Climb by the Coast | Long Dong Rock Climbing | Things to Do in Taipei Taiwan and beyond

Climb by the Coast | Longdong Taiwan Rock Climbing

Stretching a 2-kilometer golden and grayish sand stone rocky cliffs in Northern Taiwan, Longdong is one of the most popular destinations for rock climbers in Asia today.

The beautifully stretched walls are a magnificent view for both local and foreign tourists in the district of Jiu Fen. By looking over your shoulder while climbing the cliff, you will see the stunning blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Lydiascapes Rock climbing at long dong taiwan | Taiwan rock climbing and trad climbing

Long Dong Rock Climbing

With an amazing texture of these sandstone rocks, you’ll quickly know that it’s the exact quality you’ve been looking for in a climb. It makes the whole experience more memorable and fun.

Plus, Long Dong is not crowded with that mant foreign tourists yet, so you can enjoy your rock climbing momentum without the hassle. All you would see are some locals and other expats who also want to experience Long Dong sand stone cliff climbing.

Trad Climbing

Traditional climbing or commonly known as trad climbing is another type of rock climbing wherein climbers put on their gear in order to be safe from falls and other accidents. Trad climbers are referred to as traditionalists. 

Some of the essential features of this popular outdoor activity are strict dedication and strong focus while climbing up a mountain. The modern protective gear in trad climbing includes removable protective tools like aluminum/brass/steel nuts, hexagonal shaped chocks, slings, spring loaded camming devices, and tricams. These are important trad climbing gear one will need to invest in if they want to pursue trad climbing as a hobby.

If you have no experience in trad climbing, you can always sign up for a trad course at The Bivy Hostel and rent the climbing gear instead of going for a brand new set of trad rack. However, personal items like crack climbing gloves might not be so easily rented so do remember to borrow or buy your own if you do decide to go into trad climbing a lot more in future/

Selfie at the top of the rock climbing route in Longdong Taiwan | Jiufen climbing
Selfie at the top of the rock climbing route in Longdong Taiwan | Jiufen climbing

Read more about all the types of basic rock climbing gears here.

The ideal time to climb here is during weekdays. It becomes busy during weekends when everybody is off their work and other daily responsibilities. Also, it’s possible for you to accomplish the 3-star climbs including all levels during weekdays. But you can definitely plan to climb up in here anytime you want because it’s accessible all year round.

However, since it’s becoming more popular among foreign visitors, you should take a trip to do rock climbing in Long Dong as soon as possible to enjoy the place while it’s still relatively uncrowded.

Overcoming your fear of heights and the outdoors when rock climbing | Taiwan rock climbing and trad climbing
Being forced to overcoming your fear of heights and the outdoors when rock climbing. Having said that, the scenery is breathtaking | Taiwan rock climbing and trad climbing

Interested in doing more rock climbing? Check out the destinations in Asia for that!

How To Get to Long Dong (from Taipei)

From Taipei, you can get to this popular rock climbing destination by car within 45 minutes only. The cliffs of Long Dong is located at the north eastern part of the country near Homei, just along the beautiful blue coast. The place is a small fishing village within a small, unsoiled bay. In case you’re curious, Long Dong is translated in Mandarin Chinese as ‘Dragon Cave‘.

You can access the cliffs from the North Parking Area, South Parking Area, or Central Parking Area. The hiking trail can be found at the central area, it’s famous among tourists as it offers picturesque scenery of the ocean, the east coast, and other parts of the sand stone cliffs.

At the north entrance, you will see nearby Hemei Elementary School. This entrance also provides “the safest parking lot” in the area with showers, toilets, and shop to buy snacks, drinks, and even beer. And if you’re accessing the south gate, that is near the Chinese temple. But it is strictly recommended to bring your valuables when parking there.

Destination with the Freshest Air | Taiwan rock climbing
Amazing Coastal Breeze perfect for a rest or picnic | Taiwan rock climbing

Other Means to Reach Long Dong

If you don’t have a car, you can still get to Long Dong via train, hitchhiking, or bus. For the train, you can take the Taipei station going to Keelung, Fulong, or Ruifang.

From these stations, ride the taxi going to Long Dong or you can hitchhike. Or take the bus with signs “Luodong” or “Yilan” going to Coastal Highway. Just remember to say Long Dong several times so the driver will get where you’re headed to. They might not know how to speak English so carefully communicate with them regarding your destination.

Once you’re in Long Dong, it’s easier to navigate the place. There are local shops, restaurants, and other spots to check out if you want to. You can walk and hitchhike to save money from touring around. And don’t worry because it’s safe to go around the place.

When it comes to accommodation, there are guesthouses available in Hemei Village at Long Tung St. In Fulong, there are also plenty of options including motels and hotels. But if you’d like, you can also camp around the area. Just choose a safer spot where you can put your tent.

4 Activities and Sights in Long Dong, Taiwan

Aside from rock climbing in Long Dong, there are other exciting things to do in Taipei Taiwan and Longdong such as the following:

1. Diving

The north eastern part of Taiwan is an ideal place for water activities such as diving. The coastline is shaped like a dragon’s cave, that’s why it was named Long Dong. And because of the translucent water and rich marine life, this is one of the best diving spots in Taiwan.

2. Hiking

Downhill to the rock climbing zones in Longdong Taiwan | longdong rockclimbing
Hiking around the trails in Longdong Taiwan

For more interesting nature trip, you can go hiking with your friends in Long Dong. The beautiful mountains and hilltops are great for viewing over the island. From atop, you will see the real beauty of Long Dong and the surrounding coastline.

Jiu Fen climbing and hiking is extremely relaxing and enjoyable and you can move at your own pace and time.

3. Snorkeling

Snorkelling near dragon cave in jiufen, taiwan. Photo credited to Tao Taiwan Adventure Outings
Snorkelling near dragon cave in jiufen, taiwan. Photo credited to Tao Taiwan Adventure Outings

Another interesting water activity is snorkeling. The perfect visibility of the water makes it easier to spot fishes under the water. There are various marine creatures you will see while snorkeling around Long Dong.

4. Eating Seafood

Of course, given it is by the coast, there are plenty of seafood dishes to try including fishes, crabs, shrimps, and even lobsters. All you need to do is find the perfect dinner for these delicious foods.

Seafood feast in the seafood stretch of restaurants at Long Dong Coastal Sea side | Jiufen climbing and more
Seafood feast in the seafood stretch of restaurants at Long Dong Coastal Seaside | Jiufen climbing and more

Besides, one of the Taiwan cuisine highlights in this area of Bitou and Long Dong is seafood freshly caught from the sea by the local fishing boats that fish at night.

Curious to see the other climbing spots beyond Long Dong? Check out this Ultimate Taiwan List here.

Fishing boats spotted at Long Dong jetty. they do a lot of night fishing, hence explains the tons of lights on the boat | Jiufen climbing and more
Fishing boats spotted at Long Dong jetty. they do a lot of night fishing, hence explains the tons of lights on the boat | Jiufen climbing and more

So, Taiwan rock climbing this summer?

So here’s concluding why Longdong rockclimbing is worth experiencing and what other things to do in taipei taiwan and this little quaint district of Jiu Fen.

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2 Comments

  • Avatar of Yeo Shu Ting
    Reply
    Yeo Shu Ting
    June 30, 2018 at 3:36 pm

    Hi, Im looking at going to Long Dong to rock climb this coming August. Im wondering if you brought all your equipment over or did you engage a climbing guide with you?

    • Avatar of Lydia Yang
      Reply
      Lydia Yang
      July 1, 2018 at 5:53 am

      Hi Shu Ting!
      Long dong was awesome, and in terms of equipment, depends on what you want to do – trad climbing or sport climbing.
      We brought a bunch of sport climbing gear there on our own, but if you need equipment and guide, I would strongly recommend you to contact QX from qxadventures.com.
      He has training courses and accomdation options available, so its a bingo for both:)
      Do share with me how the trip went!!

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