TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Jiufen, a mountainous enclave built around a former gold mine, often tops the list of popular tourist attractions in northern Taiwan.
This is due to its close proximity to Taipei, which ensures a normal flow of day-trippers and creates heavy traffic jams on weekends. Jiufen’s continued appeal is amazing, and foreign tourists never seem to tire of the gift shops and snack bars that line Jiufen Old Street.
Maps are useless here. Jiufen is a labyrinthine network of alleys, alleys and staircases that make traveling in a straight line impossible. Instagram-worthy angles also abound, with plenty of selfie sticks and brief interruptions seen as tourists arrange group photos.
There is a beautiful sea view from Jiufen. (Taiwan News Photo)
buy what
Jiufen’s high footfall ensures that every store is stocked with the latest travel-worthy trinkets and bric-a-brac. Expect to see lots of Taiwanese beer-themed products like magnets, corkscrews and vintage postcards.
Snack samples are also everywhere, from freeze-dried strawberries to prunes and even alpine oolong tea.
Woodwork of all sizes and shapes seems to be popular, from simple drink coasters to Buddha statues. Even shavings from cypress or camphor trees are sold in plastic bags for their refreshing scent. The wood shavings can even be lit as an aromatherapy.
Taro balls are a popular delicacy in Jiufen. (Taiwan News Photo)
Taro
It’s hard to walk for 10 minutes without passing a shop that sells taro balls. This semi-sweet treat has a chewy consistency and is served hot or cold and is flavored with a brown sugar broth. Taro balls come in different colors, from purple to white, and are a favorite among students and young adults.
Grandma Lai’s Sweet Taro Balls is perhaps one of the two largest vendors of such snacks on Jiufen Old Street. It occupies two storefronts, one with hand-rolled fresh taro balls and the other simply set up as a dining room, with ceiling fans bringing in a cool breeze.
At the top of Jiufen Old Street is another big shop selling taro balls, Forrest Gump Taro Balls. The shop is nothing more than a storefront that offers takeaway paper bowls of hot or cold taro balls.
On a typical weekday afternoon, the line winds its way down the steps with 50 or more customers waiting in line, many ordering on behalf of friends and family, cozying up in the shade at the top of the steps to rest. Expect a long wait for this snack.
There are many souvenirs for sale on Jiufen Old Street. (Taiwan News Photo)
Lunch fare
After a snack, something more satisfying might be next on the list, like a bowl of noodles, fried rice, or a set meal. Despite its proximity to the sea, Jiufen has very little seafood, as most of the food is traditional cuisine from mountain villages.
The most popular place to eat in Jiufen is Amei Tea House, a three-story building with distinctive green siding and red lanterns. The teahouse is famous for the Japanese animation film “Spirited Away”.
The many signs and handwritten notices on Jiufen Old Street point visitors in the direction, making it easy to find this teahouse. After a brief history of the teahouse, visitors are usually taken to the third floor, where green tarps sway in the wind.
A diner’s set menu averages around NT$300 ($9) per person and includes a main course such as three-cup chicken or stewed pork ribs, as well as a handful of three side dishes. The food is simple, reasonably priced and probably of similar quality to other tea shops in the area.
Beverages are priced individually and include NT$250 ($7.50) for a small can of fruit tea or chrysanthemum tea, or NT$180 for a large bottle of Taiwanese beer. Seating on the second floor is limited to about six tables.
Art galleries abound in the Jiufen area. (Taiwan News Photo)
art Gallery
The storefront is neither a gift shop, a cafe, nor a B&B, but a typical art gallery. They are of different shapes and sizes, some are on Jiufen Old Street, and some are hidden in dark alleys.
The latter is how people describe the Paco Photography Gallery, which is run by an elderly resident of the area who also lives in the gallery. Kerosene tanks and oil heaters indicate that he is a year-round resident, despite the cold and rainy winters.
Although Paco is advertised as a photo gallery, he mainly sells his paintings in this quaint space. “After a heart attack in 2015, I stopped taking pictures. That’s why I started painting, I found painting is much easier than photography, which requires a lot of equipment, the right timing and calculations to get the right picture.” Paco Chiu said.
“We have a lot of tourists here. Now many are from Korea and Thailand, and there are some Japanese tourists too, but they seem to have no money. Most tourists now only go to Jiufen for a day trip and stay in the area for 2-3 hours.
Other art galleries in Jiufen are similar hobbies, run by individual artists or retail spaces that can only be called art galleries in name, since other tourist-like items such as postcards, posters, and calendars are also sold.
round trip
If you’re not planning to spend the second day of your vacation in Jiufen, here might be the deal: 965 intercity buses are easily accessible. Getting to Jiufen is no harder than taking a typical bus ride around Taipei Main Station for just NT$120 in air-conditioned comfort.
If there’s one thing to be aware of when taking this cheap bus, it’s that it runs every 30 to 40 minutes. Also, the popularity of the route means there may be no seats at halfway stations. Boarding outside the MRT Banqiao Station or Wanhua Station, the probability of occupying a seat is higher.
Another reason to take the bus to Jiufen is that the bus will visit several tourist attractions in the Jiufen area, such as Baomin Temple, Jinguashi Gold Museum, and Guashan Primary School, the former site of a prisoner-of-war camp. Visitors can travel between these destinations by hop-on-hop-off bus.
Please take the advice of local residents in the area who advise against traveling to Jiufen on weekends. Taking the bus on weekends can also lead to traffic jams and slow travel, which can take double or triple the typical travel time.
