Northern Taiwan - Taiwan - page 248

Tourism Shuttle Buses depart from Danshui MRT station and stop on Hwy 2 just be-
fore the beach's entrance. Or you can catch bus 862 (20 to 30 minutes, every 20 to 40
minutes) heading to Keelung. The first bus leaves at 5.50am.
Check the stop at Baishawan for the return schedule (there should be return buses until
around 8.30pm).
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Fuguei Cape
The cape (Fùguìjiǎo) is the most northerly point in Taiwan, and the constant sea winds
make the local vegetation grow dwarfed and twisted. There's a small park here with good
views and a large fisherman's wharf complex where you can buy and eat fresh seafood.
Tourism shuttle buses stop near the cape at the Shimen Wedding Plaza stop.
About a 10-minute walk southeast from Fuguei Cape is an area that is rather beautiful
when the tide is low: the Laomei Algal Reef (Lǎoméi Hǎiàn). Looking like a row of
fallen monoliths carpeted with emerald green moss (in reality, it's just layer upon layer of
algae), the reef is understandably a popular spot with photographers.
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18 Lords Temple
People sometimes refer to this temple (Shíbā Wánggōng) as the 'dog temple'. According
to one version of the legend, 17 fishermen went missing one day and a dog pined for
days for the return of his master until, unable to bear the suffering any longer, he leaped
into the foaming sea and drowned himself. Local people were so impressed by this act of
loyalty that they built a temple in honour of the dog. Later, the temple became associated
with Taiwan's underworld and it's still common at night to see tattooed gangsters, prosti-
tutes and other characters about.
When you arrive, local women will try to sell you small red packets used for worship.
If you do buy one, you will be instructed to wave the package over burning incense, then
wipe it on the dog statue's nose and head (and sometimes genitals) before placing it in
the dog's mouth.
The temple is just off Provincial Hwy 2 in front of the first nuclear power plant.
However, a few kilometres back in the hills is a larger, newer version of the temple with
an astonishing canine statue in the parking lot that's well over 15m high.