Taiwan Jiufen: A picturesque village in the mountains of northern Taiwan New-Taipei, Travel to Taiwan 4 (1)Jiufen is a village nestled in the mountains north of Taipei, once home to mining workers. Today, it attracts visitors with its tourism focus. Dominating the heights near Keelung, Jiufen offers stunning views of the sea. Its charm lies in its narrow alleys and stairways, where local specialties and quaint teahouses mingle.At nightfall, the village takes on an almost dreamlike appearance, with its alleys illuminated by red lanterns, making it an iconic destination in Taiwan.To put it in context, we visited Jiufen after our Exploring the coast between Shuinandong and Cape Bitou, while renting a car for a few days. Arriving late in the afternoon, our time there was quite short, but enough to get a glimpse of village life and its atmosphere. Here is the report. Summary hide A short history of Jiufen Parking in Jiufen Jiufen Old Street Practical tips for visiting Jiufen A short history of JiufenThe origin of Jiufen:Before the gold mining boom, camphor harvesting and processing was the main economic activity in the area. At that time, Jiufen was home to 90 furnaces dedicated to this processing. Typically, ten furnaces were grouped together in one site, making nine processing sites in total. This is where the name "Jiufen" comes from, which can be translated as "nine units" or "nine sections."When a vein of the precious ore was discovered in the surrounding mountains around 1890, a veritable gold rush began and at its peak, Jiufen prospered and gained a small reputation, even earning it the nicknames of "Little Hong Kong" or even "Little Shanghai".Parking in JiufenWhen we arrived at the entrance to the town, it had only been half an hour since we left Bitou. While doing my research online, I could see that there were parking lots scattered here and there. There is a large one before the entrance to the village, which requires about 400 m of walking before reaching the entrance to the old main street, and another one, located on the other side of the "Jiufen Xiahai City God" temple.The colorful roof of the Chinese temple "Jifen Xiahai City God".This is where I planned to find a place, visit the temple on the way and join the old street via a staircase, a hundred meters in all to cover to reach Jiufen Old Street, the heart of the village.What I hadn't noticed in advance was that individuals were offering their parking spaces for rent. However, it turns out that we had just passed the entrance to the old street, recognizable by the crowd rushing there, when locals waved at us and offered to park on their spot.As you walk up the road to access the entrance to the “old street”, notice the “P” signs indicating possible parking spaces.Since we were so close, I took the opportunity, despite an awkward location, on a descent and just before a hairpin bend that led right after to the temple. Since they block the traffic and help me maneuver, it worked.Private parking: the rate is affordable, NT$150 for 3 hours.It is then 16:30 p.m., it is still daylight and we can therefore admire while walking towards the entrance of the street, the beautiful view of the bays below, with in the foreground that of Shen'ao, then Badouzi. We can even distinguish in the distance the Sheliao bridge, a bridge located on the outskirts of Keelung, the main city in the north of the island.The view of the bays.The curve just at the entrance to “Jewish Old Street”.Jiufen Old StreetWhen entering Jishan Street, the alley commonly known as Jiufen Old Street (whose entrance is marked as such on Google Maps), I am pleasantly surprised by the crowd, in the sense that there is certainly some activity, but it is far from being the hustle and bustle that I could have feared.I was expecting to see more people there, as Jiufen Old Street is a popular spot in Taiwan, especially since it was used as a filming location for the 1989 Taiwanese movie "A City of Sadness".As it is generally narrow, I was afraid that it would be more compact and less obvious to slip through the maze of Juifen. And if Jiufen Old Street is the most lively shopping street in Jiufen, the hilltop village has a set of alleys and staircases clinging to the hillsides around the main area.Among the many shops lined up, you can find many local specialties such as caoziguo (rice cake), sausages and especially dumplings, often presented on skewers and made with red pork, salted fish or even taro for sweet.There are also several Taiwanese souvenir shops, game rooms, but also tea rooms, the most iconic of which is certainly the A-Mei Teahouse, which can be found along the emblematic Shuqi Road, a staircase alleyway that leads to Quingbian Road, another street in Juifen winding a notch lower than Jishan.It was after a short stroll of 350 m along Jishan Street that we arrived at a crossroads where we could continue on the same street going straight, and that a staircase went up on our left, and went down to the right.Although there were signs indicating directions, we didn't really know where they were leading and our instinct was to go down to the right. A few steps further down and we arrived at the height of the A-Mei Teahouse, from where there is a breathtaking view of the bay again.It is then 17 p.m. and the many lanterns that we saw along the way suddenly light up, and despite the rain that decides to fall, an atmosphere begins to reign that some would willingly describe as dreamlike.A particular setting that would have Hayao Miyazaki, the grand master of animated films from Studio Ghibli, was inspired by to establish the settings of the village in which little Chihiro evolves, in the eponymous film "Spirited Away", released in 2001. This is a fact that has never been confirmed by the main person concerned, but it must be admitted that the similarities are striking.We go down a few more steps and we arrive at a kind of small square. In one corner stands out a facade with a cart coming out of the wall and skeletons on it. This is the entrance to the Ghost Lore Museum, a small and original "museum" in the heart of the old streets of Jiufen. It is called a museum but it is more of a kind of exhibition on the theme of ghosts and monsters, and is more of a photo spot.Almost in the middle of this little square stands a bag shop in a wooden building. The location is questionable because it is in front of a historic building in the village, the Shengping Theater, a former theatre and cinema dating from the 1930s.The latter is free to enter and restored to reflect its heyday. Occasionally, this theater shows old films or, as on the day we were there, documentaries (but it was only in Chinese). In fact, we mostly went in to take shelter, because the rain didn't seem to want to stop.The person at the entrance then kindly offers to borrow an umbrella so we can go back and explore the streets lit by orange lanterns. Knowing that we didn't really know what to do at that moment, we accept the offer, conceding that we'll have to go back to the theater to bring it back.First, we started to go back up the stairs to retrace our steps, and at the famous crossroads, turn right. A few meters further, we arrived at a viewpoint, from where we can see the bay, but also a good part of the perched houses of Juifen.We think we've reached the end of the essentials to see and since the weather is not on our side, we take the opportunity to scour the souvenir shops, just to bring back something from our stay here. After this shopping break, we went back down to the theater, but we stopped on the way to the local photo spot, where a good number of people armed with their selfie sticks were gathered.We stayed for almost 10 minutes, in absolute terms I was waiting for the light to come closer to night, to better highlight the lanterns, while I have the A-Mei Teahouse tea room in front of me.But the wait was getting too long (I'm talking about the fading light, not a possible queue) just for a photo so I gave up to go back to the theatre to return the umbrellas and suggested going back up Qingbian Street. It was 18pm at that point when we were back in front of the entrance to Juifen Old Street, night had not quite fallen yet and we were wondering if we should stay longer at Juifen.At first, that's the case, we rush back into the artery where the lanterns are lined up, all lit up. The opportunity to take a few more photos and see the shops again, in case we missed something on the first visit.But after 10 minutes, we finally turned back to return to the car. In doing so, we passed through a street below the lively part (Qingbian Road). We then discovered a different side of the village, with some murals, some old facades and different points of view on the surroundings.We are almost ready to leave but once we arrive at the entrance to Juifen Old Street again, Jitima makes us do one last little tour as night falls. So we do another 200m round trip and this time, after another 15 minutes, we decide it is time to leave.We stayed there for barely 1h30. There are surely other interesting spots to see, but with this rainy weather, it didn't really make us want to hang around. Plus, we still had the road to return to Taipei and check in at the new hotel.One last little tour.Last photo as night falls on Juifen.Practical tips for visiting JiufenHere is a list of general tips to help you plan your visit to Jiufen Village.How to get there :Jiufen is quite easy to reach as it is located only 40 km from Taipei, making it an ideal destination for a day trip. Here are the main options to get there:By direct bus from Taipei : The easiest way to get to Jiufen is by bus. This is a convenient and economical option. From Zhongxiao Fuxing Subway Station (Exit 1), you can take the bus 1062 (Keelung Bus), which will take you directly to Jiufen in about 1h30. From MRT Ximen Station or Beimen Station, you have the bus 965 which also passes through Jiufen.By train + bus : You can also take a train from Taipei Station to RuiFang Station (about 45 minutes). Once you arrive in Ruifang, exit the station and take a local bus (lines 788 or 825) to Jiufen, which is only a 15-minute ride away.Taxi : If you prefer a faster and more comfortable ride, you can opt for a taxi from Taipei. It will cost you more (around NT$1000-1500), but you can save time, especially if you are traveling in a group.Car rental : I talk about it in my article related to this day since that was our case. Jiufen has two public car parks plus private ones. This is an interesting option if you plan to visit the surrounding area like us. The roads to Jiufen are as picturesque as the village, even if you have to be at least a little comfortable with mountain roads, some sections can be narrow and winding.Organized excursions : Last option for those not comfortable with public transportation many travel agencies in Taipei offer day tours to Jiufen, often combined with other nearby sites like Pingxi Town and Shifen Waterfall. These tours usually include transportation, allowing you to fully enjoy your day without worrying about logistics.When to visit:The best time to visit Jiufen depends on what you're looking for, but here are some tips to maximize your experience:Ideal seasons : The autumn months (September to November) are generally the best to visit Jiufen. The weather is milder, and the views are usually clear, a perfect combo for enjoying the scenery. Spring (March to May), is supposed to offer mild weather, with lush nature, but just like in our case, you may encounter occasional showers and more uncertain weather.Seasons to avoid : Summer (June to August) can be hot and humid, with a high probability of typhoons, making the visit much more hazardous. Winter (December to February) is colder and sometimes foggy, although Jiufen also has a certain charm under the winter mist.Times of the day : Jiufen is a popular tourist destination, so to avoid the crowds, it is advisable to arrive early in the morning. The morning is ideal for enjoying the quiet streets and taking photos without the crowds. Late afternoon is a popular time to watch the sunset over the coast from the village's viewpoints. Finally, the evenings in Jiufen are particularly popular with the lanterns lit, so this is the time when it is busiest.Where to eat and drink:We haven't tested anything other than snacks left and right. But to give examples, for a tea room, besides the A-Mei Teahouse mentioned in the article, there is also the Jiufen Teahouse, which we passed, close to the “crossroads” with the stairs.To enjoy taro balls, for example, you have the A-Gan-Yi Taro Ball. By going to the A-Zhu Peanut Ice Cream Roll, you can taste one of the local specialties, a thin crepe filled with grated peanut ice cream, rolled with coriander, yes yes.Finally, for more “classic” restaurants, you have the Day Eat Tea House & Co., located on Qingbian Street (below Jishan Street) or the Jiufen Jie Jiao Traditional Diner, which offers traditional Taiwanese cuisine right at the entrance of Jiufen Old Street.Where to stay:If you come to Jiufen by public transport, it may be wise or even preferable to sleep there, if only because it is interesting to stay in the evening to see the atmosphere with the lanterns.By sleeping on site, you avoid having to worry about schedules and can hang out peacefully.Box_Inn_Jiufen, from €25, is in the heart of the old street, with a friendly atmosphere and a terrace with sea view.Muxin Harajuku, from €50, a more modern establishment, slightly away from the hustle and bustle.Windsor's Breeze, from 75€, if you want more spacious rooms with sea view.You will find several Homestays in the old street. 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