Four coastal police precincts in Taitung County are opening up their park grounds to campers over the Lunar New Year holiday.
The move is aimed at heading off accommodation shortages, as rooms along Taiwan’s picturesque coastline fill up fast during the New Year buildup.
Hotels and bed-and-breakfast establishments in the region are already reporting their room occupancy rates at 70 percent, with the plans of many Taiwanese already fixed for their upcoming six-day break.
Photo: Chen Hsien-yi, Taipei Times
The region’s police said within their parks, travelers can pitch their tents for free, for 24 hours. However, there will be no reservations for the spaces, which will instead be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Hot water and electricity will be provided.
Taiwan’s east coast is an increasingly popular destination for visitors seeking natural attractions, especially for people living in the densely populated areas of the nation’s western regions, with places like Greater Taitung offering the beauty of the mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
Dulan Village (都蘭), with its coconut trees, palm trees and sea breezes, is often said to resemble somewhere on a Southern Pacific island.
Dulan Police Precinct Chief Chan Hsun-chang (詹勳昌) said the facilities open to campers include wooden huts and simple camping facilities, with a nearby “moonlight observation deck” providing a good ocean view, with views even of distant Green Island (綠島).
Dulan’s archeological site, a sugar production factory and a local artist community, which has taken root in the village over the past decade, are worth a visit, Chan said.
Police precincts in Zhangyuan (樟原), Changbin (長濱) and Duli (都歷) also plan to open up their grounds for camping during the Lunar New Year break.
“Each of these precincts has 16 to 20 camp sites. It will be first-come, first-served. No prior reservation will be accepted,” Chan said.
“People looking to camp out can call our precinct ahead of time to find out availability,” he added.
“We have police on patrol 24 hours a day, so the grounds are protected. We look forward to welcoming many visitors,” Chan said.
“Staying overnight at a police precinct is not just for criminals,” the police chief said.
With room reservation rates high, Chan expects the sites to be popular with travelers.
“For now, the idea is for free camping for one day, but we will permit two days maximum. We want to allow more people to enjoy this public service,” Chan said.
“We hope to see travelers coming with their friends, and to spend their New Year holidays with us,” he added.
Restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to be included in the Michelin Guide’s review for the first time this year, alongside existing entries from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the France-based culinary publication said yesterday. This year’s edition of the Michelin Guide Taiwan is to be unveiled on Aug. 19 in Taipei. In addition to the coveted star ratings, Michelin Taiwan would announce its “Bib Gourmand” selections — a distinction awarded to establishments offering high-quality food at moderate prices — on Aug. 12. This year’s Bib Gourmand list would also feature restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu
A firefighter yesterday died after falling into New Taipei City's Xindian River when a rescue dinghy capsized during a search mission for a man who was later found dead. The New Taipei City Fire Department said that it received a report at 4:12pm that a 50-year-old man, surnamed Chen (陳), had fallen into the river. A 32-year-old firefighter, surnamed Wu (吳), was among the rescuers deployed to look for Chen, the fire department said, adding that he and five other rescue personnel were in the dinghy when it capsized. Wu had no vital signs after being pulled from the water to the
Organizing one national referendum and 26 recall elections targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators could cost NT$1.62 billion (US$55.38 million), the Central Election Commission said yesterday. The cost of each recall vote ranges from NT$16 million to NT$20 million, while that of a national referendum is NT$1.1 billion, the commission said. Based on the higher estimate of NT$20 million per recall vote, if all 26 confirmed recall votes against KMT legislators are taken into consideration, along with the national referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, the total could be as much as NT$1.62 billion, it said. The commission previously announced
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday welcomed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s remarks that the organization’s cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners must be deepened to deter potential threats from China and Russia. Rutte on Wednesday in Berlin met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Germany’s accession to NATO. He told a post-meeting news conference that China is rapidly building up its armed forces, and the number of vessels in its navy outnumbers those of the US Navy. “They will have another 100 ships sailing by 2030. They now have 1,000 nuclear warheads,” Rutte said, adding that such
RSS