By Jade
People are sleeping on the antique beauty of Tamsui as there are not many travel blogs mentioning it when talking of tourist destinations in Northern Taiwan. But once you’ve been to this place, it won’t disappoint you and undoubtedly Tamsui should be in everyone’s must-visit list.
In the 17th century, Spanish colonists set up their capital here, and then it came to the Dutch. In 1641, the Dutch built the port of Anthonio, later it was called Hongmao Castle. Tamsui played an important role in Taiwan's history and was the island's largest port in the 19th century. By the 20th century, the thick layer of mud accumulated in the river made it difficult for transportation. Thus they moved to the northeastern port of Keelung.
Tamsui might be a bit out of the city as it is at the end of the red MRT line, but it has enough charms to attract tourists. Let’s begin with the old streets and night market of Tamsui located very close to the exit of the MRT station. Even though the market is not as huge as Shilin, still it can satisfy tourists’ appetites with many coastal specialties of this land, for example, deep fried squids, fish ball soup, fish cake fritter soup, shrimp rolls and so much more.
The streets are also full of colorful souvenir shops and stores that mostly reflect Japanese culture.
Tamsui is known for its fisherman wharf and so one must-do thing here is to take the ferry and enjoy the lovely scenery along the Tamsui river. Aside from the wharf, the nearby Lover’s bridge is also a perfect spot for sightseeing. As Tamsui is one of the best places in the world to watch the sunset, tourists cannot miss the sublime, romantic beauty of nature here.
Moreover, it has many hot check-in spots for Instagramers. One of them is the red old building of Hongmao or Fort San Domingo with unique Western architecture. The eye-catching street arts are also worth mentioning, which brings the similar vibe of Ihwa mural ‘art in the city’ village in Seoul.
Another lovely attraction in Tamsui is Wuji Tianyuan Temple (天元宮). Away from the coastal area, it is a peaceful monumental temple with a huge garden of cherry blossoms in the back that decent travellers should probably check out.
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