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With the second largest sea port in Taiwan, Keeling is one of the major cities of the island. The city has a diverse history that had begun with aboriginal inhabitation of the Ketagalan tribes. The city then passed on to Spanish and Dutch settlements till the Ming ruler Koxinga annexed the land and established the Chinese domination. Keelung was recognized as a commercial port in 1863 under the Qing rule, and gradually emerged as a major centre of business activities in the area. Keelung received the status of a city recently in 1924, and is today a busy centre housing more than 400,000 people. Major attractions in Keeling: Keeling, or the ‘rainy port’, as the local residents prefer to call it, is a popular destination in northern Taiwan. The most important attraction in the city is the 475 meter high Goddess of Mercy Mountain. The mountain carries a 72 feet high statue of Kuanyin, a sacred deity of the Buddhists. The towering white statue is a magnificent construction and the visitors here are rewarded with a fascinating view of the coast line below. The views of the curving northern coast and the Taiwan Strait definitely promise an extra perk to the ones climbing up to the top. The entire climb is a wonderful experience as on his way up, one is encountered with lush plantations of tea, bamboo and tangerine. Two Buddhist temples are also perched on the slope. The mountain can be reached by road from Taipei.
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