Keelung is located at Taiwan's northern tip with a population of 400,000 (1997). It is 29 kilometers (17.4 miles), about a forty-minute bus ride, northeast of Taipei.

Japanese pirates once occupied Keelung Harbor in the 16th Century. The Spanish (1626), Dutch (1641), French (1894) and Japanese (1895) have all invaded this strategic port in the past. It is the second biggest port in Taiwan?€handling 80 million tons of cargo per year.

Keelung is famous for its night market at Miaokou, which offers an endless array of food stands from seafood to Taiwanese snacks and desserts. On top of the hill is the famous 22.5-meter (74-foot) Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) Buddhist Statue, which overlooks the city and harbor.

To the east of Keelung, unique landscapes and magnificent seashores can be seen as part of the northeast Coast National Scenic Area. Yehliu, west of Keelung has natural rock formations including ones shaped as eggs, a slipper and even a profile similar to that of the Egyptian Queen, Nefertiti.

Many of our teachers enjoy the greater sense of immersion in Taiwanese culture they experience in Keelung while retaining the benefits of its close proximity to the more cosmopolitan Taipei.