Fulong has been well established as a weekend destination for both locals and expats for years, if not decades. Its superb sandy beaches plus convenient location just over an hour's train ride away from Taipei make it an ideal place for all ocean lovers, surfers, sunbathers, campers etc. Numerous music festivals and beach parties further add to the vibe of the place.

While most of the visitors head from the train station straight for the beach, there are other things to do. Rising almost directly from the waters are mountains offering great hikes, in particular, Caoling Ancient Trail to Dali.

Fairly recently, in August 2008, a new attraction opened in Fulong, Caoling Railway Tunnel. Even though it is within a walkable distance, I would still suggest cycling - do not worry about transporting your own bike to Fulong, you can easily rent one from any of the numerous shops surrounding the train station for about NT$80 (about US$2.50) an hour. After that, just follow the tracks (and other people) further on, among fields at the foot of the mountain, the path then leaves the tracks, but you just need to go straight on.

After about 2-3km you will arrive at the end of the old tunnel. While the tracks have been removed and replaced with top quality paving, the tunnel itself has been preserved in its original form. To evoke the proper feeling, there are tracks painted on the path and loudspeakers in the tunnel play recordings of sounds of an approaching train.

The journey through the tunnel seems like a journey to the bowels of earth. You keep moving and you somehow expect a light at the end - but there is none. So you move on, and still nothing. Should the current economic crisis develop the same way, then god save us. Total length of the tunnel stands at 2165m; at the time of its construction by the Japanese in 1924, it was the longest tunnel in Taiwan.

As we pedalled through it, I absolutely believed it. At the moment I almost gave up any hope of re-emerging under the blue sky, the tunnel ended and we found ourselves on a small plateau with a beautiful view of the ocean, fishing boats calmly sailing within the sight of the shore (I guess there is no getting away from the ocean on the north-east coast after all). Some entrepreneurial locals started stalls selling drinks but so far the place is still fairly quiet.

If you are a devoted biker, you can set out further on for a challenging trip (make sure you get a map at Fulong), otherwise just head back the same way to the train station. The whole trip including refreshment stops will take you under two hours - just about the right break before you head back for the beach. The tunnel is open from 8:30am to 5pm.