Keelung Steam Vents Fish Fountain and Yehliu Rock Formations

The air smelled faintly of sulfur and warm earth as steam drifted across the hillside. Arriving by cruise into Keelung, the morning began with a drive into the mountains where the ground vents and bubbling mud pots of Xiaoyoukeng Recreation Area released steady clouds of geothermal steam.

As the excursion continued north of the harbor city, I found myself thinking about how many travelers pass through this port without realizing how much landscape surrounds it. Keelung (基隆 – Pronounced Jī lóng) sits on Taiwan’s rainy northern coast and serves as the maritime gateway to Taipei, yet only a short drive away the scenery changes quickly from busy port streets to volcanic hills and quiet parks.

At Xiaoyoukeng the terrain looked raw and active. Steam vents hissed from cracks in the hillside and mud pots bubbled slowly in shallow pools. The geothermal landscape made it feel as if the mountain itself was breathing. From there the tour shifted gears with a stop at Yangmingshan Tien Lai Resort and Spa where the atmosphere became quiet and relaxed.

I avoided photographing the hot spring pools out of respect for other guests, but the surrounding grounds were beautiful. Outside the spa a small fountain caught my attention with fish sculptures circling the basin while water splashed gently into a bright blue pool. After the calm of the spa gardens the final stop at Yehliu Geopark felt dramatic again with strange rock formations stretching toward the sea. One unexpected moment came during the drive back when I spotted a man riding a scooter with a golden retriever calmly standing on the footrest like a seasoned passenger.

Keelung itself has long been an important port city for northern Taiwan. The harbor expanded significantly during the Japanese colonial period in the early twentieth century and it remains one of the country’s busiest maritime hubs today. For cruise visitors the port offers quick access to Taipei, but the surrounding coastlines, geothermal parks, and geological formations show a very different side of northern Taiwan.