The Best Campsites in Taiwan
The Lungmen camping compound--an area of 70 hectares which fronts the Shuanghsi River a stone's throw from the ocean at Fulung Beach--was the site of the French-based Inter-national Camping and Caravan Rally in 1991 (Federation Internationale de Camping et Caravanning). The camp-ground is considered the largest and best of its kind in Taiwan with several kinds of sites available: wood-covered, drive-in, plank-based, and all lawn-covered.
To guarantee roomy and quality living quarters the compound accepts only 1,000 campers at a time. Each campsite has a picnic table, benches, and lawn. Equipment can be rented from the service center. Good cooking facilities and clean rest rooms with showers are conveniently located. Security is efficient, and lodging is safe.
For those who prefer to sleep indoors there are two log houses with 11 rooms for two, four, or six persons. In the camping area there are bicycle-foot paths, pavilions with scenic views, picnic areas, swimming pools, children's playgrounds, a restaurant, a super-market, and party facilities. The vacationer can rent a bike from the store and ride it on the trails around the compound and in the nearby woods north of the river.
Water Sports
The Shuanghsi River empties into the Pacific here. On the south bank sits a Tang-style structure housing a service center, coffee shop, teahouse, and various pavilions. At the west side of the structure, a couple of hundred meters away, an elegant suspension bridge for bikes and pedestrians spans the river. Surrounded on three sides by mountains and hills, and facing the open sea on the fourth side, this section of the river is broad and slow--ideal for water sports. Here one may pedal or row a small boat, take out a larger power boat, or have fun with paragliding.
For visitors who wish to understand and protect the earth better, the resort has engaged a team of experts to offer ecological information. Guides are available to explain to visitors the indigenous fauna and flora, ecological issues, and geological phenomena of the area.
The Northeast Coastal Highway meanders along the shoreline, where mountain ranges meet the ocean. Smaller roads and trails lead to nearby scenic attractions. From Lungmen you can go to Fulung Beach or Yenliao Beach on foot; or you can take a bus to Pitouchiao, a cape which has been whipped for eons by strong northeast monsoons and ocean waves, exposing eroded terraces, cliffs, and odd-shaped rocks. Seawater swimming pools with complete facilities refresh in the summer heat.
The nearby Lungtung cliffs are ideal for rock-climbing, and the Lungtung Nankou Sea Park also has seawater swimming pools in addition to a diving area, tourist center, and boat pier. Lungtung Bay, with a maximum depth of 32 meters, slow currents, clear water, and much sea life, is one of Taiwan's two best diving sites.
The most scenic trail in northern Taiwan is the Tsaoling Historic Trail. It takes only 30 minutes from the resort to the north end of the trail. Along the trail there are two historic stone tablets--both written and erected by Taiwan Regional Commander Liu Mingteng--one with four Chinese characters intended to tame the wilderness and the other with a huge Chinese character for "tiger" to drive away evil spirits. It takes three to four hours to traverse the trail. The hiker may bring a box lunch and dine at the picnic area on the trail, or have snacks at the Jade Emperor Temple in Tali at the trail's southern end; from there, one may take a bus or train back to the resort.
The northeast coast is noted for seafood. In Aoti alone, just four kilometers north of the resort, there are a score of seafood restaurants. Inside the resort is an elegant restaurant, or campers can cook for themselves. Located at the mid-point of the northeast coast, Lungmen provides comfortable and inexpensive lodging facilities. From there, most tourist attractions in the northeast coast area can be reached in half an hour.
How to Get There
1. From Taipei take a Taiwan Bus (at the north station) or train going to Chiaohsi, Toucheng, Ilan, Lotung, or Suao. Get off bus at the resort, or the train at Fulung and walk about 300 meters north to the resort.
2. From Keelung take a Chung-hsin Bus for Ilan or Lotung, or take a Keelung Bus (near Keelung train station) for Fulung and get off at the resort.
3. By car, take the freeway north and exit near Keelung to take highway No. 2 (the Northeast Coastal Highway) via Patoutzu, Pitouchiao, Aoti, and Yenliao.