Mystery Coast (神秘海岸) is located in the northeast of Taiwan. It situated in the coastline of Jinshan District, New Taipei City. The name Mystery Coast came from the area was a restricted area for military use. It was opened to public just a few years ago and became a popular destination by locals due to the 2016 movie “Silence” (沉默) directed by Martin Scorsese (馬丁•史柯西斯) used it as one of the scenes in the movie. It is about 43 km (27 mi) by car from Taipei Station. The rocky coastline here is the best in north of Taiwan and is comparable with the one in southern Taiwan Jialeshuei (佳樂水) that I posted on December 2017.
We drove to the Mystery Coast via Highway 1 and then followed the beautiful Northern Coastal Highway (北部濱海公路) to the destination Shuiwei Fishing Harbor (水尾漁港). We parked at the roadside in the fishing port. Not so far away we saw a wooden staircase that led us to the start of the Mystery Coast Trail. You need to pass a narrow natural tunnel - One-Line Sky (一線天) in order to reach the trail. Once you pass the tunnel, the amazing rocky coastline will surprise you. Be aware of the slippery rocks near the water and the waves when taking photos. The coastline is not like others we normally see because it is so close to the rocky cliffs. It makes me understand why it was a restricted area because on top of the cliff was the Jinshan Battery that oversees the Jinshan Bay. It is equipped with two 12K cannons and number of pillboxes. This few hundred step trail seems short but is not an easy one to conquer. On the other end of the trail is another entrance to another the trail. You can follow the steps up to the hilltop and follow the trail visiting the Shitoushan Park (獅頭山公園) nearby. We needed to follow the same way back because we parked our car in the Shuiwei Fishing Harbor.
Be aware of the tide condition because the passage will be blocked by the high tide and you are not allowed to visit the site. You need to wear good hiking shoes to walk through the rocky and sometimes wet coastline. On some parts of the trail you need to climb over rocks therefore only bring necessities such as water and a hat. A camera is recommended to capture these beautiful scenes.
We drove to the Mystery Coast via Highway 1 and then followed the beautiful Northern Coastal Highway (北部濱海公路) to the destination Shuiwei Fishing Harbor (水尾漁港). We parked at the roadside in the fishing port. Not so far away we saw a wooden staircase that led us to the start of the Mystery Coast Trail. You need to pass a narrow natural tunnel - One-Line Sky (一線天) in order to reach the trail. Once you pass the tunnel, the amazing rocky coastline will surprise you. Be aware of the slippery rocks near the water and the waves when taking photos. The coastline is not like others we normally see because it is so close to the rocky cliffs. It makes me understand why it was a restricted area because on top of the cliff was the Jinshan Battery that oversees the Jinshan Bay. It is equipped with two 12K cannons and number of pillboxes. This few hundred step trail seems short but is not an easy one to conquer. On the other end of the trail is another entrance to another the trail. You can follow the steps up to the hilltop and follow the trail visiting the Shitoushan Park (獅頭山公園) nearby. We needed to follow the same way back because we parked our car in the Shuiwei Fishing Harbor.
Be aware of the tide condition because the passage will be blocked by the high tide and you are not allowed to visit the site. You need to wear good hiking shoes to walk through the rocky and sometimes wet coastline. On some parts of the trail you need to climb over rocks therefore only bring necessities such as water and a hat. A camera is recommended to capture these beautiful scenes.
More photos please click here
James Huang - All rights reserved.
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