Being situated so close to Taipei, Keelung is sometimes overlooked in favour of its neighbouring capital city. But Keelung is championed by its locals as more laid-back, easier to navigate, and ripe with authentic food spots and attractions.
You’ll even find the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology. Established in 1979, the museum brings scientific and cultural information to the people of Keelung. Inside you’ll also find Gigi, a Keelung local who understands what the city has to offer.
Name: Gigi
Job: National Museum of Marine Science and Technology
"They come to Keelung and then just go straight to Taipei — I think it's such a pity. Stay in Keelung a bit longer."
What makes Keelung unique?
Even though our city is small, it still has a lot of historical stories to share with the world. You can uncover them all over the city.
We also have the harbour. You really feel the moisture, and there’s the sound of the waves, the ocean views, the mountains, and sometimes there’s fog, and it makes the city feel very romantic, and also a bit different from other cities.
What place in Keelung holds special memories for you?
When I was a child, my parents would take us to Zhongzheng Park. There were some special things there: bumper cars, sugar-blowing art, bubble-blowing, and places that kids liked to play. On weekends, that was the place we went the most. There’s also a very special statue there; it’s Guanyin (Taiwanese: Kuan-im-má).
For the people of Keelung, the statue is very important because we live by the sea. People here go out to sea to fish, or do anything related to the ocean, and they go there to pray for safety and to return home safely. So for me, and for many people in Keelung, the park and the statue left a very deep impression.
What is something people might not know about Keelung?
When people come to Keelung, I feel like they only know Miaokou, Miaokou Night Market, seafood, and that’s it. But besides the downtown area, we also have Dawulun and Chaojing Park. There are many hiking trails like 65 Heights; when you hike there you will see really beautiful coastline.
Other than that, I think Heping Island is also an amazing place that people don’t know about. At Heping Island, there are all these sea-eroded rock formations, you get ocean views and you can also see Keelung Islet. It’s really special, but many people don’t know about it. They come to Keelung and then just go straight to Taipei, and that’s it; I think it’s such a pity. Stay in Keelung a bit longer and enjoy the scenery here.
How has Keelung changed in your memory?
In my impression, Keelung used to feel kind of gray and gloomy, and the buildings were older. But over the past few years, I think there have been big changes in construction and development. They’ve added a lot of cultural and artistic things which make many people from outside, as well as Keelung locals, very willing to participate in local cultural and artistic events. I feel it has made the city more lively and vibrant, and now the feeling of the place is really wonderful.
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