Twin Candlestick Islets 燭臺雙嶼

• ShareCopied to clipboard
• Facebook
• Bluesky
• X

The Twin Candlestick Islets (aka Candlestick Islet 燭臺嶼) are a beautiful natural wonder off the coast of Jinshan in New Taipei. There is a scenic trail (Shitoushan Hiking Trail 獅頭山步道) that lets you soak in the beautiful views of the islets from the coast. It is definitely worth a trip for lovers of Earth’s natural beauty.

Background:

The Candlestick Islets, also known as Husband-and-Wife Rocks or Couple Rocks 夫妻石, are two iconic sea stacks located off the coast of Jinshan District, New Taipei City. Rising about 60 meters above the sea, they were originally part of Jinshan Cape but were gradually separated through tectonic activity and centuries of coastal erosion. Sea caves and arches formed within the headland before eventually collapsing, leaving behind two connected rock pillars that resemble a pair of candlesticks. Associated with a local legend of devoted lovers, the islets are a well-known landmark and one of the most scenic attractions on Taiwan’s northern coast. They can be best viewed from the observation platform and Zhongzheng Pavilion in Shitoushan Seaside Park, where visitors can enjoy sweeping views of the dramatic coastline, making the site a popular destination for sightseeing and photography.

Hours:

24/7

Price:

Free

Difficulty/Length

About a 2 KM round trip with roughly 100 meters of elevation gain. It took us about 3 hours (with lots of stops along the way).

Tours:

You can book a tour to Jinshan on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here.

Activities nearby:

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. 

Where to Stay:

We recommend Jinshan Bay Hot Spring Resort, which is a reasonably-priced and high-quality resort right next to Huanggang Harbor (book on Booking.com here, Trip.com here, or Agoda 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 recommended Intercontinental New Taipei Hot Spring By IHG, which is perhaps the nicest hotel in Jinshan (book on Trip.com here, Agoda here, or Klook here). 
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda 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.

How to get there:

By Bus: There are inter-city buses that leave hourly from Taipei Main Station and Taipei City Hall to Yehliu. You can purchase a discount EasyCard to use on the MRT and buses from Klook here or KKday here. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here.
By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 2 west out of Keelung, and keep going until you reach Jinshan. The trailhead is at Shitoushan Park. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
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:

See the map below:

Please see above.

Our Journey:

We have been to Jinshan’s Candlestick Rocks zero times, but we have enjoyed views of the rocks from Shitoushan Hiking Trail, which has great views of them. The hiking trail is also near Jinshan Old Street, which you should definitely check out for lunch or dinner on your way there. This is a geological wonder, and you will find lots of people taking selfies on the trail. I recommend visiting in the evening when you get beautiful sunset colors on the rocks.

I don’t think people are allowed to go on the Candlesticks, but I know there are SUP rides out to the rocks that you can book on Klook here.

This is what you are trying to see when you get there.

We entered Shitoushan Park from near the Jinbaoli Trail entrance.

A sign points to Candlestick Islet.

3:16 PM: There were some fruit and vegetable vendors near the park when we visited.

We also saw a tour bus that came to park here. Car parking spaces here are limited.

When all the spaces are full, some people choose to park illegally.

Entrance to the hiking trail.

Some people walk out of the trail after finishing the hike.

Map of the Shitoushan Trail.

An old abandoned bunker. I think this whole trail used to be a military base.

Common seashore animals and plants.

Someone walks back down the path.

We begin to see the geology in the rocks here.

This first part of the trail is kind of steep

And then there is this baby Buddha.

First view of the ocean from the trail. This is Xialiao Beach.

Another old abandoned fortress.

More from inside the old fort.

An overgrown doorway.

A collapsed room.

View out of the entrance.

Map of some of the old military fortifications on Shitoushan.

Another view of the trail with our current location in red.

View of the old fort from above.

View looking north up the coastline.

View looking back upriver with Huanggang Hot Spring at the bottom of the background.

The direction sign said it was only a few hundred meters to go.

Subtopical Broadleaf Forest: Distributed mainly on flatlands and slopelands below 500 meters, where the annual average temperature is above 23°C and annual rainfall is between 1,000 and 4,000 millimeters. The plant composition consists mainly of plants of the family Moraceae (mulberry), genus Ficus and plants of the family Lauraceae (laurel), genus Machilus. This area was developed relatively early and most of the original plant cover has disappeared, leaving only secondary and artificial forest. Representative species include the angular fruit fig (Ficus septica), paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera), Taiwan mulberry (Morus australis), red machilus (Machilus thunbergii). The secondary forest is made up mostly of turn-in-the-wind (Mallotus paniculatus), macaranga (Macaranga tanarius), and Japanese mallotus (Mallotus japonicus), while the artificial forest consists mainly of Taiwan acacia (Acacia confusa), tung oil tree (Aleurites fordii), Makino bamboo (Phyllostachys makinoi), tropical timber bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii), and wulei bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus).

An old guard post that has been recently painted.

This part of the trail goes down to the “secret coast 神秘海灘” which is full of interesting geological features.

Here in the distance, you can see that the ocean is very shallow. There is a rock platform just a few feet underwater, former land that has been eroded away.

An abandoned military building can be seen here in the woods.

View looking toward Yehliu.

A spot to rest along the trail.

Only 250 meters to the Twin Candlesticks!

View of Huanggang Fishing Harbor.

View looking back at Jinshan.

Huang River
The Huang River flows directly to the sea and is the shortest river in Taiwan. The river estuary is rich in ecological resources. Migratory birds can often be seen here during autumn and winter.
The Datun volcanic group
The Datun volcanic group formed part of the volcanic activity associated with northern Taiwan. These mountains are remnants of volcanic eruptions that occurred hundreds of thousands of years ago. Geological features such as lava flows, volcanic craters, hot springs, fumaroles, and sulfur deposits can still be observed throughout the area. From this viewpoint, visitors can see the coastal landscape of Jinshan, including the river mouth, wetlands, harbor facilities, and nearby volcanic terrain.

The trail continues onward.

First view of the candlesticks!

Pro photographer.

This is the main viewing pavilion for the candlesticks.

Wide shot of the candles.

The candlesticks and candlestick beach.

There is no such thing as a pristine beach in Taiwan without human intervention. There is simply too much trash in the ocean to keep all the beaches clean all the time.

View from the pavilion.

View looking back down the trail from the pavilion.

Closer view of the candlesticks. The wavy water here is shallow water.

Closer view of the sticks.

Yet closer view.

Here you can see another rock sticking out of the water, a relic from a past age of Taiwan’s geological history.

Close-up on more rocks. Taiwan has been eroded into the ocean at least two times, only to be raised out of the ocean both times by tectonic forces.

Vertical view of the candlestick itlet.

And here you can take a selfie with a metal ring thing.

View looking eastward down the coast.

Another view of Yehliu.

The other ledge of Yehliu.

View of Yehliu’s geological area.

Another abandoned gun emplacement.

The unkept Candle Stick Beach, which has amazingly clear water.

Another view of the beautiful water here.

Keelung Islet and Yehliu.

From here, the trail goes down some steps to the beach.

The rocks here are cut in strange square shapes.

Some young men go fishing on the rocks.

Another view of Candlestick Beach.

More people are relaxing on the rocks.

View looking down the mysterious coastline.

Technically, you can also make it here by walking from Xialiao Beach.

You can see some fossils in the sandstone here.

View looking back up the trail.

A man looks onward at the candlesticks at dusk.

Some birds come to rest on the rocks.

Wider view of the rocks.

A great place for a photo.

View of the Spirit Bone Tower in the distance.

Two fisherman sail by.

I guess it was a good day to go fishing.

A cargo ship passes in the distance.

More fossilized remnants in the rock.

Golden candlesticks.

Shimmering off a graveyard in the distance.

Birds of prey stalking from the air.

More people are enjoying the views.

Closeup on Candlestick beach.

Close-up of the garbage on the beach. The only way to get to this beach is to swim, basically.

Closeup on the golden candlesticks.

Another fishing boat.

Waves crashing on the shore.

Forbidden part of the trail. Because there is a cliff?

Sunset over Jinshan.

Sunset over Yangmingshan.

Bye bye sun.

Beautiful sunset.

Close-up on Zhongjiaowan Beach.

Ships leaving Huangang Harbor.

People exit the trail.

Most people headed back after sunset.

Another view looking back at Yehliu.

And we made it back to our car parked near the Jinbaoli Old Trail.

Check out our guide to Taiwan’s northern coast here.
Check out our full guide to Taiwan here.