Just 40 km outside of Taipei is the beautiful Jiufen and the popular small towns along Pingxi Line. They are the perfect combined day trip for many travelers to Taiwan where these towns are located nearby.
Jiufen is located in Ruifang district of the mountainous North-East coast of Taiwan. The historic site was created as a Gold Mining community during the glory days of the past. With many charming heritage buildings, delicious local food, bright lanterns and meandering old streets, it continues to prosper from tourism while still preserve the traditional appearance.
Your trip will be imcomplete without going on the Pingxi Line adventure. Hop on the vantage train as you step back to the past to explore a few towns along the 13 km long verdant valley. This narrow-gauge railway was built in 1921 during the Japanese colonial era to transport coal at that point in history. The popular Shifen is well-known for its Old Street, releasing sky lanterns and wonderful waterfalls.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Jiufen Old Street is before 10 am and after 7 pm if you want to avoid the crowds. Most shops will open at 10 am and it is recommended to spend 2-3 hours to experience the buzz of Old Street and enjoy the bustling night market after 5 pm.
Tour groups usually come at 10 am and the street will be crazy packed with tourists. They will start to close at 6.30 pm and the atmosphere will cool off by 8 pm. So, there aren’t many activities to do after that.
Shifen can be visited all year round where lantern can be released any time of the year. You might want to avoid June to September when there are heavy rainfall at most time, make outdoor activities less pleasant. You can experience the annual Pingxi Lantern Festival which usually falls on every February. Locals and visitors will light up their lanterns and release them all together into the night sky.
Getting There
There is no direct train from Taipei to Jiufen or Shifen. First, you’ll need to take a train from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang. Then, transfer to a bus to go to Jiufen or take another train to Shifen from Ruifang Station.
Take the train from Taipei to Ruifang
Catch a northbound TRA train from Taipei Main Station on Platform 4B to Ruifang Station. Just tap in and out of the train station with an EasyCard or iPass. Taiwan Railway’s website gives full details of the train timetable and ticket prices. You might want to double-check which train you should get on and don’t hop on the wrong train bound for Keelung. Trains bound for Ruifang and Keelung use the same Platform 4B.
Tze-Chiang express train (TZE) departs from Taipei Main Station and takes between 35-50 minutes to reach Ruifang. The ticket costs NT$76 per way with the first train leaving at 6.23 am and the last train at 8.10 pm.
Fuxing Shuttle train departs frequently from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang, but the traveling time takes slightly longer with up to an hour in some cases. Trains leave every 20-50 minutes and cost NT$49 per way. The first train departs at 5.26 am, while the last time is at 10.45 pm.
Take the bus from Ruifang to Jiufen
When you reach Ruifang station, cross the road in front of the train station and walk 200 meters to the left on Mingdeng Road to the bus stop next to Ruifang police station. You can catch Bus 788, 965, 1062 or Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 865 to Jiufen Old Street. The ride is just NT$15 and takes 15 minutes to get to the Old Street. You can pay with EasyCard or iPass, but make sure you tap when getting on and off the bus
To take the bus back to Ruifang and catch the train to Taipei or Shifen, you can either take Bus 788, 965, 1062 or Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 865 on the opposite of 7-11 to Ruifang. The last Fuxing Shuttle train from Ruifang Station is at 10.23 pm and TZE is at 11.19 pm. The buses from Jiufen to Ruifang filled up quickly after 6 pm, so be sure to plan well on your trip. Alternatively, you can take Bus 1062 directly from the Old Street back to Taipei, provided if there are seats on the bus for you on the way back to Taipei.
Take Pingxi Line train from Ruifang to Shifen
The train to Shifen and Pingxi departs from Ruifang Station at Platform 3. You can buy the Pingxi Line 1-Day Pass from the ticketing counter for NT$80 which allows you to hop on and off at any town along Pingxi Line. It is easy to buy following the instructions in English given on the counter to guide you through. If you take this train less than 3 times, it’s better to pay with your EasyCard or iPass for NTS17 each ride.
It is important to know that Pingxi Line trains only run roughly every hour. So be sure to snap a photo of the updated train timetable at Ruifang Station so you can plan your day ahead. The timetable above was taken in March 2024 and you can use it as a guide.
Take the Muzha Shuttle Bus from Shifen to Taipei
The most convenient way to go back to Taipei from Shifen or Pingxi is to take a direct Muzha Pingxi Route 795. The bus is the cheapest and fastest way to travel, taking around 2 hours and costs only NT$45. It departs from Shifen Visitor Center, passing through Shifen Old Street (Shifenliao Bridge) and Pingxi, and makes its final stop at Muzha MRT Station of Wenhu Brown Line. You can take the MRT to reach the city center. Their website has complete details including the bus timetable.
A Fun Day Trip to Jiufen and Shifen
Enjoy a peaceful morning at Jiufen
Getting up early around 6 am and making my way to Jiufen by 9 am is truly rewarding. It makes a lot of difference where I get to wander along the Old Street almost to myself. With only a few stalls open, I enjoy a warm bowl of sweet taro balls located near the entrance of Old Street to keep warm from a chilly morning. The taro balls are freshly made and I’m probably the shop’s first customer of the day. The atmosphere is so calm and can enjoy the lovely view of the shops and houses around Old Street.
Wander around the Old Street
The lengthy Old Street is absolutely teeming with hundreds of stalls selling trinkets and delicious food. There are several local food that are great to try, like the peanut ice cream roll (pictured above, before rolling up), wild boar sausage, braised pork belly rice and of course, sweet taro balls. Many stalls open around 10 am and that’s when hordes of visitors and tour groups come to visit. So, be a little patience with the crowd while passing through the alleyways and queuing for food or taking photos.
There are other vendors selling dried fruits, the famous pineapple cake, traditional biscuits, tea leaves, trinkets and souvenirs. Walk to the end of Old Street to get more views of its surroundings, the seaport and the East China Sea.
Take a glance of the famous A-Mei Teahouse
One of the most scenic places in Jiufen is the traditional tea houses, but the most well-known store is the A-Mei Teahouse. These tea houses have gorgeous views of the Old Town.
A-Mei Teahouse is the oldest tea house in Jiufen and has been brewing up local varieties for decades. You can sense the history the moment you step inside the traditional building with several teapots always on the boil. The staff are very knowledgeable about every variety of tea they are selling.
The cascading stairs and abundance of red lanterns are magnificently picturesque. The street gets very packed especially when group tours start to flock in. Make sure you descend all the way down and look back up to get the best view of the stairs.
More street food at Shifen Old Street
If you have not enough of food from Jiufen, Shifen Old Street also has lots of good street food. This is the largest and busiest town along the Pingxi Line. Generally, the further you walk from Shifen station, the cheaper food you can get.
This is also a great place to try the Gua Bao which is made with a fluffy semi-circular-shaped bao bun stuffed with braised pork belly, cilantro, pickled mustard greens and crushed peanuts. The store where I had this yummy Gao Bao is located near Shifen Station.
Make wishes and release sky lantern at Shifen
This is where you spend most of the time along Pingxi Line.. One of the main reasons I take the trip to Shifen is to launch the big sky lantern into the sky. It has been one of my travel bucket list activities to Taiwan.
Shifen is worth visiting any time of the year as the lantern release takes place all year round. The lantern shops are literally everywhere on both sides of the train tracks. The price of the lantern is all the same in every shop with one-color for NT$200, four-color for NT$250 and eight-color for NT$400. The colors represent different meanings such as love, prosperity, health, success and good business. It all comes down to choosing which store is less crowded and the staff’s friendliness.
Once I picked a 4-color lantern, the storekeeper set up a stand to hold the paper lantern inside the shop. They provide a brush with black ink to write my wishes and prayers. Later, the staff helped me to carry the lantern to the middle of the railway tracks. Then, they light up my colorful lantern before launching it into the sky with a video and great photos taken for my memory keeping.
The railway tracks are lined with locals and tourists releasing their lanterns. It is also a bizarre sight to watch everyone scramble to safety when the trains are approaching and honking their horns. This will prevent the train drivers from any delays on their Pingxi Line rail journey.
Admire the stunning Shifen Waterfall
This stunning Shifen Waterfall is located about a 20-minute walk from Shifen Old Street. This 20-meter tall waterfall is the broadest waterfall with 40 meters wide, described as the most beautiful in Taiwan.
The pathway takes you along the gorge and the banks of the Keelung River before crossing two massive suspension bridges to the waterfall. Make your way to the Observation Point Tail to admire this natural wonder. With ongoing rainfall for the past few days, the strong current of water flows rapidly into the valley below, creating such an incredible view.
Opening Hours: Daily from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm
Entrance Fee: Free
Traveling to Taiwan Soon?
If you are planning to come to Taiwan, here are the posts to give you some ideas on the best things to do in the fascinating country. There are some cities and towns you can visit in Taiwan and the delicious Taiwanese food worth trying:
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