Taitung, Pingtung best spots in Taiwan to view first sunrise of 2018

台東、屏東是台灣最好的景點迎接2018年的第一個日出

The CWB lists the best places to view the last sunset of 2017 and first sunrise of 2018


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- The best spots in Taiwan to view the last sunset of 2017 are Guanshan in Pingtung County, Sizhiwan in Kaohsiung City, and Angping District in Tainan City, while the best places to catch a glimpse of the first sunrise of 2018 are Sanxiatai in Taitung County and Kenting's Longkeng Ecological Reserve in Pingtung County, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB).

Cheng Chen-feng (鄭振豐), an official with the CWB's astronomical observatory, told CNA that that the best places to catch the final sunset of 2017 are Pingtung's Guanshan, Kaohsiung's Sizhiwan, and Tainan's Anping District. Sunset at those locations will take place at 5:25 p.m., while sunset on the outer island of Kinmen will take place at 5:29 p.m., with the very last place to see the sunset being Taiping Island, where the sun will set at 6:11 p.m., according to Cheng.


Sunrise at Longkeng Ecological Reserve. (Image from hengchun-house.gov.tw)

As for the first sunrise of 2018, the earliest will appear at Dongqing on Taitung's Orchid Island at 6:33 a.m., while the sun will rise one minute later at 6:34 on Taitung's Green Island. As for the best spots to view the sunrise on Taiwan proper, Cheng said the sun will rise at 6:35 a.m. at Longkeng Ecological Reserve in Pingtung's Kenting and at Sanxiatai in Taitung.

Other popular spots in Taiwan to catch the first light of the new year inlcude Sandiaojiao in New Taipei City, Suao in Yilan, and Chungte in Hualien, where the sun will rise at 6:37 a.m. One minute earlier, at 6:36 a.m., the first sunrise of 2018 can be seen at Fugang and Taimali in Taitung.