⛩️ Harbor Temples · A Cultural Stroll

This is the starting point for exploring Shuinandong and a key shuttle stop during the weekend traffic control periods for Jinguashi and Jiufen. Once you park, the main attractions are right nearby. * Yin-Yang Sea Observation Deck: Located right next to the parking lot. * Remains of the 13 Levels: Visible directly overhead. * Golden Waterfall & Shuinandong Settlement: About a 10-minute walk away (an uphill route). Plenty of parking spaces, with public restrooms on site.

The best vantage point for the Yin-Yang Sea, where half the bay runs golden and half a brilliant blue. The phenomenon comes from pyrite-rich streamwater flowing down from the Jinguashi mountains into the sea. Facing the ocean you look out over the two-toned bay; turn around and you see the Remains of the 13 Levels and Keelung Mountain, whose silhouette resembles a giant gorilla.

A straight road running directly toward the blue sea, evoking the seaside atmosphere of Kamakura, Japan — Shuinandong's most popular Instagram spot. It sits at the T-junction where the Jinshui Highway meets Provincial Highway 2 Coastal Road, and has become a favorite backdrop for wedding photos in recent years.

Head east from the parking lot and a natural sea cave lies hidden in the overgrowth not far away — the starting point for tracing how the place names Shuiliandong and Shuinandong changed over time, and the stories behind them.

A tucked-away little fishing harbor with a handful of boats moored, facing the Remains of the 13 Levels head-on; the high ground beside it is one of the best spots for a full view of the Yin-Yang Sea. There is none of the bustle of a tourist fish market here — just open scenery and quiet. At sunset, when the sky fills with color, it becomes a favorite haunt of photographers and anglers.

A sculpted gateway forged in stainless steel: General Gan Hui holding an official seal on the right, General Zhang Wanli holding a sword on the left. Both served under the Prince of Yanping and stand guard over the temple gate. The work of local metal sculptor Lin Jinlong, it is arguably the most distinctive temple gateway in Taiwan.

Northern Taiwan's most classic photo spot, capturing the romantic Yin-Yang Sea and the perfect C-shaped coastline in a single frame. At dusk you can also catch the two-way light trails along the Shuinandong stretch of the coastal highway against the sunset — widely regarded by photographers as the finest vantage point here.

No climbing required to see the Yin-Yang Sea, the Remains of the 13 Levels and Keelung Mountain all at once — a popular spot on the Northeast Coast for families and photographers. The temple sits high on the hillside in Lianxin Village and is Shuinandong's most important place of worship. The principal deity is Kaitai Shengwang (Koxinga, Zheng Chenggong), with Tianshang Shengmu (Mazu), Guanyin, Guan Sheng Dijun, Tudi Gong and Nezha among the attendant deities. The liveliest days are the Mazu procession on the 23rd day of the third lunar month and Koxinga's birthday on the 14th day of the seventh lunar month.

The only surviving Huang family courtyard residence in Shuinandong, known locally as the "Big House," tucked away in a hollow above Weiyuan Temple. The Huang family's founding ancestor dates back to the Qing dynasty. Before the gold and copper industry took off in the Japanese colonial era, they farmed terraced fields on the hillside and fished these waters, living self-sufficiently; at their peak they made up nearly half of Shuinandong's population, making them the area's leading family. On the 23rd day of the third lunar month, Mazu's birthday, the procession organized by Weiyuan Temple for the Changren community always passes by the Huang family residence. Jiangxia Hall is private property belonging to the Huang family. To keep its traditional character it has not been designated a heritage site, and the family maintains it themselves. Please view quietly from outside — do not enter or make noise, as people still live here.

Shuinandong's founding Earth God temple. Its most unusual feature is the "temple within a temple" — an inner shrine carved from solid rock, rich with age. Set on a quiet path between Weiyuan Temple and Jiangxia Hall, the temple is finely built and long-established, and has watched over the wellbeing of Shuinandong residents for generations. Getting there: from the Shuinandong parking lot, follow the Liandong village trail uphill and keep to the signs for Weiyuan Temple or the Changren community. It sits on the hillside just above the "Chuanwu" bus stop, slightly to the left.

A century-old village store passing down the tradition of homemade preserved fruits, nostalgic snacks, and local produce. The interior still features original wooden shelves and an abacus—a living museum of daily life.

An easy walk back along the same route to the main parking lot, ending the half-day cultural stroll.