There are countless places to ring in the New Year — have you decided where you’ll celebrate? Time flies, and the end of the year is here again. Chasing the first light of the year with family and friends and watching a beautiful sunrise is a wonderful way to celebrate!
Below we’ve rounded up seven great sunrise spots across Taiwan. Each one offers something different, and every first sunrise of the year has its own charm. If one of these views catches your eye, start planning your New Year trip early!
1. Taimali Millennium Dawn Memorial Park
Photo: Instagram @dc_darren_photo
The Millennium Dawn Memorial Park in Taimali Township, Taitung, takes its name from the Millennium Dawn Concert held on the beach here on January 1, 2000. Taimali was formerly known as Damaoli; in the Paiwan language it is “Tjavualji,” meaning “the place where the sun rises,” making Taimali Township the land of the rising sun. Welcoming the first light here, looking out across the coastline to the Pacific, you get a wide-open view with nothing blocking the horizon — the perfect choice for watching the year’s first sunrise come up over the sea.
“If you want a New Year’s celebration that’s out of the ordinary, why not count down on this stretch of blue coastline that runs for miles and welcome Taiwan’s first light together?” And after the sunrise, hit the road for a drive!
Getting there
| Address | No. 35, Nanhui Highway, Taimali Township, Taitung County |
| Public transportation | 1. Take the TRA train to Taimali Station in Taitung, then walk about 10 minutes along Risheng Road to reach the park. 2. Take a domestic flight from Taitung Airport to Green Island Airport. After arriving on Green Island, take a taxi or rent a scooter to Zhaori Hot Spring. |
| By car | National Highway No. 5 – exit at Su’ao Interchange – Provincial Highway 9 – Nanhui Highway toward Taimali |
✨Also worth a look✨A-Mei’s 2021 New Year’s Eve concert is in Taitung!
2. Nanshan Temple, Pinglin, New Taipei
Photo: Instagram @stonelin218
“Nanshan Temple (Xiangong Temple)” in Pinglin District, New Taipei, is a hidden gem that has become popular recently. From the highest point you get an unobstructed view of a golden sea of clouds, and as you walk down the trail the lush green tea plantations make it a feast for the eyes! It’s the kind of scenery that leaves you marveling again and again, completely refreshed.
That said, public transportation to Nanshan Temple doesn’t run very often and isn’t especially convenient, so driving yourself — with all the flexibility that brings — is a great option! Beyond the sea of clouds, we also recommend making a tea tour of Pinglin. The most famous local specialty is Wenshan Baozhong tea, and whether it’s tea bags, tea eggs, other foods or souvenirs, they’re sure to leave a great impression!
Getting there
| Address | No. 5, Zhangkongzi Road, Pinglin District, New Taipei City |
| Public transportation | From TRA Taipei Main Station, take the Taipei MRT to Xindian District Office Station, transfer to bus 923 to Pinglin Junior High School Station, then transfer to bus F721 to Nanshan Temple Station. |
| By car | Take Civic Boulevard, then the Huandong Expressway and National Highway No. 5 to the Pinglin Traffic Control Center dedicated lane for Pinglin District (North Pinglin / Shiding). Then take exit 15-Pinglin off National Highway No. 5 and follow Pingshuang Road Section 1 / County Road 42 to Zhangkongzi Road / County Road 43 to reach your destination. |
3. Sunrise at Alishan
When it comes to sunrises, how could we leave out the classic — Alishan?
Every year plenty of people get up before dawn and head to Alishan to ride the forest railway in search of the year’s first light. Yes, you have to wake up in the dark and put up with biting cold wind, but experiencing a sea of clouds and a sunrise appearing before your eyes at the same time makes every bit of it worth it! The Zhushan Observation Deck is Alishan’s most famous sunrise viewing spot, drawing visitors from Taiwan and overseas as well as photography lovers year after year. In winter the sun rises around 6 a.m.; for exact times, check the Central Weather Administration. One thing to keep in mind: Zhushan Station is the highest-elevation railway station in Taiwan, so watch out for altitude sickness.
Getting there
| Address | No. 59, Zhongzheng Village, Alishan Township |
| Public transportation | Take the TRA train to Chiayi Station, ride the forest railway to Alishan Station, then take the Zhushan Line early in the morning to Zhushan Station. Departure times from Alishan to Zhushan Station are adjusted according to each day’s sunrise time. |
| By car | Drive or join a chartered-car tour to Alishan. In the morning, take the Alishan forest railway to Zhushan Station; each day’s departure time is announced the day before on the official website. |
Alishan Zhushan sunrise viewing platform
Photo: Instagram @jocelynienn
4. Sheipa Farm, Hsinchu
Sheipa Leisure Farm is a private farm in the Guanwu Recreation Area inside Shei-Pa National Park, at an elevation of 1,923 meters. If you don’t like the idea of getting up in the dark at Alishan and squeezing onto a packed little train, this is the perfect place to watch the sunrise! All you have to do is set your alarm for ten minutes before sunrise, throw on a jacket and step out onto the big terrace outside your room to enjoy a beautiful sunrise. What an easygoing way to greet the first sun of the New Year! (And if you stayed up too late on New Year’s Eve, you can head straight back to bed after the sunrise.) Besides the sunrise, Sheipa Farm offers two more spectacular sights — a sea of clouds and a sky full of stars — and you can enjoy them from that same terrace! On top of that, the farm offers a variety of guided tours, comfortable rooms and delicious meals. New Year or not, Sheipa Farm is well worth a visit for a glimpse of the natural beauty right here in Taiwan.
Getting there
| Address | No. 380-1, Minshi, Taoshan Village, Wufeng Township, Hsinchu County |
| Public transportation | Go to THSR Hsinchu Station and take the Sheipa Farm shuttle (NT$1,600 per person round trip) |
| By car | Take National Highway No. 1, National Highway No. 3 or Provincial Highway 3; exit National Highway No. 3 at the Zhulin Interchange → Zhudong → toward Wufeng Township (Dabajian Mountain) → Qingquan → Dalu Forest Road, 21.5 km → Sheipa Farm. The drive takes about two hours. |
5. Erliao, Tainan
Erliao is in Zuozhen, Tainan, just a half-hour drive from Xinhua Old Street. Unlike other sunrise meccas perched high in the mountains, Erliao sits at only 200 meters above sea level — yet the sunrise here is every bit as impressive. Every photo of the sunrise paired with a sea of clouds looks like a brilliant ink-wash landscape painting. As more and more people have discovered Erliao in recent years, the local national scenic area administration has built a brand-new viewing platform so more visitors can come. Word is that quite a few photographers show up at 3 a.m. to claim a spot for that painting-like sunrise.
If spending New Year’s in the high mountains sounds too cold, watching the first light at Erliao in Tainan is a great alternative! Last New Year’s Day, Erliao had traffic controls in place and handed out entry tickets for the sunrise viewing, so if you’re planning to go this year, keep an eye out for ticket information. For details, visit the Siraya National Scenic Area Administration website.
Getting there
| Address |
No. 31, Ganglin Village, Zuozhen District, Tainan City |
| Public transportation | For shuttle bus information on New Year’s Day, please check the Siraya National Scenic Area Administration website. |
| Driving yourself | Guanmiao Interchange → County Highway 168 → Ganglin Police Station → County Highway 162 → Erliao Viewing Platform. |
6. Sanxiantai, Taitung
Sanxiantai is a hugely popular sunrise spot every year, and it’s where the very first light of the day appears on the island of Taiwan. Sanxiantai is a small offshore island surrounded by coral reefs, with three large rocks on it. Legend says Lu Dongbin, Li Tieguai and He Xiangu once set foot here, which is how it got the name Sanxiantai (Platform of the Three Immortals). The eight-arch footbridge linking the main island to the islet is especially famous: when the first light breaks, it looks as if a layer of golden gauze has been draped over the bridge, giving off a dazzling glow. After watching the sunrise, you can walk across the bridge to the islet and take an eco-tour of its many natural and unique sea-erosion formations. On the shore on the other side, the East Coast National Scenic Area Administration also holds New Year’s Day events so visitors can share in the festive mood and good wishes for the new year.
Getting there
| Address | No. 74, Jihui Rd., Sanxian Village, Chenggong Township, Taitung County. |
| Public transportation | 1. Take the Taiwan Railway to Hualien Station, then transfer to Hualien Bus route 1127 or 1145 (toward Taitung / Chenggong) and get off at Sanxiantai stop.
2. Take the Taiwan Railway to Taitung Station, then transfer to Dingdong Bus route 8101 or 8102 (toward Jingpu) and get off at Sanxiantai stop. |
| Driving yourself | National Freeway 5 → exit at Su’ao Interchange → Provincial Highway 9 → Provincial Highway 11 |
7. Zhaori Hot Spring, Green Island
Want to soak in a warm hot spring to ring in the new year? Then head to Green Island! Green Island has an extremely rare seawater hot spring; only Green Island, Kyushu in Japan and northern Italy have them, making it a world-class geological attraction. The seaside hot spring area has several pools, including indoor, outdoor and open-air baths. The water sits between 50 and 70 degrees, with no sharp sulfur smell but a salty hint of seawater instead. Relaxing in the hot spring while watching a beautiful sunrise slowly climb out of the horizon is a real treat. It washes away a whole year of fatigue and lets you welcome a brand-new year along with the first light. Fun fact: there’s a small pool next to it that reaches 90 degrees, where visitors can cook their own hot spring eggs!
Getting there
| Address | No. 256, Wenquan, Gongguan Village, Green Island Township, Taitung County |
| Public transportation | 1. Take the Taiwan Railway to Taitung Station, transfer to bus 8103 and get off at the “Fugang New Village” stop, walk to Fugang Fishing Harbor, then take a boat to Nanliao Fishing Harbor on Green Island. 2. Take a domestic flight from Taitung Airport to Green Island Airport. After arriving on Green Island, take a taxi or rent a scooter to Zhaori Hot Spring. |
| Driving yourself | National Freeway 5 – exit at Su’ao Interchange – Provincial Highway 9 – Provincial Highway 11 – Fugang Fishing Harbor – boat – Green Island. After arriving on Green Island, take a taxi or rent a scooter to Zhaori Hot Spring. |
Watching the sunrise at Zhaori Hot Spring, Green Island
Photo courtesy of Instagram @chuchu0702
Bonus! Hehuanshan International Dark Sky Park
Photo source: Instagram@wzdscbtb
Certified by the International Dark-Sky Association at the end of 2019, Hehuanshan International Dark Sky Park became the third internationally certified dark sky park in Asia, and it’s a top pick for night photography lovers! Before the first light arrives, we all have to pass through the dark, but when that endless darkness is dotted with sparkles, the coming dawn feels all the more worth waiting for. Before you catch the first sunrise, why not spend the last day of 2020 in this light-pollution-free spot with someone you love, gazing at the endless glittering night sky, counting stars and plucking them from the sky? That’s about as romantic as it gets!
Getting there
| Address | Ren’ai Township, Nantou County (from the 22.1 km mark to the 37.1 km mark on Provincial Highway 14A) |
| Public transportation | 1. Take a Nantou Bus to Cingjing Farm, then catch a Nantou Bus from the Guomin Guest House to the Hehuanshan Visitor Center. 2. From Hualien Railway Station, take a Hualien Bus toward Lishan, get off at Dayuling stop and walk to the Hehuanshan Visitor Center (Songsyue Lodge). |
| Driving yourself | From Puli, drive toward Cingjing Farm, passing Wushe – Cingjing Farm – Kunyang – Wuling, and continue to the Hehuanshan Visitor Center (Songsyue Lodge). |
After all these spots and sunrise photos, are you tempted to start planning your New Year’s trip right away? If you’d like to drive out to watch the sunrise, head to gogoout, pick the right car and set off on your own first-light road trip!
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This article was translated by AI from the original Chinese version.
