Keelung Art Stroll

Keelung is known for rain, seafood, and a lively port—but tucked between markets, alleys, and hillside stairways is another side of the city: street art. Keelung is a city of color, as you can read about in this previous blog post, and to prove it, playful illustrations and art pieces have transformed unexpected corners into miniature outdoor galleries. Many pieces appear in places tourists would never think to explore—hidden staircases, market walls, narrow lanes, and residential side streets—making them rewarding discoveries for those willing to wander.

This blog post highlights some of the most accessible murals in downtown Keelung and includes a suggested itinerary with a map at the end. I have taken the liberty to name the pieces for ease of identification; unfortunately, most of the artworks are not labeled with titles or the names of their creators. The full route can be completed in under an hour—perfect for photographers, families, or curious travelers looking to explore beyond the main tourist spots.

Huilong Market Street Art

1. Noodle Needle Market Art

Location: Huilong Market, between Rener Road and Keelung for a Walk’s Memory Market
Coordinates: 25.127852, 121.749990

This playful mural, titled Noodle Needle, reimagines one of Taiwan’s most beloved dishes—the noodle—as a playful thread that winds through the foods, objects, and alleyway details of the marketplace. Look closely and you can find local treats, a vinyl record, and even the wall pipes cleverly painted into leafy green vines. Squint and you might even begin to see the bowl and its flowing noodles as a jellyfish! This piece was recently created by fEOfliP, an artist from the Canary Islands; more about this artwork and its creator is posted here.

2. Rainy Cat & Scooter Girl Art

Wall art of a cat in a yellow rainjacket holding an umbrella, set against a bright pink wall

Painting on the wall of a stairwell of a girl on a red scooter

Location: Huilong Market, near Lane 6, Liumingchuan Road
Coordinates: 25.127884, 121.750485

Set against a bright pink backdrop, a determined cat in a yellow, fish-adorned raincoat braces against falling stars with a big umbrella—about as Keelung as a painting can get. Turn around and look up the steps: lanterns float across a blue sky, while a girl zips by on her scooter. A little worn by time, but still charming.

Fun Figures Art

Location: Under the canopy between Rener Road and Keelung Municipal Rei-Ai Elementary School
Coordinates: 25.127865, 121.746370

A long, whimsical mural of colorful and black-and-white pop-art figures dancing across the wall—in the style of popular artist Keith Haring—complete with speech bubbles in Chinese and English. With an elementary school next door, it feels perfectly placed: lively, energetic, and full of imagination.

Paintdrops Art

Street art of a fisherman tempting a shark with a wedge of cheese on the end of his pole, set against a blue background with colorful paint drips as raindrops

Street art of a large umbrella and a shiba inu dog set against a blue background and colorful paint drips as raindrops

Location: Lane 54, Ai 2nd Road. Between 三奇壹號咖啡館x築甜製菓:Keelung Senki Coffee and Ai 2nd Road

Coordinates: 25.129127127006267, 121.74247270026592

Bright maritime-blue walls drip with rainbow streaks of “rain,” with quirky characters scattered throughout—a large umbrella, a Shiba Inu, and a fisherman tempting a shark with a wedge of cheese. It’s strange, silly, and excellent for photos.

Buildings on Buildings Art

Two brown houses set against a dark night sky background painted onto the sides of a building

Facade of large windows with blue shutters painted onto a building

Location: Intersection of Yiyi Road & Xin 4th Road
Coordinates: 25.133608952994873, 121.74597897989594

Two murals face each other at the intersection: painted homes glowing with warm window light on one side, and a façade with bright blue shutters on the other—some overlapping real windows. It is fitting that the shutters appear above a home design shop.

Framed Alleyway Art

Location: Lane 286, Xin’er Road, almost where the lane meets Yier Road. Across from a clothing store called Style Travel.
Coordinates: 25.13173412423806, 121.74589919801728

Framed impressionist artwork depicting a serene scene of a temple amidst nature, set against a brightly painted wall with butterfly and flower graphics.

Bonus: find more down the other alleyway jutting off of the alleyway that you found this piece! Framed historical photos and maps surrounded by painted cats, trees, and buildings cover the length of this alley, making for a unique combination that promotes both the city’s history and culture.

An alleyway with street art and framed photos interspersed with one another

Framed historical maps and photos interspersed with street art of a cat at a market stall next to a larger building

Alice in Wonderland Art

Location: Lane 141, Xin 1st Road. Facing the artwork, it is to the right of a medical office and the local noodle shop 來來粿仔湯.
Coordinates: 25.129858, 121.747595

A Wonderland door invites passers-by to peer closer at the brightly colored characters of Lewis Carroll’s fun story, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Vivid and clean, it seems relatively new—though easy to miss unless you know where to look.

Goddess Guanyin Mosaic Art

Location: Xin’er Road & Shoushan Road, on the Keelung City Health Bureau building
Coordinates: 25.129800, 121.749300

A detailed mosaic featuring Keelung’s famous Goddess Guanyin statue. Below, you can also find a smaller mosaic of the ornate temple gate leading to the Big Buddha in Zhongzheng Park. A surprising burst of color and craftsmanship at a busy part of town.

Totoro Art

Location: Walking from Shoushan Pavilion to Zhongzheng Park up Shoushan Road, you will see a red tori gate to your left. Go through the gate and up the stairs, where you will find yourself in a small grassy area with an abandoned old bus stop seating area and (functioning) public bathrooms.

Coordinates: 25.1327925, 121.7498692

Right in the middle of the touristy spots but overlooked by most, you will find our friendly neighbor Totoro. The space itself has become a bit overgrown, but it adds to the charm in my opinion–Totoro waits at a bus stop beneath a canopy of ferns and greenery, equipped with his umbrella like any good Keelung resident. Whimsical, tucked away, and perfect for Studio Ghibli fans.

Suggested Self-Guided Walking Route

If you are looking for a self-guided art stroll tour of these spots, here is a suggested itinerary and map:

Start out at Huilong Market, where you can see the Noodle Needle Art, Rainy Cat and Scooter Girl Art.
Walk for a few minutes along Rener Road to see the Fun Figures Art next to the elementary school.
Keep making your way down Rener Road in the direction of Maritime Plaza, turning left onto Aisan Road, then right onto the discreet Lane 54 alleyway to see the Paintdrop Art.
Find your way back to Aisan Rd and turn left. Keep on this road (it turns into Yiyi Road), crossing the canal, until you reach the intersection with Xin 4th Road, where you will see the couple of painted Buildings on Buildings Art.
Not too far from there, find your way to Yier Road, where you can stop at its corner with Lane 286 to see the Framed Alleyway Art pieces in the alleyways.
Next, turn left onto the busy Xin’er Road, past Fo Guang Shan Ji Le Temple until you reach Lane 141, where you will turn right in order to say hello to Alice and her friends.
Make your way back to Xin’er Road and keep walking as you were before, previewing Zhongzheng Park with a stop at the Mosaic Art when turning left onto Shoushan Road.
For the final hurrah, climb uphill on Shoushan Road to finish off this tour with Totoro!

All in all, this walking route takes less than an hour, though you may want to spend a bit of time snapping photos for your social media and stopping at some of the nearby attractions and cafes.

You can follow the route on Google Maps:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/nQs2NRSFjtwL3YQs7

A Street Art Stroll Through Keelung: A Self-Guided Walking Tour