Take the ferry to Tamsui, locally also known as Danshui. This renovated port district close to Shalun Beach now has a range of elegant restaurants, cafés, shops and hotels to offer visitors. Listen to live music while having drinks or dinner and enjoy the view out over the harbor.
Many Taiwanese TV series and movies are shot right here, so you may see some camera crews and actors around. The wharf is also where many of the party boats depart from, taking celebrating groups for a cruise along the Tamsui River.
To see it all from above, visit the Lover’s Tower at the Fullon Hotel, which stays open to the public until the mid evening.
There are no museums or tourist attractions at the wharf itself, but you can visit the nearby Spanish fort of San Domingo, a solid brick building on the top of a hill. The Spanish destroyed the original wooden building when the Dutch invaded in 1645 and most of the building you see today dates back to 1724. The locals call it the “Fort Red Hair” because that’s how the Han Chinese who lived here at the time described the Dutch troops. Nearby is the Hobe Fort (or Huwei Fort), which is from 1886.
Many people visit at night when the Danshui (or Tamsui) Lover’s Bridge is illuminated with colorful lights. Completed in 2003, this elegant white bridge has already become a landmark for the area and an iconic tourist attraction for the capital as a whole.
You can find Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf just west of the Tamsui Old Street, another popular area with tourists and a good place to score bargains. Shuttle boats connect Tamsui with the also charming Bali District in about 15 minutes. To get to Tamsui, you can also take a public ferry from the Dadaocheng Pier or from the Zhongxiao Wharf in New Taipei City.
Tip: get a Taipei EasyCard to switch between the light rail, metro, buses and ferries hassle-free.
