The most famous Keelung Fish Market: Kanziding Fish Market The Keelung Kanziding Fish Market is the main fish market in Northern Taiwan and one of the top tourist attractions on the island. It’s a unique experience to walk through the market streets brimming with people and trucks full of fish (at midnight when it opens!), appreciate the abundance of life … Read More
The Most Fortified City and Its Hidden Forts Keelung is the most fortified part of Taiwan.[1] The landscape is a strategic masterpiece evidenced by its history of defensive positions in each era of occupation. For example, the Japanese occupation beginning in 1895 spawned nearly 700 bomb shelters resulting in Keelung’s claim to the highest density of hiding spots in all … Read More
The Most Fortified City Keelung is the most fortified part of Taiwan.[1] The landscape is a strategic masterpiece evidenced by its history of defensive positions in each era of occupation. For example, the Japanese occupation beginning in 1895 spawned nearly 700 bomb shelters resulting in Keelung’s claim to the highest density of hiding spots in all of Taiwan. [2] Hidden … Read More
Finding a little quiet time for yourself in Keelung After a full day of visiting Keelung’s Renai day market, the E-square mall, and the many stores, cafes, and little restaurants in the downtown core, you might want to find a little place to sit down and have a little quiet time for yourself. Recommend: Keelung’s Lido Butterfly Garden Keelung’s … Read More
Lighthouses exist in a liminal zone on the border between the elements, between the known world of houses, streets and hills and the dark, unknowable depths of the ocean. One one hand, they are expressions of man’s noblest ideals: structures whose sole purposes are to save lives, to reassure the lost, and to let societies prosper. On the other, they … Read More
4 Historical Lighthouses in Keelung Lighthouses have long had a unique hold on the human imagination. They are neither of the sea nor of the land. They exist in a liminal zone on the border between the elements, between the known world of houses, streets and hills and the dark, unknowable depths of the ocean. On the one hand, they … Read More
There is so much to see and do in and around Keelung. The city itself is home to a lively fish market, bustling night markets and a long multicultural history. One place of particular interest is the lovely Heping Island. There are so many things to do on Heping Island. With its beautiful coastline, park and fort, it is worth … Read More
What do fallen empires leave behind? The Keelung remains from previous empires that can be found around town are astonishing. In a scene of the movie “The Life of Brian”, a zealot asked an assembled group of other zealots: “What have the Romans given us?” The round answers in turn: “The aqueduct?” “And the sanitation.” Et cetera. Finally, the zealot … Read More
Have you ever wondered what happened to the Shinto shrines built by the Japanese colonial regime in Taiwan after World War II? Why were there Shinto shrines in Taiwan? There existed a de facto state religion in the Japanese Empire, the so-called State Shinto 国家 神道 (kokka shintou). In Japanese colonies, as well as areas occupied by Japan during the … Read More
Best Taipei day trip: Why Keelung is the best day trip from Taipei Taipei is the perfect city to escape from, located just a short distance beautiful mountains and sleepy seaside villages, so there are many day trips to choose from. Keelung is a city often overlooked by tourists, yet it has so many wonderful things to offer someone looking … Read More