Jinshan Shitoushan Park spreads across a mountainside on the Mystery Coast of the Jinshan District. This picturesque seaside park forms part of a dramatic cape used as a filming location by Martin Scorsese in his movie Silence. Visit Jinshan Shitoushan Park to follow marked trails and discover religious statues and military relics. Spot one of Taiwan’s iconic natural landmarks and explore a rocky coastline.
Starting from Jinshan Visitor Center, a trail brings you up close with the cape’s colorful plant species and curiously shaped trees. Intriguing Buddha statues line sections of the trail and pavilions afford sweeping views of the coastline.
Look for abandoned army barracks and batteries, which have been all-but reclaimed by overgrown grass and tall trees. The Japanese army used the cape as a defensive point to protect the nearby port of Keelung.
At the northern end of the trail is a pavilion facing toward the Twin Candlesticks, two upright stone pillars that were once attached to the mainland. Legend states that a fisherman’s wife turned to stone while waiting for her husband to return from work. The heartbroken husband later cried at the rock until he himself turned into stone. Views from the pavilion also include Jinshan Beach and Datunshan mountaintop.
Walk down a stepped pathway to the coastline and then have fun clambering over the moss-covered boulders that line the seashore. This stretch of craggy coastline ends at Shuiwei Fishing Harbor. Visit the Wei-ling Temple, behind which is the entrance to a network of tunnels called Guangwu Tunnel. If you are considering exploring the tunnel, bring a flashlight to guide your way amid the eery darkness back toward the visitor center.
The entrance to Jinshan Shitoushan Park is less than a 15-minute walk from Jinshan’s town center. Free parking is available at the visitor center, where you can pick up maps and information about the park. The park is a free attraction and is open all day, every day of the year.
