Taiwan Shifen and Houtong: A day in the mountains of New Taipei New-Taipei, Travel to Taiwan 4 (1)The day after our escapade on the north coast of Taiwan, between Shuinandong and Cape Bitou, we set off again with our rental car for another ride, this time in the mountains.Although we had already had a glimpse of the mountainous landscapes by following the coastal road and going to Jiufen, it remained superficial. We had also spotted other villages to visit and natural spots to go to, still in this same region northeast of Taipei.So it was between the districts of Pingxi and Ruifang, mainly along the valley of the Keelung River, that we headed for this final day of discovery in roadtrip mode. Summary hide The lanterns of Shifen Old Street Shifen Waterfall: Taiwan's most famous waterfall Passage in the Ruifang Mountains Houtong: Former mining village turned cat refuge The lanterns of Shifen Old StreetFor this first visit of the day, we had chosen the village of Shifen. Nestled along the valley of the Keelung River, which will be our main theme for this day. This village is famous for its railway line that crosses it, its "old street", and especially its lanterns. Unlike other places where lanterns are hung and lit up in the evening, here, they are launched into the air throughout the day. A sort of lantern festival like in Thailand but in a daily version.It turns out that along this valley, you can discover several other villages, each with its own "old street", including Jingtong or Pingxi, one of the best known in the region after Shifen. A little clarification in passing, although this term literally translates to "old street", it simply designates the main street, where the shops of these towns are concentrated, without necessarily having a historical connotation as one might expect.A day along the rails.As mentioned, in addition to the river, the valley is bordered by a railway line. The latter allows you to travel around the region by train while enjoying landscapes with undeniable charm. It is therefore possible to make the visits via this means of transport, but to avoid time constraints, it seemed easier to choose the car to explore this region.Hence our choice of rental, which we had already been able to enjoy the day before. Our first stop that day was not in Shifen itself, but only 2 km upstream. I had spotted on Google Maps an observation point from where we could see the mountains, with a piece of the famous railway line visible.I had gone so far as to look at the train timetable, which meant that shortly after we arrived there, the current train was passing through, stopping at the local station, Waggu (a waterfall of that name is also nearby). I thought that this gave a more "lively" feel to the photo I was looking for. I didn't pay attention to it at the time, but you can also see from there the remains of an old suspension bridge (Qinghe Suspension Bridge Relics).The train passing through the small Waggu station.Note that there is no parking for this viewpoint, so I had to park well at the side of the road, fortunately not very busy, to take my photos.If we left around 10:00 from the center of Taipei, we would arrive at this spot at 11:30, and it was 15 minutes later that we finally arrived at Shifen. It still took us a good 20 minutes to find a parking lot. Because if there is a public parking lot next to one of the village's attractions, the "Jingan Suspension Bridge", the spaces, in addition to being paid, are more than limited.There are many other parking lots scattered around the village, to be honest, but my initial goal (ambitious, admittedly) was to find a spot as close as possible to the tracks, and for that, I had spotted the "Shifen Lao Jie Parking" on Google Maps. Unfortunately, the place was occupied that day by a tent (I would soon learn that it was the catering spot for a film crew).So I started looking for somewhere to park in the area, but the streets were narrow and the few spaces available were obviously already taken, especially around Shifen Park, a small green area that was currently being developed.Shifen seen from the area near the parking lot.Coming back to the height of the Longxing Temple, one of the village's sanctuaries, I then spot a parking lot, originally closed by a barrier. Except that as I approach it, the barrier opens, I then imagine that it is another parking lot made available, thinking that you just have to pay when you leave. At the time, happy to find a space, we park there without asking too many questions and we walk the 200 m separating us from the famous railway line crossing the village.It is then in full swing, with quite a few people preparing lanterns to fly into the skies. Signs indicate the prices as well as the meaning of the colors, we learn that red is associated with health, yellow with money, pink with happiness, etc. (knowing that you can buy a lantern of a solid color, but also 4 or 8 colors according to your wishes).The crowd when we arrived on site.Poster showing the meaning of each color.At first, we don't notice that there is a filming in progress, despite seeing a guy in the middle of the rails with a microphone, seeming to give instructions. I thought it was just part of the organization of the place, before seeing a crane, the staff and cameras, I then realize (it's the case to say it), that in this crowd present that day, a certain number are in fact extras for the shots in progress (an Indian team, from what I could observe).We had barely been there for 10 minutes when we felt a bit of agitation, everyone was getting in line, and the sound of a train approaching was heard. The locomotive then crossed the village and we saw that it was clearly as much the attraction as the lanterns. Afterwards, we did some shopping, we hung around, and already, I saw another train arriving at the station. Another twenty minutes had passed and we witnessed another train passing by.A train arrives at the station…Shortly after he continued on his way, crossing Shifen.After that, we decide to take a walk on the suspension bridge, located right next to the railway line. It is a bridge for pedestrians only and allows you to cross the river to reach another part of the village. The view is nice, without being exceptional. We have a partial view of the village and we are surrounded by the mountains, very green at this time of year, but we also have a visual of no less than 3 bridges, one of which is high in the background, because the national road spans the river at this point.On the bridge, we observe locals indulging in the local custom, which obviously consists of lighting incense sticks and setting off firecrackers. On the other side, I know that there is another car park 100 m away but otherwise, it is literally deserted. We do not linger there and return to the old street after a few more photos on the bridge.We've been here for a good half hour already, and we've seen the essentials so we start to head back to the parking lot to get the car. I start, go towards the terminal and there, it's a disaster... I thought there would be a terminal to pay in cash or something, except no... None of that... And looking at the cars around us, we realize that they are in fact mainly taxis... We were actually parked in a parking lot reserved for professionals...So, we find ourselves like idiots stuck in the parking lot... By asking a driver who remained in his vehicle to wait for his customers visiting the village, the latter then advises us to ask the inhabitants of the village...Just next to the suspension bridge, we reached the car by passing under the blue arch on the left.Here we are, back in the heart of the village and seeing its rails again. We have a bit of trouble finding people who understand English, but we end up learning that it is possible to get a pass, by paying a certain amount for objects in one of the souvenir shops… So I leave this mission to Jitima who will find what she wants in one of them, the time for me to see the passage of yet another train and take a few more photos.Once we had the precious sesame in our pocket, we were able to return to the car park and finally open the barrier, even if we were only taking the car for a short journey.Shifen Waterfall: Taiwan's most famous waterfallThere was barely a kilometer and a half to go to reach our next visit, but this little mishap in the parking lot having made us lose a good hour, we wanted to save a little time by getting as close as possible to the waterfall.Normally, the main access is via the Shifen Visitor Center, where there is a large parking lot across the road. From there, a suspension bridge leads to a path along the river to another suspension bridge. Another option is to continue on the road past the parking lot, which also leads to the waterfall, without having to cross the river.The access path to the suspension bridge is visible from the parking lot.In our case, it was next to the 2nd bridge that I tried my luck, while there is also a parking lot, smaller but free of access without a barrier (so free, the other one having a barrier so I suppose, paying). Luckily, it's not crowded so we find a place. We then have about 300 m left to reach the observation platform of the Shifen waterfall.This waterfall, of respectable size, 20 m high and 40 wide, is considered one of the most beautiful in Taiwan, making it a popular destination. To access it from the parking lot, you have to go through a restaurant, then, after a few steps, you follow a stream, cross a small stone bridge and arrive at the height of the suspension bridge, Guanpu Bridge.At this point, the stream in question flows into the river in the form of a small waterfall called "Yanjingdong Falls". Parallel to the suspension bridge is another bridge since the railway line passes here, it runs along the river and slightly overhangs the path leading to the waterfall.Shortly after the bridge, we are greeted by a string of bronze horse statues, then we arrive quite quickly at the catering area. From the car park, it took us barely 1 minutes to finally see the waterfall. Before reaching the main platform, located right next to the top of the falls, we take the path located higher up.A passage then takes us over the railway, just as a train decides to pass. In this part, there is a network of stairs and paths winding through the forest, one of them leading to the first parking lot that I mentioned above. Signs indicate the different possible observation points, so it is easy to find your way around.We first go to one of them, before following a path leading to the foot of the waterfall, facing it. As the weather is gloomy, there is no crowd so it is rather pleasant even if in terms of photos, it is necessarily less great.After my series of photos, we go straight back up to the main platform via a staircase on the hillside, with the waterfall basin on our right. Time to take a few more photos and return to the car, this visit will have kept us busy for an hour.Passage in the Ruifang MountainsOur next and last stop was the village of Houtong, a request from Jitima who, loving animals, wanted to spend time in this atypical village, its particularity being to shelter a large number of stray cats.Normally, we could have taken the national road by leaving the mountains from the west and accessed this same valley by returning from the north, a journey that according to the GPS takes half an hour. But since the goal is still to visit and we leave Shifen around 15 p.m., we still have plenty of time.Somewhere on the road between Shifen and Houtong.Landscape between Shifen and Houtong.We are approaching the viewpoint (Buyan Pavilion).So, I had spotted a winding road that snakes through the peaks, passing in particular at the height of a viewpoint, identified on Google Maps by " Buyan Pavilion"To get there, there were two possibilities: either go north or south. Knowing that the north would take longer, I compromised by choosing the south.In doing so, we passed through Shuangxi, another village that has its "Old Street" but without stopping there, then I took the road going into the mountain. We begin a series of sometimes very hairpin bends, and as soon as the conditions allow it (clear view, possibility of parking), I can't help but take a few photos.It then takes me almost an hour to reach the famous viewpoint, where we will see quite a few motorists stopping (while we didn't meet anyone along the road). Unfortunately, the weather is still not on our side today and the overcast sky spoils the landscape a little so we don't linger there.Just 2 kilometers further, I made an express stop at another observation point, " Shumei Observation Deck"From there, we can see Yingyang Sea in the distance, where we had passed the day before, but the sky is so grey that the sea merges with it.On my left I see a hill covered with tombs, a typical Chinese cemetery. Behind this one is Jiufen, a village not to be missed in the region but already visited the day before.Viewpoint from the Shumei Observation Deck.We were passing through Jiufen because the road to Houtong village was only 3 km away.If you are a cycling lover, note that there are old railway lines in the region converted into cycle paths. The latter use old tunnels and allow you to ride in the heart of the mountains, for example between conseridable et Shuangxi passing through the " Sandiaoling Tunnel Bike Path Rest Point"Houtong: Former mining village turned cat refugeWhen we arrive in Hountong, the rain, even if it remains light, invites itself to the party. To situate in time, instead of the 30 minutes for a direct journey as quickly as possible, it took us 1h30 from Shifen. It is therefore 16:30 p.m. when we begin our visit of the village.Knowing that when I arrived there, I crossed the first bridge I crossed when I saw a sign indicating a parking lot. If I had known, I would have gone straight to the closest one since there is another parking lot right next to the main area, 500 m from where I parked, and the latter was quite empty at the time we disembarked.View from the Xinjieshou Bridge next to the parking lot where I parked.View of the part of Houtong that we are about to reach.Not very glamorous but appropriate attire at that time.The Jieshou Arch Bridge, our goal, where the main part of the village to visit is located and the other parking lot closer.From this parking lot, we could have stayed on the same side along the railway line (the same one that passes through Shifen), but even if we had to walk a little, I deliberately crossed the bridge, and in doing so, we passed through a part of the village along the Keelung River. It's deserted given the weather, but it allows us to come across our first cats.The houses are quite basic and the overall architecture gives a feeling of austerity as the gloomy weather accentuates this effect. But we take advantage of it, Jitima is always happy to say hello to the cats while I try to freeze these moments as best I can. It is also because I take a lot of photos that I manage to reproduce in time what we have done, and I can see that we have dragged our feet enough to cover these 500 m in 20 minutes.It was after crossing the arched bridge that we arrived in front of the converted space of the old mine, transformed into a museum. Because yes, you should know that Houtong (also spelled Houdong), before being the cat village, developed thanks to its coal mines.And if in our case it was the presence of the felines that attracted us to these places, the village and its surroundings are basically dedicated to the memory of the miners and this bygone industry. On this aspect, we flew over the area, because it is normally possible, in addition to the museums, to access old mines on wagons, crossing the bridge of the old factory, the Yunmei Bridge, from where there is also a beautiful view of this valley.But why all these cats?This craze for cats did not come out of nowhere, but started with an animal lover who, in 2008, decided to create a shelter for stray cats in the village (there are now 200 times more cats than inhabitants in the town).Some have since found full owners, but most are managed by the villagers who provide them with bowls at various locations to feed them and they maintain them.It must be said that the village still places a lot of emphasis on the many cats that now populate this small village, with effigies of them everywhere, in the form of signs, paintings and sculptures. Even the fronts of the few souvenir shops will rather focus on the animal than its mining past.When we arrive on site, it is still quite late so it is quite quiet. Most of the people we meet seem to be finishing their visit when we are just starting it... The few restaurants in the village are still open, but despite being hungry, we prefer to finish the visit.Very quickly, we come across the first cats wandering freely in this large space adjoining the old mine, with paving stones on the ground symbolizing the old railway lines that connected the factory to the main line.When you arrive in the main part of the village. The big building at the back being the old factory.There are a few shops along it.One of the first cats we came across in the area.We then head towards the station, where we see small baskets made available for cats to sleep in, as well as corners set up with kibble and water, a real cat haven! (even if this is not where we saw the most).To cross the tracks, you go up and over a covered footbridge that joins the main part of the village, with its houses leaning against the mountain. There are explanatory signs but only in Chinese, multiple cardboard cat figurines and kibble corners, the places also serving as a living space for these felines.We arrive in front of Houtong station.The view from the station.Calm down cats.Passage through the footbridge.In the upper part of the village, besides the view of the mountains, misty this day, you will find several small cafes, like the " 217 coffee " where the " Meow meow " whose name is unmistakably the star of the village.We would have liked to have stayed in one of them for a few minutes, but we only found closed doors that day. Afterwards, we didn't insist, because some of them were still open (the last ones close at 18pm), but as time was running out, I still wanted to go and have a look at the museum at the entrance before it closed (it was then past 17:30pm).Inside the museum, there is actually not much, most of the explanations are only in Chinese... Apart from a model of the factory in its glory days and learning that it operated between 1965 and 1990, I wouldn't know more.The museum spaces are open every day from 8:00 p.m. to 18:00 p.m..Free access.Before leaving, we hesitated to stop and eat in one of the small local restaurants still open, but the choice was too limited and as we still had to go back, while night was about to fall, we finally decided to return to the car and conclude this day in the mountains of northern Taiwan.One last look before leaving the premises. Did you like the article? Vote on the article Note globale 4 / 5. Number of votes: 1 No votes yet. 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