Tamsui River: From Tansui to Bali and back!

Over the years, I've spent a lot of time exploring the Bali and Tamsui River area. We actually live near Tamsui Town (also variously spelled Tansui/Dansui and '淡水' in Chinese) now, but there are so many great places to go around the river area that I decided to share with you some of those great places.

In the Mangrove Swamp of Bali

This area is near the coast, towards the estuary of the river, and provides great views of the township of Tansui across the Tamsui River.

A recent photograph of Tamsui that I took looking over the River. Bali has some amazing coast line that is worth an afternoon exploring with your camera.

When you’re here, watch out for the local flavors of the food and music as you walk along. If you have a decent lens, you should get some priceless pictures.

From Fisherman's Whart

After purchasing my Panasonic Lumix camera last year, I’ve been able to take a lot of photographs, and so for today's post, I thought I would leave you with one of the shots I took from Fisherman’s Wharf in Tanhai, which is a suburb of Tamsui right by the sea, and with a stunning new hotel and Tamsui's own 'Eye on Tamsui' feature!

Modernity vs. Farming

It's not often that we see contrasts in Taipei, but in the walk on Saturday, we came across this sharp contrast: traditional setting in the front, modernity rearing its head behind!

In the foreground, there's a large pond filled with bullfrogs. In the middleground, a family house that's been there for years - who knows? There are other even older settlements now abandoned in the area, including redbrick farm houses in the traditional Taiwanese style. In the background, three towers from the Shang-Hai Community that was just completed, which is selling for approx. NT$300K per ping. If I remember rightly, this is probably what the farmhouse would have cost when it was first built in the '70s.

Tamsui was, in the words of one friend, just rice fields, trees and farmers when Tim first visited our area in the early '80s. Since then it's been transformed at least twice, with electronics factories; and now, residential units. I'm in the search for early photographs of HongShulin and Zhuwei from that period. There's not much online yet.

A Popular Coffee Restaurant

Starbucks in Tamsui Sign, originally uploaded by obblogatory.

If you can guess where we were yesterday! Yes, that's pretty Tamsui River in the background. We didn't manage to get a sunset... too cloudy, and too early! But nice!

Over the Tamsui River and Far Away

P1040542, originally uploaded by obblogatory.

This picture was taken overlooking the Tamsui Estuary on a rather pleasant day in February! Enjoy!

Fishing, Boats, and The Wharf

 Tamsui River: The river front, originally uploaded by obblogatory.

Fishing boats in Taiwan are always painted a cross of marine blue, white and touched with red. It's quite a unique and attractive design.

If you visit the marina in Tamsui or even just walk along the waterfront, you will plenty of these charming skips as we photographed!

A Final Sunset

Lastly, take a look at this wonderful sunset in Tamsui, Taiwan. I got some great pictures with my phone camera!