Jiufen is a tourist attraction close to Taipei City, and it is crowded with people even on rainy days on weekdays.
Speaking of Taiwan’s tourist attractions that are well-known in Japan, there are rumors that it is the stage model of the movie “Spirited Away” released in 2001. I went to Jiufen this time at the end of 2015. The weather was a bit cold at that time, so I would like to introduce the situation to you.
The Jiufen I visited this time is a mountain town in Ruifang District, New Taipei City, close to Taipei City. Jiufen itself is often introduced on various tourist information websites, but transportation is hardly mentioned when actually going to Jiufen. In order to avoid confusion after entering the station, when I was researching how to go to Jiufen from Taipei City, I found out how to go directly to Jiufen from Taipei City, and then take a train, bus or taxi from Taipei Main Station to Jiufen. There is a way to do it. If you take a bus, you can take “Keelung Bus 1062 to Jinguashi” at the bus stop of Zhongxiao Fuxing Station on the MRT, and get off at the Jiufen Old Street bus stop for about 90 minutes. The other is to move from Taipei Main Station to Taiwan Railway Ruifang Station. It takes about 50 minutes by ordinary train, and the express train arrives at Ruifang Station about 10 minutes earlier than the ordinary train. After arriving at Ruifang Station, take a bus or taxi to Jiufen. Take the bus and get off at Jiufen Old Street Station, then take a taxi to Jiufen, the uniform fare is NT$205.
This time I wanted to see the status of Taiwan’s regular railways, so I switched to trains and taxis and moved to Jiufen. The automatic ticket vending machines on the first floor of Taipei Main Station were overcrowded, so they moved to the floor adjacent to the ticket gates of the Taiwan Shinkansen and Taiwan Railways at the subway station. To be on the safe side, I checked the direction and route of my destination Ruifang Station on the route map on the ticket vending machine. This time I took an ordinary train (49 Taiwan dollars) to Ruifang Station.
This time I decided to take a train or a taxi from Taipei Main Station to Jiufen and move to Taipei Main Station first.
The ticket office on the first floor of Taipei Main Station is often overcrowded, but the ticket office on the basement level near the subway station and the Shinkansen ticket gate is still open and is worth recommending.
This time, I took the local tram to Ruifang Station, but the 50-minute journey costs about 176.4 yen in Japanese yen, so the public transportation fare is still cheap relative to the price (1 Taiwan dollar is calculated as 3.6 yen).
The train from Taipei Station to Ruifang Station is a bit uncomfortable to sit on, but since the train is new, it is not much different from traveling by train in Japan. The train arrives at Ruifang Station on time. Ruifang Station is the nearest station to Jiufen, and there are many passengers. In addition, Ruifang Station is also known as the transfer station of the Pingxi Line. When going to the “Shifen Station” famous for its lanterns, you need to transfer at Ruifang Station.
Ruifang Station is about 50 minutes away from Taipei Main Station. It is the gateway to Jiufen, and it is also a transit station for the “Pingxi Line” to “Shifen Station”, which is famous for its lanterns.yes
In front of Ruifang Station is the nearest station to Jiufen, a tourist attraction, so it is quite lively.
From Ruifang Station to Jiufen, you need to take a bus or a taxi, but this time we will take a taxi, each destination has a fixed fare. From Ruifang Station to Jiufen, it takes about 20 minutes to run a steep uphill road. The taxi fare is 205 Taiwan dollars, which is more expensive than the bus, but unlike the fixed-route bus, you can definitely get a seat, so it is recommended.
There are many taxis for tourists in front of Ruifang Station
It seems that the fares for the major destinations are all uniform.
The section from Ruifang Station to Jiufen is steep, so if you are prone to motion sickness, it is recommended to take a taxi instead of a bus.
Jiufen is located on a hill about 300m above sea level, where you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of mountains and seas below. I found the entrance of Kisangai, which is the entrance of Jiufen Sightseeing, next to 7-11, a little uphill from where I got off. I would like to start sightseeing in Jiufen from the entrance of Jishan Street next to 7-11.
After getting off the bus, look in the direction you have traveled so far, and you will be able to enjoy the scenery of mountains and seas.
I heard ahead of time that it would be crowded on weekends and holidays, so I went to Jiufen on a Monday, but even on weekdays, the entrance to Jishan Street was crowded with tourists.
Mushan Street is an impressive shopping area with many of the red lanterns seen in Spirited Away. It is an arcade shopping street that is safe even in rainy days, so you can walk easily even in rainy days. The golden chocolate reminds us that there used to be a gold mine in Jiufen, maybe a fun souvenir.
Kisan Street is an arcade shopping street that is easy to walk even on rainy days. I was very impressed by the many red lanterns I saw in Spirited Away.
Mushan Street is full of convenience stores selling snacks, sweets, snacks and more.
Fun souvenirs include golden chocolates, reminding you that Jiufen was once a gold mine.
Wooden Hill Street is an interesting shopping street, but the rain seeps through the gaps in the arcade shopping street, making the road surface slippery. Mushan Street is not a walking path, there are a lot of motorcycles with luggage, so be careful.
Because rainwater enters from the gaps in the shopping street, the road on Mushan Street is slippery, and motorcycles with gas cylinders may drive from the front or rear, so be careful when visiting.
Continuing along Kiyama Street, you will see a crossroads with a shop in front and “Shoshifu” written on the left. If you want to go sightseeing on Jianqi Road, you can experience the uniqueness of Jiufen. It is recommended to go to the right, but because it is more troublesome, if you go straight, if you go left, you can see what kind of shops there are. in particular.
Walk along Kisan Street, and you will see a shop on your left that says “Soshifu”. There is a crossroad ahead, and if you go forward, you will see a good view. If you go left, you will see an elementary school.
First of all, go straight ahead at the intersection in front of “Koshifu”, and you will find a viewing platform where you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of mountain villages, mountains and the sea. When the weather is clear, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery from afar.
First of all, if you walk straight along the street of “Koshifu”, you can enjoy the scenery of the mountain village, mountains and sea.
After that, turn left at the intersection in front of Koshifu and climb up the steep stairs. In the middle of the stairs there is a “Three Cats Store” that sells cat supplies, and further ahead is an elementary school that says “Jiufen Elementary School, Ruifang District, New Taipei City”. I have it.
Go left on “Little Teacher” Street, climb up the steep stairs, and you will arrive at the “Three Cats Store”, which sells cat supplies.There is an elementary school that says
Finally, turn right at the intersection in front of “Little Teacher” and walk along Suqi Road, which is often mentioned in Jiufen tourist information. Fuqi Road is a narrow, stepped alley that runs vertically through downtown Jiufen. On both sides of the alley are teahouses and restaurants transformed from old buildings. In addition, it is said that the stairs and red lanterns that appeared in the movie “Spirited Away” are based on Yazaki Road. It feels that many Japanese tourists gather on the street.
The stairs and red lanterns that appeared in the movie “Spirited Away” are said to be based on this street.
Walking down the steep steps on Suqi Road, you will find the famous coffee shop “Amei Tea Tree House” in Jiufen on your right. It is said that the Ami Tea Tree House is the prototype of Yubaba’s house that appeared in “Spirited Away”. There is a signboard next to the store entrance, and it has been made.
Walking along Suqi Road, the famous coffee shop “Amei Tea Tree House” in Jiufen is on the right.
There is a signboard next to the store entrance, which says “Amei Tea Tree House” is the prototype of “Yubaba’s House” that appeared in “Spirited Away”.
In the atmosphere of many Japanese tourists returning home, I ordered a tea set with tea and dessert. NT$300 per person. There are four desserts in the set: Sesame Candy, Sweet Plum, Soybean Mochi, and Fall Maru. The clerk started to make tea, and the first cup was poured by the clerk. Drink it immediately, it has a unique refreshing taste, it is most suitable for drinking after visiting Jiufen on a rainy day. Many tea cakes are also sweet. Considering the compatibility with tea, eating them after walking will be more delicious.
Also, if you order a tea set, the staff will replenish the hot water at any time, so that you can enjoy the tea until it runs out. You can enjoy hot tea anytime as long as tea leaves are available.
After entering the “Amei Tea House”, I ordered a set of 300 yuan tea set, which was a set of candy and tea. After the hot water runs out, the clerk will replenish it, and you can enjoy your tea slowly.
While I was drinking my tea, the wind and rain suddenly stopped and I moved to the patio seats. From the space with terrace seats, you can enjoy the unique scenery of Jiufen mountain and sea. This time I didn’t get to enjoy the view while sipping tea, but the next time I have a chance to go to Jiufen on a sunny day, I leave the shop hoping to have a cup of tea on the terrace.
On this day, due to the occasional high wind and heavy rain, there were no terrace seats. If you move to the side of the terrace seat, you can enjoy the unique weathering of mountains and seas. On sunny days, you would like to enjoy tea slowly on the terrace seat.
This time, I came to Jiufen, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Taiwan, for the first time. Since Jiufen is a popular tourist spot, I avoided weekends and holidays and tried entering Jiufen on a Monday morning and found Spirited Away very impressive, not only for Japanese tourists but also for local tourists. Surprised how crowded it is, like walking on Amei Street at the end of the year.
The one-day sightseeing in Jiufen includes “Jishan Street” which has become an arcade shopping street; “Amei Tea House” based on “Grandma Yu’s House” that appeared in “To Chihiro” as the prototype. In particular, “Kiyama Street” where you can feel the atmosphere of “Spirited Away”. Also, I was impressed by the delicious tea at “Ami Tea Tree House”, the prototype of “Yubaba’s House” in “Spirited Away” impression.
In addition, there are relatively many rainy days in northern areas such as Jiufen and Taipei City, so rain gear and non-slip shoes are essential. In addition, if you go in winter, the temperature may drop below 15 degrees, so it is recommended to take cold protection measures.
