Jiufen 九份

Jiufen Old Street is the busiest part of Jiufen and is made up of several streets forming a “丰” shape. From top to bottom, the three horizontal streets are Jishan Street, Qingbian Road and Qiche Road. Jishan Street is the most crowded, lined with snack and specialty shops. The vertical street is Shuqi Road, a flight of hundreds of stone steps lined with teahouses. Jiufen offers many traditional snacks, including sweet potato taro, taro cakes, taro balls and grass cakes. If street food is not your thing, choose a teahouse and enjoy some quiet while recalling scenes from A City of Sadness, a Taiwanese film shot on location here. It is a good way to step away from the crowds for a while.

The old street has many steps and slopes, so visitors with limited mobility may prefer to stop at a teahouse on the flatter upper streets. Weekends are busy, so an early start helps you enjoy the lanes before the crowds arrive.

There are quite a few historic sites worth a visit in Jiufen, too. Stepping into these places and you shall feel you have travelled back to the past. Local operas were staged in the Shengping Theatre; many people come here to take photos these days. Wufankeng has a rich mining history. Songde Park showcases sculptures made by dedicated artists. Bangkengkou is a remain from an old railway tunnel. Fushan Temple is a great place to watch cherry blossoms in the spring. There’s a famous “temple within a temple,” too. Be sure to visit some of these places if you wish to gain a deeper understanding of Jiufen’s history, culture and customs.