Keelung
Introduction
Keelung, also written Chilung or Jilong, is a major port city in northeastern Taiwan and part of the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area alongside neighbouring New Taipei City and Taipei. Its nickname, the Rainy Port, comes from its frequent rain and its long maritime role, so plan for wet weather rather than expecting dry, sunny days.
The city is one of Taiwan's principal seaports, and its harbour has shaped its character as a working, sea-facing place within easy reach of the wider metropolitan area.
Getting there
Keelung sits at the northern end of the Western Line, and the commuter trains from Taipei are the most straightforward way in. They run every 15 to 20 minutes and stop at many stations along the route. Be careful which train you board: although Keelung is on the extreme north end of the main Western Line, not every northbound train goes there. Many services are bound for the east coast and branch off at Badu instead, so take only trains with Keelung shown as their final destination, or you may end up on the train to Taitung. If that happens, get off before Badu station. Keelung itself is a large area with several stations on the TRA network. Keelung station is the main point of access to the city centre, while Badu has long served as the transfer point between the West Coast line and the Yilan line. Baifu and Sankeng are served only by local trains, Nuannuan sits on the Yilan line, and Qidu is the origin station for most southbound trains on the West Coast line.
Buses from Taipei are frequent, with stops for Keelung-bound services located all across the city, and several companies operate the route. The quickest option is the bus from the Kuo-Kuang Bus company's East-West bus station, just to the left of Taipei Railway station, which leaves every 10 minutes and runs non-stop to Keelung harbour; buy your ticket in advance, and note that the Easy Card used on the Taipei Metro and local buses is accepted — touch on when you get on and when you get off. Journey times range from around 35 minutes to two hours depending on the route and traffic. Because there are so many bus routes and stops, delays are common, and most drivers have limited English, taking the train and then transferring to city buses, the MRT or a taxi is often wiser unless you know the greater Taipei area well and speak some Taiwanese or Mandarin. A longer bus ride along the North coast is also possible. By sea, Keelung is one of Taiwan's busiest container ports, with a long deep-water harbour. A regular domestic ferry serves the outlying islands of Matsu, though it is very basic and used mostly by military personnel, and a weekly overnight ferry connects Keelung with Ishigaki in Japan.
Getting around
Downtown Keelung is compact enough to cover on foot, and walking is the easiest way to explore the harbourfront and central streets. Beyond the centre, though, the city spreads across districts separated by hills and mountains, so plan on combining a walk with trains, buses, or taxis. A good first stop is the Keelung City Tourist Information office, where you can pick up maps and local advice before setting out. Car-free travel is entirely feasible here: trains, buses, taxis, and walking cover the practical needs of most visitors. Note that Keelung has no metro or tram system of its own, and no high-speed rail station either — the nearest MRT and THSR access are both via Taipei.
The Taiwan Railways Administration network is the backbone of public transport. Keelung Station, on Gangxi Street in Ren'ai District, is the main point of access to the centre and the hub connecting the city to the rest of Taiwan; trains are generally safe, reliable, and punctual. Other stations serve outlying districts: Badu is an important transfer point between the West Coast line and the Yilan line, Baifu and Sankeng are served by local trains only, Nuannuan sits on the Yilan line, and Qidu is the origin station for most southbound West Coast line trains. Fares are distance-based and affordable, and women-only cars are available during certain hours. One warning: not every train heading north continues to Keelung — many branch off at Badu for the east coast, so only board services that clearly show Keelung as their final destination, and if you end up on a long express run, get off before Badu.
- City buses cover most of Keelung, including the Keelung Night Market and Zhongzheng Park; service is frequent and fares are cheap, and the Keelung Bus Company app gives real-time bus information.
- For travel between Keelung and Taipei, the Keelung–Taipei Bus is the popular commuter option, running frequently at peak hours with well-marked stops and taking roughly an hour. Kuo-Kuang buses from the East-West bus station beside Taipei Railway Station run non-stop to Keelung harbour and take around 35 minutes in good conditions.
- You can buy tickets in advance at clearly marked booths with English signage, or use an EasyCard — the same stored-value card used on the Taipei Metro and local buses. Touch the sensor when you board and again when you get off.
- Because there are many routes and stops, delays are common and most drivers have limited English, so a bus from Taipei can be confusing unless you know the greater Taipei area and speak some Mandarin or Taiwanese. If you're not confident, take the train instead and transfer to a city bus, taxi, or Taipei's MRT.
- Taxis are plentiful, can be hailed on the street or booked through an app, and are metered and more expensive than trains or buses — but they offer door-to-door service, which helps with luggage or the hilly, spread-out districts.
Where to stay
Where you stay in Keelung depends largely on how close you want to be to the harbour and the night market. In Ren-ai District, the Imperial Hotel sits less than a minute's walk from Miaokou Night Market, with a 24-hour front desk, free coffee and tea, a Chinese buffet breakfast, Wi-Fi, a social area, a self-service laundry room and luggage storage. Also in Ren-ai District, on Rényī Road, is the Huadu Hotel Keelung. For harbour views, the Evergreen Laurel Hotel on Zhong-Zheng Road has a top-floor restaurant looking out over the water. If you prefer a guesthouse atmosphere, Sea Point B&B Guest House on Sanjan Rd is another option.Food & drink
Miaokou Night Market is the centre of eating in Keelung, winding through the lanes and alleys around Dianji Temple in the downtown area. It's easy to reach on foot from the railway station — walk east along the street following the harbour towards the Keelung Harbor Bureau, and the market sits roughly a block east of the freeway overpass. It runs around the clock but comes alive in the evening. Work your way through the stalls for stinky tofu, oyster omelet, pot-edged pancake soup, shrimp Taiwanese balls, tianbula, fish ball soup, Chinese sausages and baked crabs. Cool down with bubble ice or shaved ice piled with your choice of toppings, or try the "Nutritious Sandwich" — frybread, mayo and sausage — and a bowl of bean noodle thick soup. For seafood, head to Heping Island and the 35 Yuhuo Fish Market just after the bridge, where the boats dock nearby: you pick the fish and they cook it for you. Bubble tea is on every corner.What to see and do
In East Keelung, start at the Kanziding Fish Market on Xiaoyi Road, the oldest continuously operating fishery distribution centre in northern Taiwan. Zhongzheng Park is watched over by a tall white statue of Guanyin that looks out across the town and the harbour entrance. History runs through this side of the city: Ershawan Fort, also called Haimen Tiansian, was built by the Qing government and saw action in the Sino-French War, and you can look out over Keelung Harbour from its gun emplacement; the Keelung French Cemetery is a remnant of that same conflict, close to the harbour. Offshore, Keelung Islet is an easy landmark to spot from the city and the coast, while Heping Island, once the doorway island to the harbour and the site of a Spanish fort, is reached by bridge or bus and is known for rocks and coasts eroded by wind and sea into unusual shapes. The National Museum of Marine Science and Technology, housed in a former power plant, is a kid-friendly option with exhibition galleries, an IMAX theatre and educational trails in the adjoining seaside park, and Zhengbin Fishing Port, with its colourful houses, is good for photography on the way to Heping Island. Further up in the mountains, Yong Heng Creative Park is a scenic outdoor art park where the mountainside was transformed with large drawings of a panda, a duck and smaller figures made from thousands of coloured wind spinners. West Keelung is fort country. Gongzih Liao Fort, a Qing-era site later used as a military facility and now a provincial historic site, offers views over Heping Island, Badouzih and Keelung Islet. Dawulun Fort, on Mount Tawulun, guarded the west side of the harbour during the Opium War and the Sino-French War, and its stone walls, arched windows, chassis and storage rooms survive along a pebble footpath; from its platform you can take in Keelung Islet, the Waimu Shan seashore and Badouzih. Baimiwong Fort faces the sea in three sections — barbette, control centre and observation station — and is a popular spot for locals to watch the harbour lights and the stars on a summer evening, while Shihciouling Fort, the highest of Keelung's forts and the only remaining small fort built in the late Qing Dynasty, gives a sweeping view over the whole harbour. For outdoor activity, the Waimu Shan seashore stretches from Waimu Shan Fishery Harbour to Aoditong Village, mixing open shore with marine cliffs; experienced swimmers can dive and swim near the fishery harbour, the beach near Aoditong Village is Keelung's only remaining sandy shore, and the nearby Octopus swimming pool suits those who would rather not swim in the sea. Summer sunrises here are worth the early start. Lovers Lake, on the mountainside of Mount Dawulun, is the city's only highland spot, with dense woods, a lake, kiosks, a suspension bridge, an observation platform, windmills and walking paths; in spring and summer, insects, butterflies and migrating birds gather there.When to go
Keelung is a humid subtropical city, and it is known as one of the wettest and gloomiest places in the world. Rain is heaviest in fall and winter, while summer is slightly drier and hotter. Plan around that pattern rather than against it: if you want the best odds of dry, brighter days, aim for summer, and if you don't mind grey skies and frequent rain, the rest of the year still has plenty to offer.
- Winter: Short and warm, but this is the wettest and gloomiest stretch of the year. Heavier rain is driven by the prevailing northeasterly flow and orographic lift on the mountain slopes. Fog is at its most serious and relative humidity is at its highest, so expect grey, damp days and limited views. Warm spells can still push temperatures up.
- Spring: Very humid and foggy, with fog at its most serious alongside winter. Rain stays frequent, keeping the city damp and overcast, though temperatures are mild.
- Summer: Long, hot and relatively dry, as southwesterly winds dominate and create a slight rain shadow effect. Even so, rainy summer days can keep temperatures down. This is the least wet season, though heavy rainstorms are still possible.
- Fall: Rainfall becomes heavier again as the northeasterly flow returns, making this one of the wettest parts of the year. Expect frequent rain and gloomy conditions.
Three days in Keelung
Day one: Base yourself in Keelung, also written Chilung or Jilong, on Taiwan's north coast near Taipei and New Taipei City. Because it is known as the Rainy Port, expect damp, grey conditions and plan around them. Start with the harbour area and the streets around it, then use the Easy Card on local buses to reach the outlying districts. Buses and the Kuo Kuang Bus connect the city with Taipei, and the TRA Western Line and Taipei Railway make day trips straightforward.
Day two: Head out along the coast and into the hills. Badu, Baifu, Sankeng, Nuannuan and Qidu sit within reach by bus or train, and each has its own small-town character. If the weather turns wet, keep the day short and stay close to the station. Many signs and announcements appear in English alongside Mandarin and Taiwanese, so getting around is manageable even without the language.
Day three: Use Keelung as a base for a longer rail journey. The TRA network runs down the West Coast and around the North to Yilan and on to Taitung, while the Taipei Metro and MRT link the city with Taipei. Matsu is reachable by sea and air from the north. Because the port is the heart of the city, finish with a walk along the waterfront before you leave.