Taipei on your own

Keelung's port has a very unique location: where else can your ship get right into the small city center?

Here is some help with the next step: disembark and Go to Taipei on your own, or in German auf eigene faust.

How to get to Taipei this way and save on a 6-8 hour trip?

• The city is just 40-50 minutes away by train and bus.
• Almost all signs are in Chinese characters and English. 
• Announcements are multilingual (Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, English)
• There are many helpful and friendly locals to keep you on the right path.

Have a look at the Google map, the best pattern and route to follow is 'train out, bus back'

• Take the train or bus at Keelung Station to "Taipei Main Station" which is the furthest point West and in the oldest part of the city. The KuoKuang (Kingbus) bus station is at the East 1 door of the Taipei Main train station.
• Visit Taipei by metro and city bus, or Hop-On Hop-Off (HoHo) sightseeing bus - working your way toward the modern Xinyi district in the East of the city and 
• Take the bus at "Taipei City Hall Bus Transfer Station" which is a 10-minute walk from Taipei 101. It is located on top of the Taipei City Hall metro station for your return to Keelung by intercity buses.

You'll find the Southbound trains to Taipei most convenient as all trains stop there going West  - and then South after Taipei, hence the direction's name. (choose Keelung from the drop-down menu). Long trains (8-12 carriages) have some 800 places always available, with priority seating for seniors over 65. 

Keelung is the head station on the line, so the train starts empty when cruise passengers are heading to town almost all at the same time. You can board at the South terminal or the smaller North terminal, see my photos and post.

 
The trains stop at a number of stations along the Keelung river, before going underground at Xike. The ride takes around 45 minutes. Pay NT41 (or NT64 for express trains with reserved seating) in local currency or even by credit card. You can buy and use an Easycard for all your transport if you have planned ahead.

The buses are recommended for the return to Keelung. Their departures in the afternoon are frequent, spread out over time, and not that busy. At the bus transfer station, you have them all at gates 9 and 8 next to each other so you can take the first available bus back. All routes are almost nonstop to Keelung on the freeway and as fast as a car. No tickets are sold. Pay by depositing the correct fare into the cash box next to the driver (no change is given), or swipe an EasyCard when getting on and off.

You can flag down a taxi when you're not near a bus route or station, or ask any 7-Eleven store to order one for you. It is more convenient but the usual fare from Taipei Main station area is between NT 900-1000, all by GPS-operated meters, with seats for 4 to 5 passengers. You can pay in cash, or in some cases by credit card or EasyCard.

What can I see in town?

Look at the latest Taipei metro map here. Starting from Taipei main station use an EasyCard or cash to buy tokens at the counter or machines for each journey by metro. Follow the Blue, Green, and Red line to

• Lungshan temple (Station Blue 12 to Blue 10, then Exit 1) and the restored Bopiliao street
• Ximen (change at Blue 11 to Green 12), Exit 3 & 4 for a quick look inside the Red House if you like, 
• Chiang Kai-shek memorial for the 15-minute Changing of the Guard starting on the hour (Exit 5, Change at Green 12 to Red 10). Have a bubble tea at the National Concert hall. Note: nearby you can opt to take a city bus along Xinyi Road for its straight view toward
• Taipei 101 (Red 10 to Red 3, then Exit 4). Check the weather for a view on the 88th floor, but do mind the waiting times going up and down in 37 seconds.
• Walk back in 10+ minutes along Songzhi road to Taipei City Hall station (Blue 18 on the map) for the bus back to Keelung at Gate 9 or 8 with exact change or an EasyCard.

Study my map for the destinations you prefer. The metro is quick and very frequent,

I would recommend you budget one hour per stop with traveling time and leave town about 90 minutes before your intended return on board. On a typical 8-hour tour it allows you at least four stops, similar to cruise tours. Of course you can also order a taxi back from any point, at around NT 1000 always by the meter with receipt. Masks are still required in public transport.

This way you'll have time to spare for a half-hour stroll in the Keelung night market, Keelung Express bus 2088 stops at 'Taipower', the first one in town, close to where the market extends to after sunset,

The main section at Ren 3rd road is always open for delicious local food around the colorful Dianji temple, A ten-minute walk to/from the ship.

You can find the full map and explanations here and turn off the layers you don't need. 

Feedback, likes and questions are always welcome!

Keelung Train and Bus station

The two new terminals of the Taiwan Railway Administration are called South and North (nearest to the West berths 2-4). The lengthy trains are positioned on an underground track between both.  

There is still work going on in the new transit bus station complex behind the basic Kuo-Kuang bus station with its wave roof. In the future, most buses in the city and intercity buses should be located between both train terminals. 

At the moment (April 2023) Google Maps can not draw the shortest pedestrian crossing route.

You will see this after finishing your walk along the waterfront. Just be careful and watch out for scooters while crossing the road. 

See the photo album of the larger and most used South terminal here. 

Head for this one if your ship is at the East wharves. 

West 2-3-4 and beyond are very close to the small but easier North terminal, pictures are here. 

There is a sloping ramp down to the track level. Its modest elevator is easier to spot. 

In case of taking an NT 85-90 taxi ride to the train station, this terminal is easier to navigate and to be dropped off at, 

I always use this quieter one to get onto the same train in the last of 8-12 carriages.

This is a map displayed in both stations. Things have changed, and will keep doing so:

1. KuoKuang station moved to the right of the roundabout, see the photo. 

All their intercity buses leave from here. Other lines mentioned in my blog have stops along Gangxi street.

2. Keelung Station Visitor Information Center - such an official long description... moved to the right of the KuoKuang bus station on Gangxi street. It is in an old yellow brick building across from the OCAM museum.

This is where bus T99 tickets are sold and the tourist bus starts. Pick up maps of Keelung here.

Note that tourism info is often divided between a desk for Keelung and one for Taipei upon the arrival of your ship. The fact that the national Tourism Bureau does not ever cover both functions AND cruise lines are still confusing Keelung and Taipei can make you wonder....

As the white Hollywood-like sign on Huzi mountain says: You arrived in Keelung, a port for Taipei - a 50 minutes train ride or drive away from here.

Finding your way around the Keelung port

View Keelung Cruise Terminals in a larger map

I made this map to show you the basics around the port. Answers to questions everyone asks: the walking route to the train and bus station, the market ? You can now print out the directions for easy reference before you go, or ask me by email. Almost everything in Keelung is within a 3 to 4 block area, and not too far from the ship. 


You can reach Taipei by bus and train. There are bus routes to Taipei 101 and the National Palace Museum, all on Google maps.

You'll find separate icons for the nearby popular tourist spots: Zhongzheng Park and its Guanyin statue, the Miaokou Night Market Food Street (open almost 24 hours) and my recommended places to go shopping. Regular shops open at 11 am, close at 10 pm or later. The night market stalls are set up from 5 pm, in front of the regular shops in the streets.


Questions or anything you'd like to share with others ? Let me know.

View the Keelung Cruise Terminal in a larger Google map, check out the Kaohsiung Cruise Terminal page too.

Free WiFi at Keelung Cruise Terminals

When you arrive, you can enjoy the free Wifi coverage in the port on the East and West wharf areas, often the signal may reach your ship. It's simple, all you need is your email address to log in, no password. The Keelung Harbor Bureau is the easiest spot for your wireless reception.

Log in instructions

Having difficulty ?
There are also PC's at the second floor of the Keelung Cultural Center library for free use by passengers and crew. The white building is opposite the East Terminal. Please be considerate of those waiting their turn. 

Need to print a page ?
Then go across the road: second floor of the Keelung Cultural Center (open daily 0900-2000, Sunday till 1700) - then upstairs to the Keelung Library where PC's are connected to a laser printer, and for a few NT dollars you can have your hard copies.

And it is all in English - in other places in Taiwan you may need some help to log in using or getting through the Chinese menus. 

Hotspots

There are free "Keelung city WiFi hotspots" in public buildings (look for the green logo), such as the City Hall. Internet cafes are rare now, in their place you'll find high-speed PC Game halls. Many restaurants offer free wifi. Around the port try the nearby two Starbucks or some 7-11 stores.

Also, the intercity buses and trains often have wifi.

Keelung has a basic free wifi network called .1.Keelung.free but it is slow and only good for checking messages.

By far the best solution for tourists is the " ITaiwan " system with an I(heart)Taiwan logo for which you can sign up in advance. See this link for Keelung locations and instructions provided by the Ministry of Digital Affairs.

You'll need to show your passport to register at the Keelung Tourist Service Center at Gangxi street or at a Travel Service Center in some Taipei MRT metro stations, or at airports if you don't have a local mobile phone number. 

To buy a voice and data card for the day, it's best to go to the Chunghwa Telecom service counter in the building next to the Post Office. You'll need two pieces of ID.

Free Taipei sightseeing March 14 to June 30 2023 ?

Yehliu Geopark with Christine

Yehliu Geopark is on most travelers' list. The hoodoo rocks at Yehliu are bigger than other places along the Northeast coast, such as the Hoping island park in Keelung.
You can still walk around and almost touch the various rocks at Yehliu and take your picture with the Queen's Head.

Hong Kong your next port of call ?

Hong Kong (one day at sea away from Keelung) and Okinawa (some ships make the crossing overnight) are often the ports that you have either been to or are going to next.

My friends often ask me for advice on 'what to do' on their own for a few days in Hong Kong in conjunction with the cruise. Well, around the time of the establishment of the HK Special Administrative Region, we lived in Happy Valley, on a 32nd floor with a view of the racecourse of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. We still visit and have good friends in Hong Kong, and over the years we kept notes of where to go.

So here is a map to help you on the way, showing you popular places on Hong Kong island, Kowloon, the New Territories and even a quick hydrofoil trip to Macau's casinos. Even though your ship may be docked at Ocean terminal, do take the "Star" Ferry across to Hong Kong island from Kowloon to Central or Wanchai, or take one of the one hour harbor cruises. From the ferry at Central pier 5 take bus 15C to the Peak Tram terminus.

You can use the MTR metro, bus, harbor ferry and double-decker tram. Buy an Octopus card at the station or convenience store. There is a special tourist souvenir edition at HK$ 39 to keep, or a regular one with HK$ 50 deposit. You add value and can get a full refund at the last station. It is a smart card (just swipe it), so you can pay with it for many other things too.

Let me know if you're missing or have discovered anything?

A trip along the Coast - on your own

Keelung's train station's South & North Terminal area is a good place to start any tour on your own. From your ship, it's an interesting ten-minute walk along the waterfront. After passing by Starbucks and the local bus stops, cross the road and to the right, you'll find the "hop-on / hop-off" Tourist Bus T99 in front of the Keelung Tourist Information office which sells the tickets inside. Day tickets are NT 50 per route direction for a round trip.

So for NT 50-100, or NT150, you can travel all along the Keelung coast. Buy your ticket at the Keelung Visitor Information center at Gangxi street, where the bus originates. First go West between Keelung-Yehliu and then East from Keelung-Ruifang- and as far as Fulong beach, and back. The T99 bus (same number for both directions and routes) drops you off at the Maritime Plaza within sight of your ship, as do many of the regular buses.

Go West first ! to Yehliu, to see the Queen's head at the Geopark, which already opens at 08:30. Check out the Dawulun area stops for a hike. Then return to Keelung, have lunch in the night market; the food stalls are always open, 24/7 at Ren 3rd road.

If you want to see similar hoodoo rocks without the crowds, check out Keelung's Peace island (Heping Dao park) by Keelung bus 101.
When coming from the East wharves 2-3, start across from the "K" Hotel at Yi 1st road, the stop in front of the 7-Eleven.
If you're at East 4: first, cross the road toward the Evergreen hotel, continue along Xin 5th road to the bus stop at the intersection with Yi 1st road.
When coming from West 2-3-4, start at the Keelung City bus station, next to the OCAM museum. Just drop NT15 into the cash box, get off after some 20 minutes at the furthest point of the loop line at the stop called Heping Island Park. Except it is not in the park: still walk for 7 minutes.
Taxis are cheap, flag one down on the main roads near your ship and pay around NT 200/300 (by the meter) for 4 passengers. Starting fare NT 70.

Go East and travel along the coast to Ruifang train station. Switch to the Gold Fulong shuttle bus if you want to go much further along the coast to Fulong beach (a one hour trip each way if you have the time) and pass by Jiufen Old Street, Jinguashi Gold Museum, Golden Waterfall. Buy your  NT50 ticket at the OKmart convenience store next to the Ruifang train station square.

If Jiufen or Jinguashi is your destination then take local bus 788 from Ruifang which goes through Jiufen and ends in Jinguashi and passes by the Gold Museum. Most shops open by 11 am - so this is a good route for the afternoon until sunset. You can take the 788 bus all the way back from Jiufen to the Keelung night market stop, next and final stop is Maritime Plaza.

The cost for 'two sections' on a regular bus is NT 30, the route takes about 50 minutes. Higher frequency (15-20 minutes), but more stops on this local commuter alternative. It follows that you could take the 788 (same number) from Keelung via Ruifang to Jiufen, but you might have to stand part of the way on winding roads depending on the hour of travel for a local experience. The circular bus route starts at the foot of the old blue pedestrian bridge: Keelung station, Renxiang clinic stop - look for Family Mart. This will offer you a fair chance at a seat. For East wharves, the closest stop "City Government" is next to Starbucks on Yi 1st road.

On the plus side: the T99 bus will save you time as it only stops at our area's interesting tourist spots, which are otherwise hard to reach. I have marked them in orange (West), purple (East) and gold (To Fulong) on my map.

On the minus side, it is a chicken and egg story: current low demand versus low frequency (and the fact that the East route does not reach Jiufen anymore) - so you must time your visits, or fill the gap with a really local bus ride making many stops. In that case, you must always flag down the bus at the stop and pay the local fare of NT 15 per section. You can also travel by train from Keelung to Ruifang, but you must change trains at Badu. It's slightly faster with more seats if you catch the trains on time.

Download the 'Keelung Bus Timetable' app to your mobile device to help you keep an eye on the buses and places around you.

Keelung's Yellow Duck adventure

Ever wondered why there are so many rubber ducks on sale in Keelung?

Here is your answer: for Chinese New Year 2014 some in city hall thought it was a great idea to have a giant rubber duck in port. Designed by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, these ducks had become popular in Southeast Asia. There already had been some trouble with strong winds in Kaohsiung, so they set about adjusting the flotation device to a locally made submerged barge. So far so good.

After one week the duck became quite smudged by the soot deposits of heavy fuel oil burned by ships - so they scrubbed down the duck. When the weather finally improved on December 31, 2013, my husband and I decided to come down from our mountain view of the port to go have a look for ourselves. Alas, on the taxi ride down to the Maritime Plaza the news spread quickly - the duck had split open and deflated. "Forgot to install a pressure vent" for the expanding air on a first sunny day... Sorry ! Bu Hao Yi Si as they love to say here when things go wrong, bowing profusely.

Life goes on: to spin out this grand theme, the city then installed a giant Yellow Chicken ashore. After all, the city's name was literally spelled "Chicken Cage" until the Qing empire changed the characters in 1875 to read "Prosperous Base"...

Looked too much like Hofman's borrowed bathtub idea ? No problem - mei wen ti: 沒問題 (Mei2 Wen4 Ti2) so we ended up with a "black chicken". Giant Inflatables are still a craze in Taiwan for any occasion, to make things ever so cute.

Night image of Taiwan

Such a remarkable picture from the International Space Station ! On a cruise and rounding Fuguei cape - the northernmost point on the island, you'll see the hundreds of squid fishing boats with their very bright lights. Using their GPS they stay clear of the shipping lanes. Keelung is on the North coast in the center, Kaohsiung on the left in the South.

Oblique Night Image of Taiwan and China

Caledonian Sky, Keelung 18th April 2013

From our apartment on the hills, this ship looked so small compared to the container vessels coming into port all day. So we took a closer look at the Caledonian Sky just before departure at 8 pm.

Finally a ship that doesn't dwarf our Harbor Bureau... Just over 100 British and German passengers were on board, enjoying a break in the rainy weather we've had for most of this month. Hope to see more of such specialty cruise ships of Noble Caledonia !

Ocean Dream

   

On a typical Keelung rainy day - on December 18, 2012 it looked as if a Costa ship had changed colors...  was I dreaming ? Not quite: the funnel of the 'Ocean Dream' was a 2001 retrofit of the original 'Tropicale' built in 1981 for Carnival cruise lines, which featured their red-white-blue-whale-tail like funnel.

It was the first new cruise ship built, setting a trend at the time. It still has the looks, but is missing the now so familiar private balconies, and since the launch ships have grown so much in size. Operated with a yellow funnel until 2005 by Costa.

Now the former cruise ship sails on trips around the world for Peace Boat, an international non-government organisation based in Japan. Previous visits of this group were by the 'Oceanic' in May 2012, and much earlier by the 'Topaz'. Both vessels have been scrapped since. Hope to see this historic ship again !

Nautica in Keelung 24+25 February 2013

Oceania's "Nautica" is a consistent visitor to Keelung from the days cruising to Taiwan started to be popular. On many itineraries this ship offers you an overnight stay to enjoy the night views from Taipei 101 and a stroll through our locally famous Keelung "Miaoko" night market around the temple, just a short walk away from the cruise terminal. Many passengers on board are repeat visitors, and this way I've made a lot of friends. Here is my impression of the first of two visits in 2013. You can see the outline of Yehliu peninsula in the background...

Seven Seas Voyager

Sometimes the Keelung port looks like a Chinese painting in the early morning mist. Woke up to the view of the Seven Seas Voyager entering the harbor on March 1st 2013 at 7 am. A nice all balcony ship glistering in the sun... Welcome back !

Costa Victoria in Keelung

Costa's growth in the region continues with a bigger ship based in East Asia. On the 5th of November the Costa Victoria paid a noon to midnight visit to our Keelung port on a 16 day Shanghai to Singapore cruise. I saw many European, North American and some Asian passengers on this trip at the popular spots around town: at the white Guanyin statue overlooking the port, and later in the night market.

Seeing the ship docked at berth East 3+4, it reminded me of an Alaska cruise on Norwegian Sky. Indeed, as its older sister ship the Costa Victoria has been retrofitted with two decks of outside balconies to look like it.

Look for more Costa Victoria and other ship and Taiwan tourism videos on my YouTube pages

Keelung Train Station

Past, Present and Future 

The Keelung to Taipei rail line was the first one in Taiwan and China. During the Japanese colonial period the system was expanded and typical stations added. Some of these Baroque style buildings are well preserved, as you can still see in Hsinchu and Taichung. Surviving the heavy war time bombardments, the Keelung station was replaced by the current 'modern' structure in the mid-1970's when so much of the city's heritage was demolished in the name of progress.

 

Now it is the turn of this building to disappear, and to redevelop the waterfront real estate. The front of the station just got a facelift, but at the platforms work is in progress to build huge foundations. The new station arrangement (under the three towers) will connect with the bus station, one that is now way too small and primitive, as well as a new cruise terminal. Great, but I'm afraid all this progress will limit most of the current wide harbor view - next time you visit on a cruise we'll be a mini Manhattan ?

How can I visit the National Palace Museum on my own ?

View National Palace Museum in my larger map.  

Most cruise tours will offer you a very quick visit to the National Palace Museum in a large group for an hour or so before it's "back on the bus" to quickly check off the next few highlights of Taipei.

Taking the cruise tour is a convenient way - at least you can say you've been there! But you can also do this trip by Kuokuang public bus 1801 for NT$ 56 (one way) on your own from Keelung. The bus timetable shows it leaves on the hour from the KuoKuang bus station, twice per hour on weekdays. You finally get out of the bubble, and at your own pace spend more time at the floors and rooms you like.

The museum now attracts more than four million visitors a year, making it the 7th most visited museum in the world. After the four year reconstruction and closure from 2003-2006 it now needs to urgently increase capacity.

The building is open from 08:30-18:30 hours, on Friday and Saturday until 21:00. Admission is NT$ 350 for the day - let the staff know if you'd like to get back in after taking a lunch break, they will stamp your hand. In most cases, you'll reach your culture saturation point after 2-3 hours.

At times you'd think you are already (or again) in mainland China when other groups rush in. Which means long lines in your group for the 'must see' and hyped items like the "Jadeite Cabbage" and "Meat-Shaped Stone" - when there is so much more to see.

If you're going on your own and have signed up online in advance for the one hour free English tour at 10:00 and 15:00 you'll have expert advice. But even better: for NT$ 100 you can rent an English/Japanese/Korean language audio-guide. Simply press the number of the items of interest in front of you.

After all, there are only some 3300 artifacts on display for an average 2 months out of a total collection of 695.000 items to keep you coming back for years.

With help from a local like me, you can take this trip by bus to the NPM within a ten-minute walk from the museum and back. OK, spoiler alert: you can ask to call a regular cab at any 7-Eleven, or take one (charged by the GPS meter, with printed receipt) at the train station and pay around NT$ 800 for 4 or 5 in a Toyota Wish, it is slightly faster.

Check my maps and the pictures for the details, route, and stops - it takes about 35-70 minutes to get to the Shilin district this way. After driving on the highway for 20 minutes you'll first reach the Neihu district and the stops then take you past quite a number of schools and hospitals, the names of which are automatically announced on the bus in English too and shown on the LED display. Most buses now have free WiFi and USB chargers. Stops are on demand only - which means you must always push the stop button or wave down a bus to get on it. 

Don't worry, just get off the bus after passing through the long tunnel in Taipei. So once the bus is inside - push the stop button. If you did tell the driver you're going to 'Gu-gong', he or other passengers will be happy and proud to let you know: Taiwanese are very friendly and helpful.

If you have the time, do also visit the Shun Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines across the road, the NPM sells a combination ticket for NT$ 400 (saving NT$ 100) - to see the real Taiwan, and the long history of the more than 14 indigenous tribes that spread out from Taiwan across Australasia. Closed on Mondays. 

Buy hand made indigenous handicraft and souvenirs there. After all, what you will see in the big NPM is 22% of the collection which reached Taiwan by 1949 from the Palace Museum in Beijing, other museums and archives in mainland China. Most of it has nothing to do with this island.

If your next stop is Taipei 101, you can buy an NPM combination ticket at NT$ 820, saving NT$ 130. The museum can call you a cab to go there, or to Shilin metro station (about NT$ 150) on the red line which brings you to 101 as well.

Since so many of you asked me and like to have a bit of cruise adventure, here is my step by step guide (updated March 2019):

1. Recognise the route. Check the Taiwanbus.tw real-time website, enter bus line 1801. It brings up the Kuo-Kuang Motor Transportation 1801 GroupBus for departure and estimated arrival times. 

The bus has the same number in both directions "Outward" and "Return", but some of the stops are only in one direction. 

During weekdays there are additional buses to carry high school students and nurses who love to practice their English on you. These are the last two lines displayed under "Path No" and do not reach the NPM area, but from Keelung like all 1801 buses get you to and from the closest Metro station in Taipei: "Wende" at Bihou park stop BR18 on the Brown line whch runs between Sungshan Airport and Taipei Zoo. See other posts on Taipei On Your Own.

Without traffic, it is a 35-minute ride, at peak hours it could be double.

2. Ready? Walk to the new open-air bus station just off the South terminal of the train station, by crossing the blue pedestrian overpass. Buy a now NT$ 56 ticket (still less than 2 US$ or Euro) at the Kuo-Kuang bus ticket counter. 

You could ask for a separate return ticket, or on the return trip just throw the same amount into the cash box of the bus, say 'Keelung' and the driver will hand you a stub, which you hand back to him when getting off the bus in Keelung. But I'm getting ahead of myself.






















3. Line up at the  bus stop marked 1801. Except in the early morning rush hour before 0800 when there are more buses, the bus departs twice an hour on weekdays, on Sat/Sun on the hour on the dot.


Just to let you know about your destination: Officially the stop is called the "Gugong Road Intersection" number 15 on the outward line identified as going to the "Zhenxing Hospital" also known as National College of Nursing; old stop names still show up in the fare table.

On the return, you board by flagging down the 1801 return bus at its stop number 11,  the "Chinese Culture and Movie Center" stop. The movie center backlot has closed decades ago to make way for expensive apartments. Anyway, this is where the return stop to Keelung is located: further away and across the road from where you got off the bus.

4. Once you get off the bus after 35/70 minutes and 13 optional stops, walk to your right in the direction you just came from. After less than 10 minutes you'll see these huge apartment blocks across the road. It is a very expensive residence complex.

Would you believe that back in 1965, when the original museum opened it was the only building in this area? now even finding parking space is difficult.



Just keep following the sidewalk, and at the bus stop (check out bus Red 30 and others back to Shilin Metro station on the red line at NT$ 15) you can orient yourself by looking at the map board shown below.


5. You can walk up the steps passing under the five imperial arches gate up to the first floor, take your picture in front of the main building.

So pass this gate and the inevitable Falung Gong displays in front of it.

I would suggest walking down from the museum through the oft-forgotten Chinese style Chishan garden, especially on a hot day it provides a nice shade. With your museum ticket entrance is free, otherwise, insert NT$20 at the turnstiles on your left side once you have come down the steps from the first floor.




This is the Chishan garden exit gate at the side of the museum steps, just go up the steps and inside.

6. Now you've certainly earned a coffee or cool drink and snack at the first-floor restaurant, before buying your ticket. You'll have to check any professional camera, bags or backpacks at the counter for free safekeeping. No water bottles can be brought inside - like most museums. You can take some pictures with your mobile phone or small camera, follow any instruction, do not use flash.

2012, the Year of the Dragon

Diamond Princess April 2008

Diamond Princess first visit to Taiwan

Diamond Princess, October 2008

Once more the 'Diamond Princess' visited Keelung. Some of the 2600 cruise passengers from Europe, The Americas and Asia took a seven hour shopping tour to Taipei 101 with me: "Taipei On Your Own" - from the shopping mall you'll have some time to see the city by yourself, with the use of a map.