Jiufen, New Taipei, Taiwan
The weather hasn’t been great since I arrived in Taiwan. Even though typhoon season was supposedly over, there are still four possible typhoons in the forecast. It was pouring as I waited for the bus from Taipei Station to Jiufen Old Street.
Jiufen is a popular tourist destination because its teahouses look like the ones from Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away. I arrived before most shops opened, so I got to enjoy a peaceful walk down the old street. I tried some street food like fried squid, shaved ice with sweet glutinous balls, and had tea and sweets at the famous A-Mei Teahouse.
I had planned to hike after visiting the old street, but the heavy rain didn’t ease up, so I decided against that. Instead, I took a bus to the Gold Museum nearby. The area had a few places selling a "miner’s lunch box," which I planned to try after visiting the museum and the nearby shrine.
The museum was interesting—it explained the local mining history and even had a VR mining game, which I got to try. One of the highlights was a 220kg gold bar you could touch, along with a display showing its current value. After that, I climbed up toward the shrine. The moss-covered stones made it slippery, but I took my time and could see Teapot Mountain in the distance—my original hike plan. After coming down the mountain, I enjoyed the miner’s lunch box. It was delicious!
Despite the rain, it turned out to be a fun day.
Route Detail
Distance: 1.89km out & back from
Total elevation gain: 109m
Time: 0h 43m (total time with breaks 0h 46m)
Difficulty: Easy
Transportation & Miscellaneous
Bus from Taipei Station to Jiufen Old Street Bus Stop NT$88
Bus from Jiufen Old Street Bus Stop to Jinguashih(Gold Ecological Park) NT$15
Food NT$1640
