A Day in Town: Zhongzheng, Xinyi, Zhongshan (Keelung City)

I just completed my twenty-first trip under "A Day in Town," my multi-year backpacking plan of spending a day in each of the approximately 350 townships in Taiwan. My destination this time was Keelung City, nicknamed Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role. Facing the East China Sea and surrounded by New Taipei City and Taipei City, Keelung has a population of over 360,000 and administers seven districts. Since I had visited four of the seven districts during my last trip here a year ago, this time I visited the remaining three: Zhongzheng, Xinyi, and Zhongshan, which collectively form the northeastern part of the city.  

 

I spent my first day in Zhongzheng District, the seat of Keelung City that encompasses Heping Island (和平島) and the nearby Keelung Islet, as well as the more distant Pengjia Islet, Mianhua Islet and Huaping Islet. I began by taking a bus to Songshan District of Taipei City, where I transferred to a bus bound for Badouzi, the easternmost of Keelung bordering Ruifang District of New Taipei City that I visited just two weeks ago. Getting off the bus at Badouzi, I explored on foot westward to downtown Keelung to check into my hostel. Along the way, I visited 20 of the 26 villages administered by the district, and learned about many fascinating local stories. The first was about Badouzi itself, now part of mainland Taiwan known for its fishery history, yet before the construction of a power plant in 1937 that involved land reclamation, Badouzi was an offshore island. The power plant was decommissioned with its land repurposed to now house the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology. The second was about Heping Bridge, the 75-meter-long bridge linking the iconic Heping island to mainland Taiwan. Interestingly, there are actually three islands, which are now connected by an embankment and a bridge. Therefore, knowingly or unknowingly, most tourists visit three islands in their single trip to Heping Island.

 

Close to Keelung city center, I arrived at some historic sites where my mind wandered centuries back in time. The first one was the Remains of Dashawan Stone Wall, a defensive fort tracing its roots to the Spanish-Dutch colonial period in the seventeenth century. Just a three-minute walk away was the Sino-French War Memorial Park, the resting place of those French soldiers who perished in the 10-month war between 1884 and 1885. Here I saw the past role of Keelung as not just a vibrant port city, but also the frontline of Taiwan's defense against the invasion by foreign powers.

On the second day, I visited Xinyi, the culture and education district of Keelung. I started by taking a bus to Xiaogang Village, which borders Ruifang District of New Taipei City to the southeast. From there, I explored on foot back to my hostel and visited 18 of the 20 villages administered by Xinyi District. In addition, I had interesting and unexpected encounters, with the first being an artistically painted alley soon after I got off the bus. About an hour later, I arrived at a residential complex which had an amusing name: The First Prize Complex. Curious, I strolled around the complex and bought a few items at the shopping mall underneath it.

After lunch, I continued my journey with a destination in mind: Lingquan Zen Temple. Nestled in the serene mountains of Keelung City, the temple is a significant spiritual site and was one of the four most important Buddhist temples in Taiwan a century ago. My Google Map, however, directed me to follow an abandoned route, so I found myself surrounded by endless bushes not long after. Reluctant to turn back, I decided to explore on my own -- carefully, of course. About 30 minutes later, I managed to reach the temple and end the unexpected adventure. An hour later, I arrived at the iconic Tianliao River, the 3.5-kilometer-long man-made canal and the first of its kind in Taiwan. Constructed in 1887, the river is a testament to the coal-mining boom in Keelung and has now been repurposed for tourism and recreation.

I spent my third day in Zhongshan, the district that houses the west side of the Keelung Harbour, featuring its rolling hills and densely built residential areas. After some research, I decided to explore the district on foot. I began by visiting the iconic Keelung Landmark in Huzi Mountain, a 20-minute walk from my hostel. Having visited this area a few times, I gained some insight into  the neighborhood and was particularly intrigued by the resilience, adaptability, and thrift of the residents there, reflected through their ingenious use of the countless tiny lanes weaving through their densely built community on the hilly terrain, which accommodate both pedestrians and scooter riders.

I continued exploring and managed to visit 14 of the 24 villages administered by Zhongshan District. Along the way, I visited many interesting places, and Chiouzeshan, the once military-restrictive area and now open to the public, was particularly appealing to me. Standing at 133 meters above sea level, I had a fascinating panoramic view of Keelung Harbour. Just a 10-minute walk downhill was the Monument to the Martyrs of the Keelung Harbour Construction, erected in 1930 in memory of those who had died in the line of duty during harbour construction that began in 1899, marking the beginning of Keelung's take-off and vigorous growth that lasted for nearly a century.

Concluding my day in Zhongshan, I ended my backpacking on Christmas Eve. As usual, this trip was one of both discovery and nostalgia. It's nostalgic because I used to work in the ocean shipping industry and our vessels called at Keelung multiple times a week, so I visited Keelung regularly on business. On my way back to my hostel in Renai District, I stumbled upon a ten-NT-dollar bakery -- once popular in Taiwan, selling bread and cake at ten NT dollars apiece, but rarely seen these days due to inflation and price hikes. It reminded me of the days when my two grown kids were still toddlers. I often shopped at the ten-NT-dollar bakery to conveniently prepare breakfast for our family. So this shop was nostalgic to me, too, and I couldn't help step inside and buy a few items, still unbelievably priced at ten NT dollars apiece. So, my breakfast for the next few days has been prepared, too.