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.

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 !

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 ?

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.