5 Days in Jiufen: A Solo Traveler's Honest Journal
I originally planned two days in Jiufen. Just enough time for the red lantern photos, some taro balls, and a tea house visit. I stayed five. Here's what happened.
Day 1: The Tourist Trap That Isn't
Arrived from by bus 1062 from Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT station. About 90 minutes, 98 TWD. The bus drops you at the top of the village, and you walk downhill into what looks like a Studio Ghibli film set brought to life — stone steps, red lanterns, narrow alleys cascading down a mountainside toward the Pacific.
Jiufen Old Street (Jishan Street) was packed at 2PM on a Saturday. I mean, shoulder-to-shoulder packed. I immediately had buyer's remorse about coming.
But I'd booked a guesthouse (1,200 TWD/night) tucked on a side street below the main drag, and the owner — a woman named Mrs. Chen who spoke enthusiastic but fragmented English — told me: "You come back at 6PM. Everyone goes home. Jiufen is yours."
She was right. By 6:30PM, the tour buses had departed, the crowds evaporated, and the red lanterns along Shuqi Road Stairway glowed against a darkening sky with maybe 15 people in the frame instead of 500. I stood at the midpoint of the stairway, looking up toward A-Mei Tea House, and understood why people compare this place to the spirit world in Spirited Away.
Dinner: taro balls from Ah Gan Yi on Old Street (60 TWD). They're chewy, slightly sweet, served in a warm sweet soup. I ate them sitting on the stone steps watching the fog roll in from the ocean.
Day 2: Rain and Tea
It rained. Not a polite drizzle — a committed, all-day, you're-not-going-anywhere rain. Mrs. Chen had warned me. "Jiufen always rains," she said. "That's why the tea houses exist."
So I went to Jiufen Teahouse — the one that's been open since 1991, perched on the mountainside with ocean views (when it's not raining, which is rarely). A pot of high-mountain oolong cost 350 TWD and came with an explanation of gongfu tea ceremony from the server — how to warm the cups, how long to steep, how the flavor changes with each pour.
I sat for two hours. The rain drummed on the tin roof. Steam rose from the teapot. The ocean was invisible behind a wall of gray, but I could hear waves somewhere far below. This is when Jiufen stopped being a day trip and became something else.
Afternoon: walked to the Gold Ecological Park in Jinguashi (and if you love dramatic landscapes, Taroko Gorge is another must-see on this side of the island) (3km from Jiufen, bus 788, or a wet but beautiful walk along the mountain road). The old gold mining complex has tunnels you can walk through and a 220kg gold bar you can touch. Entry 80 TWD. The mine history is interesting, but what got me was the ruined Japanese Shinto shrine at the top of the hill — stone torii gates consumed by moss and jungle.
Day 3: The Hike I Almost Skipped
Planned to leave today. Didn't.
The morning was unexpectedly clear — rare for Jiufen — and Mrs. Chen practically pushed me out the door toward the Shitoushan hiking trail. "You see the Yin-Yang Sea today," she said. "Maybe next time rain for two weeks."
The 30-minute hike from Jiufen to the Wuji Tianyuan Temple viewpoint was steep but worth every gasping breath. At the top: a panoramic view of the coastline, Keelung Mountain, and — there it was — the Yin-Yang Sea, where mining runoff creates a striking two-toned ocean split between turquoise and deep blue.
I sat at the viewpoint for an hour. No one else was there. The wind was strong enough to push me sideways. I extended my guesthouse by two more nights.
Day 4: Old Street at 7AM and the Coastal Village
Discovery: Jiufen Old Street at 7AM is a completely different place. The food stalls are closed, the souvenir shops shuttered, and you can actually see the architecture — the old stone walls, the drainage channels cut into the steps, the way the alley follows the natural contour of the mountain.
I walked the entire length three times. Nobody was there except a cat sleeping on a windowsill and an old man opening his shop.
Late morning: took bus 788 to the coastal fishing village of Shuinandong. Colored houses clinging to cliff faces, fishing boats in a tiny harbor, and a seafood lunch of grilled squid and clam soup for 180 TWD total at a harbor-side shack. Not a tourist in sight.
Evening: A-Mei Tea House. The one that's (maybe) the inspiration for Spirited Away's bathhouse — Ghibli has never confirmed this, but the resemblance is uncanny. Tea set: 300 TWD per person. I sat on the terrace as the sun set over the mountains and the lanterns came alive one by one.
Honestly, this was the best single hour of my entire Taiwan trip.
Day 5: Leaving (Reluctantly)
Packed up, paid Mrs. Chen (who refused to charge me for the fifth night — "You are good guest, you appreciate Jiufen"), and walked to the bus stop.
Bought a final bag of peanut ice cream rolls from a vendor on Old Street (50 TWD). Ice cream, shaved peanut candy, and cilantro wrapped in a thin crepe. The cilantro sounds wrong. It isn't.
Would I Go Back?
Absolutely. But only if I could stay at least three nights and only if I could arrive on a weekday. Weekend Jiufen and weekday Jiufen are different destinations. The first is a crowded photo op. The second is a rain-soaked, tea-scented, cliff-side village that makes you question why you ever rush through places.
Budget for 5 days: about 8,500 TWD (~$265) total — accommodation (6,000 TWD including the free night), food (1,500 TWD), transport and activities (1,000 TWD). Jiufen is cheap when you let it slow you down.
Verdict: Come for the lanterns. Stay for the rain.
