hkskyline's 2012 in KEELUNG, Taiwan

[hkskyline]

Originally called "Jilong", meaning hens' cage, Keelung is the Taiwan's second port. During the Qing dynasty, the harbour was developed as a naval defense centre and a railroad was built to connect with Taipei. The Japanese further developed the harbour during the occupation, only to be destroyed by American bombers in World War II. Today, Keelung remains a port city and can be easily accessed from Taipei by train or bus.

Full Gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/keelung.htm



Keeling is Taiwan's second port. Its small waterfront promenade is a good place to rest, albeit most of it is not shaded so it's best to stay away during the summer heat.









Not sure what these photographers are waiting for, but they brought quite a lot of professional equipment!







Buses go from here to all parts of nearby Taipei. In fact, I caught one of these from just outside my Taipei hotel right to Keelung's waterfront.









The city centre's streets are full of grit, ugly-looking buildings, and the odd temple here and there.















Not sure how the bucket got up there. A typhoon passed a few days earlier, but I doubt it would've been the culprit.





Miaokou is an all-hours "night market". Some stalls were already open upon my morning arrival. The market is a short section of street, but there's plenty to eat and see.

































































Tien-Chi Temple is located in the heart of the Miaokou market street. Established during the Qing dynasty, the temple commemorates the early pioneers.























































Many buildings have canopies on the ground floor to protect pedestrians from the elements. Shops can also extend their wares to this additional space.

[ColDayMan]

Thanks!

[Austinlee]

Sweet. Liked the first few pics best showing the urban form. How many "major" cities are there total in Taiwan? And how would you say they rank in terms of importance?

[Kilgore Trout]

Need to go back to Taiwan. I miss that street food.

I also love how flamboyant Hokkien temples are compared to, say, Cantonese temples. Crazy rooflines and so much colour and decoration.

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

Sweet. Liked the first few pics best showing the urban form. How many "major" cities are there total in Taiwan? And how would you say they rank in terms of importance?

The main ones mirror the high-speed train stations, such as Taipei, Hsinchu, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. On the east coast where there is no high-speed rail, the main cities are Taitung, Hualien, and Yilan.

Keelung feels like a suburb since it is so close to Taipei.

In terms of historic importance, Tainan was the old capital, where the Dutch first set up their military base, and then driven out by the Chinese. Kaohsiung is the main port while Taipei is the economic and political heart.

[hkskyline]

Hepingdao is at the northern edge of Keelung facing the sea. Erosion has created spectacular rock formations, although there was a lot of garbage washed ashore.

[Danny]

Thanks for the pics, hkskyline!

Far Orient is always very attractive for me. Very nice temples and delicious meals. I like your thread.

Those rock formations in Hepingdao are very singular and curious.

Congrats and greetings from Madrid, Spain!

[Muji]

Great thread! I used to to spend a lot of my summers in Keelung as a kid back in the mid-90s. One of my most vivid memories is how awful the harborfront smelled and looked, and how generally dirty most of the city was. While many parts of Taipei have grown and redeveloped very dramatically in the last two decades, Keelung somehow never seems to change much.

[R@ptor]

Great photos.

I used to go there quite a few times when I was living in Taipei. Really gritty and a food lovers paradise.

And obviously the guys with the huge lenses are still at the harbour. I don't think I've ever seen a place with more people with 500mm lenses walking around then there.

[hkskyline]

Thanks for your support. Let's explore the city centre.







Under the canopy, an odd food stand would appear every now and then.











Jhongjheng Park is built along the hillsides overlooking the harbour. The climb up is not so bad.

























The license plate reads : Taiwan Province



A further walk down, I reached the Gooddess of Mercy, a tall statue facing the harbour that serves as a guiding point.

[hkskyline]

Buses leave from Keelung's railway station for Jinshan stop at Yehliu, a famous ecological park along Taiwan's north coast. From the bus stop, it is a 10-minute walk past the fishing port to the park's entrance.