Attractions
Attractions
｜Mountain Trail｜
About 400M in total length, while walking along the trail, you will enjoy the scenery of Keelung Island, amazing ocean views and landscapes.
｜Wave-Cut Platform｜
The vast wave-cut platform is the place of origin of the winter seaweed. Often you will see the local women collecting the seaweed here, it is a unique cultural scene at Heping Island.
｜Angel to the Sea Marina｜
Walking on the marina feels as if you are going into the ocean, it is a great spot for photos and check in on Facebook. There is also a slide connecting Summer Stay Beach for the kids.
｜ Marine Landscape｜
The rocks in Heping Island Park are layered sedimentary rocks. When you look closely, you will find that each layer has different color, for example: yellow, green-grey and dark grey, it’s colorful just like a thousand-layers cake.
The marine cliffs here are affected by crashing waves and tidal waves, like a cake that has been taken a bite, forming a sea-erosion concave terrain. The erosion digs deeper and deeper, the rock above the concave wall falls due to gravity, causing the marine cliffs to retreat, forming a new cliff. At the same time, the platform in front of the cliff also continues to expand to form a vast abrasion platform.
｜Geological landscape Ch'ien Tieh Fu｜
The abrasion (wave-cut) platform is dotted with large tofu rocks. During the Japanese Occupation, the Japanese thought its appearance is just like a thousand tatamis, spreading all over the platform, so they called it “Ch'ien Tieh Fu”. This landscape comes from the crushing of the Earth’s crust in two opposite directions hundreds of thousands of years ago which, over time, was eroded by the natural elements and formed the landscape we see here today.
｜Screw Pine｜
Its leaves are hard, leather-like, barbed with cuticular membrane to prevent water loss
｜Alfred Stonecrop｜
Its meaty leaves are salt tolerant, they also have the advantage of storing water.
｜Silvery Messerschmidia｜
The leaf’s surface is covered in fine hair to prevent water loss.
| Ryukyuan Fisherman’s Monument｜
In 1905, Ryukyuan crossed the sea and settled in Heping Island. During their stay, they taught the locals fishing and shipbuilding techniques. Japan presented this monument as a gift for the relationship between Ryukyuan and the locals.
｜The Dutch Cave ｜
Can you see? There is a small marine cave in that magnificent marine cliff! It has an interesting name: the Dutch Cave.
History has it that in 1668, the Koxinga Army marched northward to drive the Dutch out of Taiwan. Some Dutch ran away, hid in this small marine cave on Heping Island, and carved Dutch words on the wall inside the cave, Hence its name: The Dutch Cave. Today, the words have been eroded by the natural elements, only leaving the cave for the later generations to imagine and reminisce the story and scene of that era. The mark of the era will eventually fade. However, the forces of nature will continue to shape the future of the Dutch Cave.
｜Wan Shan Gong (Temple of All Goodness)｜
In the 17th century, there had already been indigenous tribes of Ketagalan that resided in Heping Island, and because Heping Island is the outpost of Keelung City, guarding the international portal of Northern Taiwan, it had been the battleground of the world powers and the traders.
Wan Shan Gong’s purpose is to find a resting place for the remains of Spaniard, Ryukyuan and the early settlers on the Island, and to pay respect to them. The temple was built because the Islanders couldn’t bear their ancestors to suffer from the sun and the rain, it deeply embodies Taiwanese people’s kindness and beliefs in the culture.
｜Centuries of Glory, return fully loaded｜
Merchant ships loaded with cargos, warships stand upright and unafraid, magnificent and classic cruise ships, this is a day-to-day scene in Keelung Harbor.
Because of its natural cape-bay type of terrain and the harbor construction plans from Qing Dynasty, the Japanese Colonial Period and Kuomintang (KMT) Government, in 1916, Keelung Harbor sprung up during the Japanese Colonial Period, not only surpassed Tamsui Harbor and became the central harbor for Japan, Southeast Asia and China, but also became an important portal for international tourists in Taiwan. However, at the end of Second World War, Keelung Harbor was turned to ruin by the Allies’ bombing. It was restored and expanded gradually after WW II. In 1984, Keelung Harbor became the 7th largest container port in the world, shipping network reached all over the globe.
In the 1990’s, affected by the cramped hinterland, rise of Chinese seaports and the construction of Taipei Harbor, Keelung Harbor’s operations weren’t as good as it was previously. In recent years, the cruise ship economy has injected new life into Keelung Harbor. Located at the mouth of Keelung Harbor, Heping Island continues to witness Keelung Harbor’s glory in the passing of time.
｜The past and present life of Heping Island｜
Called “The Big Cave” in the past, the small bay area where the “Island in The Island” resides is the sealine separating Zhongshan Island and Sojima Island. The two Islands are now connected from sea reclamation, and the small island in the bay becomes the beautiful “Island in The Island” we know today.
During its early period, it had a pavilion, a pier and a trail. In order to recover the natural landscape, all the cement constructions were removed in 2008. Now the coastal plants are lush on the Island! The sedimentary rocks, the onion stones can be seen distinctly, along with the magnificent sea view, school of fish swim freely, you will be amazed by the nature’s gift.