Jiufen Old Street (九份老街) in Taipei

An hour bus ride outside of Tawan’s capital city, this famous village shows a glimpse of northern Taiwan and Taiwanese life outside of the city. Beautiful tea houses, alleys full of food, interesting gift shops, hundreds and hundreds of red lanterns, you could experience how the Jiufen Old Street is always packed with visitors and locals.

About Jiufen Old Street (九份老街)

Jiufen is a small village in the mountains and next to the water, located an hour’s drive from Taipei. Rumor has it that Jiufen is actually the village inspired in the “Spirited Away” Hayao Miyazaki movie (2001). True or not, the village does look similar to it!

How to get to Jiufen from Taipei

Since Jiufen Old Street is a popular tourist place, you can use a public shuttle bus or by taxi or even signing up with a tour.  Remember to always use Google Maps for navigating in Taiwan!

By Train and Bus 

Take the MRT blue line to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station Exit 1, then take bus #1062 to Jiufen Old Street Station. Check the bus 1062 timetable here.

Use Google Maps for navigating in Taiwan!

(Bus 1062 goes directly from Taipei’s Zhongsxiao Fuxing MTR all the way to the entrance of Jiufen Old Street. If you are taking the train, please note that the station is Ruifang.)

Or you could take a taxi.

How to go back to Taipei (from Jiufen Old Street)

You can take the Keelung bus 1062 back to Taipei for about a 1hr15min ride. The bus stops in front of Zhong Xiao Fuxing MRT or just take the bus to Rui Fang Station.

Things to do in Jiufen Old Street

1.) See the water and Keelung Mountain

When you first arrive at the “Jiufen Old Street” destination, the bus or taxi will likely be on a sharp-cornered hill. You will need to walk up the hill, where you’ll see many other visitors and locals with market stands or gift shops.

That is the green Keelung Mountain, the huge orange-roofed Hà Hải Thành Hoàng Miếu Temple, and as you walk up the hill, you can see the Shen’ao Elephant-Trunk-shaped peninsula out in the sea.

2.) Walk through Jiufen Old Street “Dark Alley” Markets and Gift Shops

As mentioned above, when you first arrive, you will have to walk up a hill lined with markets. The alleys will be jam-packed with people (or it was during the Chinese New Year when I went!) since it is the main thing to see in Jiufen. Walking through the food and gift shops in the “Dark Alley” is how to get to the famous Jiufen Teahouse!

3.) See the famous Lantern Tea House

After you walk through the alley of markets, you’ll find the famous Jiufen Tea house!

4.) Drink Tea, Coffee, or Eat Snacks in a Tea House

From the tea house windows or balcony (on Shuqi Road) of the tea house, you can enjoy the tall views of Keelung Mountain, the sea, or Jiufen village. A-Mei Teahouse is pictured above. I heard that you have to make a reservation online since it is one of the most famous tea houses. I just went to another tea house on this road.

5.)  Look at All the Masks and Other Interesting Shops!

6.) See the Taipei Sweet Potato & Mining Tunnels

7.) Buy some gifts or snacks in the shops! 

While I was walking through the alley and gift shops, I saw a variety of bags, magnets, key chains, pens, wooden-carved Taiwanese souvenirs, everything Taiwanese you could ever imagine. Since I didn’t have much room in my backpack for souvenirs, I only bought the Taiwanese pineapple cakes.

Jiufen Old Street can be explored in two or three hours, here are a few other destinations you can visit nearby Jiufen! Personally, I did not visit these places below, but I wish to visit them in the future:

 8.) Send Your Wishes in Lanterns to the Skies in Pingxi

Probably crowded all the time, locals and tourists can stand on the village train tracks to release their sky lanterns, filled with their wishes. Pingxi is mainly popular for the sky lantern festival, where you can see hundreds of lanterns lit in the sky; and it’s becoming more eco-friendly or eco-conscious. (Sources: Taiwan News 2018 and Taiwan-Scene 2019)

9.) Find the Shen’ao Elephant Trunk Rock in Keelung City

I didn’t visit Keelung, yet, but I wish to find the Shen’ao Elephant Trunk Rock, and go into the small city to see the Shiqiuling Pingan Temple, Shiqiuling Fort, Fo Guang Shan Ji Le Temple, Maritime Plaza, and Wangyougu. (Source: Google Maps)

10.) Shifen Waterfall

I didn’t visit Shifen Waterfall, yet, but I wish to see the waterfalls and green scenery here!  (Source: Google Maps)

Want more Taiwan? You can read my full “15 Things to do in Taipei, Taiwan”  post or see more Taiwan photography #Taiwan on my site “Where’s Anne”

If you have any questions or recommendations, please contact me or leave a comment below! Thanks for reading!