Keelung (Taipei)
Keelung, a port city in northern Taiwan, has a rich and layered history that begins with its early inhabitation by the indigenous Ketagalan tribe. In the 17th century, the city came under Spanish and later Dutch colonial rule, leaving behind a legacy of European influence. Keelung later became a key strategic port during the Qing Dynasty, and its importance continued during the Japanese colonial era, when the city was modernized and further developed as a hub for trade and transport. Nestled on the northern slopes of Taiwan’s mountains, Keelung’s geography contributes to its humid subtropical climate and frequent rain—earning it the nickname “Rainy Port.” Today, its historic layers, cultural diversity, and bustling harbor make it a fascinating destination.
💡Keelung (Taipei): Good to Know
🛂 Visa: most European countries plus Canada, Australia, the US, Korea, and Japan are visa-exempt for a stay of up to 90 days; an online arrival card can be filled out here
✈️ Closest Airport: Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)
💬 Language: Standard Chinese, but English is also spoken; street signs, announcements, and signage on trains and buses are in English
🏷️ Price Level: While more expensive than other Asian countries, Taiwan is about 30% cheaper than the US and European countries
🍔 Big Mac Index: US: US$5.69 / Taiwan US$ 2.39
💰 Currency: New Taiwan Dollar (NT$, TWD)| 1 USD = ca. 33 TWD)
☀️ Best Times to Visit: spring (March to May) and fall (October and November); while it is warm and humid year-round, summers are hot and humid with occasional heavy rain and typhoons. Winters are short and mild but prone to foggy weather.
🚘 Transportation: local trains, Taipei Metro (MRT), city buses, and taxis, with options for bike rental
🔌 Adapter: Taiwan uses type A and B plugs. No adapter is needed if you are from the US, but one is needed when coming from Europe
🛜 WiFi: widely available; iTaiwan is a free, government-provided public WiFi service that can be accessed
🏧💰ATM and “Cash or Card”: While small food stalls take only cash, payments with cards are generally accepted; ATMs are available throughout the city
💸 Tipping: Tipping is not expected or common, as service charges are often included. Small tips for exceptional service in hotels or on tours are appreciated.
🚢 Cruise Terminal Address: No.10, Penglai Rd., Gushan Dist., Kaohsiung City 804004, Taiwan (docked)
✈️ 🚇🚕 Getting There and Around
🏙️ Keelung is located about 18 miles (30 km) from the city center of Taipei. Other notable day trip destinations such as Jiufen (12 miles/ 20 km) and Shifen (9 miles/ 15 km) are close and easily reachable.
🎟️ The Easycard and iPass are both rechargeable cards used for public transportation across Taiwan that can also be used to pay in convenience stores, etc. Cards can be purchased at all MRT stations and stores like 7-11 and Family Mart. Since it is similar to a pre-paid card, value can only be added with cash. There is a 100 TWD non-refundable deposit when first getting the card
✈️ Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is located around 25 miles (40 km) west of the city center and can be reached through the Airport MRT. Express trains with ample luggage storage leave from both Terminal 1 and 2 and take around 35 minutes to reach Taipei Main Station (fare 160 TWD).
🚇 To get from Keelung to Taipei Main Station, it is easiest to take the local train from Keelung Station, an easy 10-15 minutes walk from the cruise terminal (50 min, 41 TWD) and then connect to the MRT system from there. Trains are frequent, and announcements and signage are well-posted and in English. Stations have designated numbers and letters, which makes getting around more convenient than having to remember the station name.
🚌 Two lines of the local hop-on-hop-off bus connect the main sights in Taipei. Both lines cross paths at Taipei Main Station, and more information can be found here.
🚲 The public bike sharing service in Taipei is called Youbike (Bikes), and bikes can easily be rented with the EasyCard or iPass cards and used to ride between the different locations (no YouBikes are available in Keelung).
⭐️ Top Sights in Keelung and Taipei
"Taiwan has 1 scooter for every 1.7 people."
📸 Keelung Night Market: This night market is one of the most famous ones in Taipei and is known for its diverse and delicious street food, especially seafood. Most stalls open on a daily basis from 12 pm, but they're busiest between 5 pm and 10 pm.
📸 Keelung Tower: The tower is easy to spot on the horizon due to its bright orange color and unique crane shape. Visitors can take a free elevator to the top of the 60-meter tower, where they can enjoy panoramic views of the city.
📸 Zhongzheng Park: The park can be accessed on foot or via the Keelung Tower (see above) and offers panoramic views of the city and harbor, featuring a large Goddess of Mercy statue, a temple, and other attractions like a Martyrs' Shrine and a Zhuputan Temple.
📸 Jiufen: Jiufen, a charming mountain village in northeastern Taiwan, is known for its narrow, lantern-lit streets, traditional teahouses, and stunning views of the sea, often compared to the enchanting world of Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away.
📸 Shifen: Shifen is a scenic area known for its Shifen Waterfall, nicknamed "Taiwan's Niagara Falls," and the popular Shifen Old Street, famous for its sky lanterns.
📸 Taipei 101: The most recognizable building in Taiwan was once the tallest building in the world. Designed to resemble a bamboo stalk, it features a large steel sphere inside that helps counteract the building's swaying during earthquakes. An observation deck on the 89th floor offers a 360-degree view of the city.
📸 Longshan Temple: Established in 1738 by Han immigrants from Fujian, this temple has functioned as a municipal center, a guild hub, a self-defense venue, and a place of worship. Today, it stands as one of the city's most important religious sites and a prime location for experiencing Taiwan's vibrant folk faith, as well as its unique temple arts and architecture.
📸 Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall: This memorial hall was constructed in honor of Chiang Kai-shek, the first president of the Republic of China. The blue and white colors featured in the memorial hall are significant as they are key colors of the national flag. The blue and white of the top of the memorial represent the blue sky and 12 rays of a white sun.
📸 Ximending District: Ximending is a lively and bustling shopping and entertainment district in Taipei, Taiwan. It is famous for its blend of traditional and modern elements, featuring trendy boutiques, delicious street food, and an energetic nightlife. This vibrant area is a popular destination for both locals and tourists.
📸 Huashan 1914 Creative Park: The park hosts various restaurants, art galleries, cultural shops, and performance venues. Exhibition and performance spaces are also available for rental, further establishing this area as a hub of Taiwan's cultural and creative industries.
📸 National Palace Museum: The National Palace Museum, located in Taipei, Taiwan, is a world-renowned art museum housing one of the largest collections of Chinese art and artifacts, spanning over 5,000 years of history, with over 600,000 pieces.
🥾 Elephant Mountain is a popular hiking destination in Taipei, renowned for its panoramic views of the city skyline, especially the iconic Taipei 101. The main trail is approximately 1.2 miles (2 km), consisting mainly of steep stone staircases, which can be challenging but are manageable for most fitness levels. To get to the trailhead, take the Red Line MRT to Xiangshan Station and take exit 2.
🍽️😋 Regional Specialties
Taipei’s cuisine is deeply rooted in Taiwan’s complex history, blending Indigenous flavors, Chinese culinary traditions—especially from Fujian and Guangdong—and Japanese influences from the colonial era. After 1949, an influx of mainland Chinese brought even more regional diversity, enriching the local food landscape. These layers of history have shaped a cuisine known for its bold yet balanced flavors—savory soy sauces, aromatic five-spice blends, fermented ingredients, and slow-braised meats are common themes. Taipei’s iconic dishes, like beef noodle soup, lu rou fan(braised pork rice), and stinky tofu, reflect a love of comfort food with deep umami notes, while snacks like bubble tea and mango shaved ice offer sweet, playful contrasts.
🍽️ Beef Noodle Soup (牛肉麵): Most Taiwanese people have a local favorite spot where a bowl of beef noodles typically costs no more than 185 TWD (around USD 6). The dish features tender, slowly braised beef served with a tangle of slurpable noodles and is usually recognized as the national dish of Taiwan.
🍽️ Hot Pot (火鍋): Hot Pot is a cherished culinary tradition in Taiwan, making it a popular choice year-round. With nearly 5,000 hot pot restaurants across the country, diners can choose from various styles, including shabu-shabu, Sichuan mala, and Taiwanese stinky tofu. At these restaurants, Taiwanese people enjoy dipping a variety of ingredients—such as seafood, thinly sliced meat, leafy vegetables, dumplings, wontons, mushrooms, and various types of tofu—into large pots of simmering broth, which is often made from pork bones, jujube, or pickled cabbage. Diners retrieve their selected items from the pot using chopsticks or tongs and dip them into a savory sauce that they can customize with ingredients like sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and freshly chopped herbs.
🍽️ Stinky Tofu (臭豆腐): Despite its name, this dish is a beloved Taiwanese delicacy, known for its pungent aroma and crispy exterior, and soft interior.
🍽️ Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings) (小籠包): A staple in the Taiwanese cuisine, soup dumplings are known for their thin, translucent skin, savory filling (often pork and broth), and the delicious soup that's released when you bite into them.
🍽️ Scallion Pancake (蔥油餅): They are made from a wet, unleavened dough rather than a batter. They are often eaten for breakfast but can be enjoyed at any time of the day. Fried fresh for each customer, vendors usually roll them up and pop them into a paper bag with the top sticking out, ready to eat.
🍽️ Braised Pork Rice (滷肉飯): Braised pork rice is a comforting dish that represents how Taiwan finds solace in food. Like many comfort foods around the world, it is simple and unpretentious: tender pieces of fatty, soy-braised pork belly served over freshly steamed white rice.
🥤Boba Tea: Also known as bubble tea, is a Taiwanese drink featuring tea (often milk tea) with small, chewy tapioca pearls (boba) at the bottom, offering a unique textural and flavor experience
🥤Papaya Milk: The island’s most famous fruit “milkshake” has only two ingredients- papaya and milk. It’s found freshly made at night markets but also pre-packaged at convenience stores.
📍🗺️ Maps, Apps & Links
🌐 Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Bus
🚕 Uber