North Coast and Guanyin Mountain National Scenic Area Introduction
The Northern Coast and Guanyin Mountain National Scenic Area was established on February 20, 2001. It integrates three provincial scenic areas: the Northern Coast, Yehliu, and Guanyin Mountain, and the management office was established on July 22, 2002. The jurisdiction includes the "Northern Coast Region," which spans four administrative districts of New Taipei City: Sanzhi, Shimen, Jinshan, and Wanli, as well as the "Guanyin Mountain Region," covering two administrative districts of New Taipei City: Wugu and Bali. The area is rich in tourism resources, with the North Coast Highway featuring beautiful mountains and waters, deep seas, and blue skies, along with various attractions and recreational facilities. Famous scenic spots like Baishawan, Lingshanbi, Fuguijiao Park, Shimen Cave, Jinshan, Yehliu, and Jade Bay are distributed along a belt. It also boasts diverse cultural and artistic resources, such as the Li Tianlu Puppet Museum and the Ju Ming Museum. Yehliu Geopark is renowned for its Queen's Head and Fairy Shoe, showcasing stunning natural formations created by the collision of the Eurasian Plate and the Philippine Plate. The wave-eroded platform is a paradise for intertidal zones and seasonal migratory birds. Guanyin Mountain is remarkably beautiful; from the peak of Yinghan Ridge, one can see the Tamsui River meandering endlessly into the sea, with the bustling scenery of the Taipei Basin laid out before them. Along the beautiful trails, the characteristics of Guanyin Mountain's height are utilized, resulting in six specially planned hiking trails: Fulong Mountain, Niugang Ridge, Yinghan Ridge, Jianshan, Fenggui Duhu, and Niu Liao Pu Mountain Trail. Among them, Yinghan Ridge is the highest point of Guanyin Mountain, with an elevation of about 616 meters. The trail consists of a main line and a secondary line (Fenggui Duhu Trail), with the main line accessible from beside Lingyun Temple leading directly to Yinghan Ridge. The secondary line, entering from the back of the Guanyin Mountain Visitor Center (Fenggui Duhu Trail), is shorter but steeper, testing one's physical fitness. Once you reach Yinghan Ridge, the view opens up spectacularly. Each trail has its unique features and is equipped with well-maintained wooden paths and sign markers, enhancing the delicate beauty of Guanyin Mountain for visitors to enjoy. Watching the boats at Fisherman's Wharf shuttling back and forth and admiring the lights from thousands of homes woven into a sea of lights, one realizes that the nights at Guanyin Mountain can be so beautiful! Reference: Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Northern Coast and Guanyin Mountain National Scenic Area Administration.
