Taiwan Yehliu | Fishing Village and Harbor

Interesting...

Written by Shirley T

Saturday, 21 May 2011 00:00

Nestled against the mountains and hemmed in by the sea in between Keelung and Jinshan, there is a fishing village called Yehliu (野柳). The name Yehliu originated from Spanish words 'Puntos Diablos' which means 'Devil's Cape' and thus phonetically, it is pronounced as 'Yehliu'.
A charming fishing village

With Yehliu's natural wonder as our mission, the adventure to Yehliu began. Traveling on shoes string budget means we relied on public transport to reach Yehliu. From Taipei, we boarded Kuo Kuang (國光) bus at Taipei West Terminal A to Yehliu. The final destination stated on the bus is 'Jin Shan Youth Activity Center' (金山青年活動中心). Ticket can be purchased at the bus station counter.
Yehliu Harbor overlooking the mountains

As soon as the bus started moving, we informed the bus driver in advance where we wished to alight. After about an hour and a half, the bus driver finally signaled us to alight at a small T-junction. Once the bus left, we stood on the quiet street as if we were dropped off in the middle of nowhere. A total foreign sight compared to the city of Taipei. Barely a dozen shop houses lying on both sides of the main road.
Trawlers

With the help from signpost, we counted on our feet, getting to Yehliu Geopark which is located at the end of the cape. As our shadow lost into the paved road, we discovered a small world of fishing harbor. With restaurants and shops lining up on our right, the bay on the opposite is occupied by all types and sizes of fishing boats, from a small motor boat to a large trawler that could go hunting for weeks.
Hill of netting baskets

Anytime of the day, you may notice fisher folks set up stalls near the fishing harbor, selling live fish and edible marine creatures. If you arrive with huge appetite for seafood, there are more than dozens to pick. With an enormous choices of fresh seafood, they are also in abundance and apparently changing according to seasons. The best of dining experience I guess would be, you do not have to know exactly the name of these dishes from the menu. Just point at what you like and they will be served with the cooking method/flavor of your choice.
Plenty of seafood restaurants

Elaborate Chinese Temple on the main road

Hanged with cameras in our necks, we did not expect to arrive Yehliu Geopark any sooner. We stopped at almost every interesting corner to capture the scenes of Yehliu Fishing Harbor. This fishing village has its own charm with inland overlooking green mountains and water hugs the edges of land.

After about 20-minute walk, we finally arrived at Yehliu Elementary School and Yehliu Geopark's entrance is just behind it.

To our surprise, the sight here is more touristy. Several tourist buses lined up at parking bay, more convenience stores and at the facade of Ocean World, tonnes of street stalls selling fruits, snacks and drinks.
The commercial lane