Ruifang Bat Cave 瑞芳蝙蝠洞, Formerly the Largest Bat Cave in East Asia

Historical Background:

The sandstone that forms Northern Taiwan was created between 10 and 20 million years ago and was pushed out of the sea along with northern Taiwan thousands of years ago. 
Sediment under the ocean millions of years ago was uplifted, thanks to the collision of the Eurasian and Philippine plates. The rocks have then been slowly eroded away by wind and water, creating odd shapes that you see today, such as Bat Cave. 
What is now Keelung and Taipei was once part of Basay aborigine lands. The area around Yilan was inhabited by the Ketagalan Aboriginal tribe, whose language is now extinct. The name Yilan comes from this language. 
Chinese settlers from Fujian began living in the Taipei Basin during the Dutch rule in the 1600s.
Keelung was first settled by the Spanish in 1626, as their first settlement in what became their rule of northern Taiwan until they were defeated by the Dutch and left Taiwan in 1642. The Qing Dynasty then ruled western Taiwan starting from the late 1600s.  The capital of Taiwan was moved to Tainan. 
In 1891, the first train connecting Keelung and Taipei was completed. During this time, the Qing Dynasty built many forts near Keelung in response to the Opium Wars and the Sino-French War. 
During the Japanese Era, the capital of Taiwan was moved to Taipei, and a round-island railway was completed.
Currently, a High-Speed Rail extension is planned for Yilan and is expected to be completed by 2036.
The nor coast of Taiwan is a popular weekend destination for the nearly 8 million people who live in the greater Taipei area. 

The Ruifang Bat Cave, located at the 75K mark of Provincial Highway 2, was once East Asia’s largest breeding site for bent-wing bats, where females arrived in spring, gave birth in summer, and migrated south for winter. The cave became a popular attraction in the 1970s after the completion of the coastal highway, with spectacular evening bat flights drawing crowds, but in the 1980s, firecracker explosions drove the bats away for over a decade. Although numbers later recovered, peaking at around 500,000 in 2005, they have since declined sharply due to climate change, habitat loss, pesticide use, construction damage, traffic accidents, and human disturbance. Conservation efforts since 2010, including bat-watching events, speed restrictions during evening flight times, habitat restoration, and the creation of Bat Cave Park with viewing platforms and murals, aim to balance tourism with protection. Despite setbacks, the site remains both an important ecological habitat and a coastal recreation area, with local authorities promoting it as a themed park to boost conservation and tourism together.

Hours:

24/7

Price:

Free

When should you go to Taiwan’s Northern Coast?

In my opinion, the best weather in Taipei is from March to May, and October-November, when the temperatures stay around 26 degrees Celsius and there is not as much rain.
Summers are also nice, with the most sunny weather, but also hot and rainy. 
Winters can be cold (but not below freezing) and usually wet. 
Overall, there is no wrong answer as to what time of year you should visit Taipei. You will have a great time here at any time of year. 

Where to Stay on Taiwan’s Northern Coast:

We recommend Fullon Hotel, which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). 
We have stayed at and recommend ​Gold Mountain Ranch, which is a horse ranch and glamping destination in Jinshan. ​You can book a night at Gold Mountain Ranch on Klook here.  You can also check out our full blog on the ranch here. 
We have also stayed at and recommend Hai Xia Your Home, which is right in front of Fulong Beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). 
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

Tours of Taiwan’s Northern Coast:

There are many tour itineraries that you can enjoy along Taiwan’s Northern Coast that will take you to multiple destinations and arrange transportation. For more information, you can check out Tripadvisor here, KKday here, or Klook here, which are all great tour websites that can connect you with the right tour and tour guide for you. 
Here are some of the most popular tours of Taipei on Tripadvisor:

1. Yehliu, Jiufen & Pingxi Day Tour from Taipei
2. Jiufen Village and Northeast Coast Tour from Taipei
3. Full-Day Private Northern Taiwan Tour from Taipei with Pickup
4. Half-Day Muslim Friendly Tour in Taipei City
5. Private Taipei Tour for Families

Attractions along Taiwan’s Northern Coast:

There are many attractions that you can enjoy along Taiwan’s Northern Coast such as Yehliu Ocean World, Yehliu Geopark, National Museum of Marine Science and Biology, Heping Island Park, Ju Ming Museum,  New Taipei Gold Museum, Futian Leisure Farm,  Fort San Domingo, 13 Levels Archaeology Museum, Bat Cave,  Candlestick Islet, and many more on Klook here or KKday here. 

Activities along Taiwan’s Northern Coast:

Don’t forget that there are many activities available along Taiwan’s Northern Coast such as Wakeboarding, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, SUP / Paddle Boarding, Diving, Snorkeling Kayaking, Canoeing, Water Biking,  River Tracing / Canyoneering, ATVing, Horse Riding, Archery, Tree Climbing, Glamping, Motorcycling, Motorbike Tour, Dragon Boat Racing, Shen’ao Rail Bike, and more on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. 

How to get there:

The only way to get to Taiwan is by airplane. Planes leave daily from Taipei’s Songshan and Taoyuan airports. 
Taoyuan Airport: Taoyuan is Taiwan’s largest airport and typically has cheaper flights and more flight times to choose from. It’s about an hour’s journey from Taoyuan Airport to the center of Taipei. You can travel via MRT, HSR, bus, or taxi to get to Taipei. 
You can get 30% off the Taoyuan Airport VIP lounge on KKday here. 
Songshan Airport: Songshan is a small airport in Taipei’s city center, and can be a convenient option for people traveling within Asia. The airport is right on the Taipei MRT brown line. 
You can book cheap flights to Taiwan on KKday here, Trip.com here, CheapO Air here, or Kiwi here.

How to get around Taiwan’s Northern Coast:

Northern Taiwan’s transportation system is convenient and safe. There are many options you can consider to get around along Taiwan’s Northern Coast below:
By Train: Gets you to Keelung, Fulong, and Yilan along the north and east parts of the North Coast. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here.
By MRT: (Mass Rapid Transit, Metro train, subway) – Easily gets you around Taipei and Tamsui. You can purchase a discount EasyCard to use on the MRT from Klook here or KKday here. ​You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here. 
By Bus: Buses run along the entire northeast coast, but they may be slow, and there may not be many buses during weekdays. You can also book tickets to travel to Shifen via inter-city bus on Klook here. You can also book a Taipei Sightseeing: Hop On, Hop Off Open Top Bus on TripAdvisor here. 
By Taxi: You can take short rides for about 150 NT, or hire a Taxi for a day for around 150 USD. You can search for private chartered cars on KKDay here. 
By Car: If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Klook here or  KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.  
By Scooter: Looking for scooter rental in northern Taiwan? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. ​
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan’s many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a cycling tour on TripAdvisor here. 
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. 

Map:

Please see below to see:

Our Journey:

I have been to Bianfudong once, but have passed it many times along the highway. It’s not the biggest cave in Taiwan, but it is an important habitat and breeding ground for bats. I was sad to learn that the bat population has declined so much in recent years. Hopefully, their numbers will increase soon.

There is a big car tunnel that passes right behind the bat cave here.

Next to the tunnel, you can find a parking lot and the entrance to the bat cave.

When we visited, it was kind of wet and muddy.

View inside the bat cave. It is hard to imagine that millions of bats once mated here.

Another view of the cave.

Looking further into the cave.

There seemed to be some kind of memorial or tomb in the cave.

Blanket and trash in the cave, probably left by a homeless person.

Another view looking back out of the cave.

View to the outside.

A washed out view from the cave.

There was also a fun park across the parking lot that we played at. I have also heard from many people that the coastline here is great for swimming, snorkeling, and diving, but I have yet to test the waters in that regard.

Check out our full guide to the north coast here.
Check out our guide to Taiwan here.