resembles the Water Curtain Cave from Journey to the West. The Thirteen Floors Ruins of Shuinshe Cave are an unforgettable part of Taiwan’s copper smelting history. Built in 1933 along the mountainside, it features three massive flues and a water diversion system. This distinctive site is also a popular spot for MTV shoots.

For a panoramic view of the Thirteen Floors Ruins, Shuinshe Cave settlement, fishing harbor, and coastal highway, head to “Changren Community” near Shuinshe Cave. A 40-meter climb up the trail leads to the “Changren Pavilion” viewpoint, offering incredible vistas. Also, don’t miss the slide from Lian Cave Elementary School, which has gained fame even in Japan. Stretching 9.6 meters and standing two stories high, the slide offers a view of the Yin-Yang Sea — a big draw for both kids and adults.

Additionally, explore the “Exhibition Art Gallery” created by local artists, and enjoy healthy vegetarian cuisine and fair trade coffee at “Mountain City Canteen.” This spot was once a miners’ dining hall. The “Good Morning Mountain City” set includes classic grilled buns and natural soy milk, while the “Good Afternoon Mountain City” features rice balls made with plum and Chinese toon, miso soup, and more — delicious, healthy options you won’t want to leave behind.

▲ Holidaymakers can also escape the city’s hustle and bustle by visiting the North Coast to enjoy the scenery. (Photo / Reporter Chao Yu-ting)

North Coast – Admire Pink Cherry Blossoms & Relax in Hot Springs on a Spring Walk
The annual cherry blossom season is about to begin. Renowned cherry blossom spots in New Taipei, such as Tamsui Tianyuan Temple, Sanzhi Cherry Blossom Path, and Wulai Xiongkong, will all be in full bloom between February and March this year. The beautiful pink blossoms are a sight to behold. Combine blossom viewing with hot spring soaks and delicious food for the perfect spring outing.

The North Coast’s Jinshan and Wanli areas are rich in hot spring resources. In addition to rare seabed springs and sulfuric white sulfur springs, the local delicacies in the hot spring area are also not to be missed — such as the popular duck dishes in Jinkouli Old Street and hearty seafood meals fresh from the harbor. It's perfect for families looking to spend quality time together. The experience warms your body, mind, soul, and even your taste buds, filling you with the joy of the New Year.

▲ Wulai’s famous “Beauty Spring” attracts many visitors seeking physical and spiritual rejuvenation.

Wulai – Experience a Day of Atayal Culture
During the New Year holiday, visit Wulai to experience the “Beauty Spring.” In winter and early spring, Wulai’s hot spring operators offer a variety of packages for soaking in warm springs and enjoying festive meals. Welcome the New Year with good food, Atayal dance performances, and hot spring soaks. In addition to the springs, you can admire cherry blossoms at Wulai Warriors Square. Other must-visit spots include Wulai Waterfall, the Atayal Museum, and the Forestry Life Museum. Wulai Old Street is full of indigenous charm, with shops offering unique local foods and handicrafts. The street is filled with the aroma of hot spring corn, wild boar meat, Makau sausage, hot spring eggs, bamboo tube rice, and monthlong rice — truly mouthwatering. Consider planning a short trip to Wulai this Spring Festival for cherry blossoms, hot springs, and gourmet delights.

▲ The historic Shuangxi Iron Shop is a great family-friendly destination.

Shuangxi – Low-Carbon Rural Charm
Known as New Taipei’s backyard, Shuangxi offers the warmth of community stories. After getting off at “Shuangxi Station,” you’ll find a “Low-Carbon Station” nearby. Ride a bike along quiet country roads, admiring cherry blossoms and rural landscapes. Head to the “Camellia Manor Ecological Park” to view nearly 800 varieties of world-famous camellias, stroll the camellia path, and try your hand at DIY camellia potting. Then visit the artistic hub “Donghe Theater,” once a wildly popular cinema, now offering a nostalgic time-travel experience. These spots are perfect for family outings during the New Year.

▲ The century-old “Lin Yih He Traditional Chinese Medicine Shop” still retains its unique Western-style architecture, now rarely seen.

Visit the century-old “Lin Yihe Hall Traditional Chinese Medicine Shop,” the first pharmacy in Shuangxi. Its two-story Western-style building reflects the most fashionable design of the late Qing Dynasty. Don’t forget to try traditional Chinese medicine-flavored olives and plum juice. Then walk to the old ferry terminal, once a key hub of the Danlan Ancient Trail during the Qing Dynasty. It served as a transfer point for water and land transport, making it a bustling town. Pharmacies, rice shops, fabric stores, hotels, and shoe shops once thrived here. For Lunar New Year, the district office has decorated Shuangxi and Mudan Train Stations and Provincial Highway 2B (Jifu Highway) with bamboo walls and rice straw, creating a festive atmosphere.

The “Lingtou Sunrise Trail,” located between Gongliao and Shuangxi, is a great spot for towering views, offering sweeping sights of the northeast coastline’s mountains and waters. Before leaving, stop by Haishan Cake Shop and Si Lou Café for souvenirs. Don’t miss their hand-poured single-origin coffee, popular handmade yeast bread, agar pudding cake, curry pastry, mung bean treats, and fried rice crackers — all traditional delights not to be missed.

▲ During Lunar New Year, many people visit Zhonghe’s Hulongdi Temple to pray for peace and prosperity in the new year. (Photo / Reporter Chen Rui-zhong, file photo)

New Taipei’s Four Wealth God Temples – Spring Outings, Prayers for Blessings, Cherry Blossoms & Endless Prosperity
In the new year, if you want to "monkey" onto good fortune and prosperity, why not take a pleasant stroll to a temple? The newly announced "Top 10 Must-Visit Wealth God Temples in Taiwan for 2016" includes four from New Taipei City:Zhonghe's "Nanshan Fude Temple," Jinshan's "Five-Way Wealth God Temple," Shiding's "Five-Way Wealth God Temple," and Luzhou's "Yonglian Temple".

Two recommended routes combine prayer with cherry blossom viewing: The first is Shiding’s "Five-Way Wealth God Temple," which faces Jinbaoshan Mountain—shaped strikingly like a gold ingot—and enjoys particularly bustling incense offerings. The temple’s incense burner, censer, and wealth-attracting treasure bowl are all designed in the shape of ingots, making it a must-visit spot for those wishing for a year of financial abundance. The Shiding bicycle path boasts beautiful mountain scenery, fresh air, and cherry blossom trees along the way, their pink hues offering warmth and cheer. During Lunar New Year, hike up Zhonghe's Hulongdi and Yuantong Temple—not only can you get some exercise and pray for wealth, but you can also enjoy cherry and plum blossoms while taking in panoramic views of the greater Taipei Basin, the Dahan and Xindian Rivers, as well as distant vistas of the Guanyin and Datun volcanic ranges and the Tamsui estuary. This holiday season, consider a temple visit to pray for blessings and wealth, and “monkey” your way to a prosperous new year.

Visitors to Zhonghe and Yonghe can also explore unique independent bookstores. For instance, the eco-conscious "Green Bookstore," themed around science experiments, can fulfill the dreams of little scientists. Those eager to immerse themselves in Southeast Asian culture can head to "Brilliant Time: Southeast Asia-Themed Bookstore" on Myanmar Street. As the name suggests, this bookstore displays numerous books and handicrafts in Southeast Asian languages from Vietnam, Thailand, India, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Myanmar—though books here are for borrowing, not buying. For a cup of coffee, light snacks, and a good book, visit "Little Book Room." Spend the Lunar New Year wandering these charming bookstores, letting the literary atmosphere soothe and warm your heart, and sharing the warmth and ambiance of reading.

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