Places near me Random place
All Taiwan Sea Gazing Room
AO Edited

Sea Gazing Room

This public artwork, hidden down a cliffside hiking trail, encourages visitors to contemplate the tides.

Xiaoliuqiu, Taiwan

Added By
Getty Hesse
You can look through the porthole window out to the sea   gettyhesse (Atlas Obscura User)
The Sea Gazing Room's ocean side   gettyhesse (Atlas Obscura User)
The view from the hiking trail   gettyhesse (Atlas Obscura User)
Cute figures line the path to the Sea Gazing Room   gettyhesse (Atlas Obscura User)
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Hiking enthusiasts who visit Xiaoliuqiu, off the western coast of Taiwan, should be sure not to miss the Shanfu Ecological Walk. Interspersed along this winding cliffside trail are cute miniature figures and signs that encourage hikers around the next bend.

These signs culminate in the Sea Gazing Room—situated on a cliff outcropping, this whimsical piece of public artwork has a design inspired by Xiaoliuqiu's abandoned barracks buildings, but with a circular grill window reminiscent of those on a ship and a cozy bench.

Rising out of the roof are a multitude of symbols: a radar dish, a mushroom, two eyes, and a heart, among others. Those who visit are encouraged to sit and gaze—not at the artwork, but out at sea.

Related Tags

Oceans Trails Art Art Outside

Know Before You Go

Ferries arrive regularly on Liuqiu from Donggang Pier in Pingtung County. The Sea Gazing Room is freely accessible any time of the day, though the path can get dark at night.

Community Contributors

Added By

gettyhesse

Published

July 22, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos

Nearby Places

Explore the Destination Guide

Related Places

  • Gene Frankel Theater

    New York, New York

    'Dreams of Hyperion'

    A unique collection of figures perform down the facade of the Gene Frankel Theatre.

  • Tatsfield, England

    'Coccolith'

    This circular artwork represents the ancient microscopic organisms that created the chalk foundations of the North Downs Way.

  •

    South Shields, England

    'Conversation Piece'

    This sculpture made up of 22 bulbous bronze figures reminds locals of massive Weeble Woobles.

  • The north side is a wonder to behold.

    Seattle, Washington

    Wall of Misfit Art

    A mesmerizing amount of crazy art is attached to the side of this house on Seattle's Phinney Ridge, bringing smiles to those who venture down the driveway to take a look.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

See Fewer Ads

Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads

Become a Member