Rocky and unforgiving in several places, Taiwan's North Coast also boasts fine sandy beaches and stunning vistas. Inland, typically it is rugged and precipitously steep, but there are also hot springs, rushing rivers, and several waterfalls. Unfriendly to farmers and often hazardous to seafarers, this landscape is certainly dramatic—and, for that reason, very attractive to tourists.
The North Coast & Guanyinshan National Scenic Area encompasses two separate sections of North Taiwan's New Taipei City. The larger part consists of the seashore, part of the ocean, and a strip of land either side of Fugui Cape, Taiwan's northernmost point. The smaller part of the Scenic Area is centered on the 616-meter-high mountain called Guanyinshan. Waimushan, Lovers Lake and Heping Island in Keelung City are important coastal tourist attractions in northern Taiwan. It was thus announced on December 15, 2014, that these sites would be made part of the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area.
Whether you're seeking a bleak, deserted strip of shore, the sun beating down on a sandy beach, or history, culture and good food, you'll find it in the North Coast & Guanyinshan National Scenic Area.