Jiufen Old Street - Inside Taiwan's Seaside Cliff Town

Jiufen is an old, yet iconic night market town that hangs on a cliff by the East China Sea. Once a hidden secret, the seaside town has exploded in popularity since the 2001 film, “Spirited Away.”

Today, so many thousands of tourists visit this town every month. Though it’s certainly not “hidden” anymore, the place isn’t sardine-packed yet because it’s not as convenient to get to.

Still, if you’re visiting Taipei City, I would highly recommend checking out Jiufen Old Street. You’ll likely need to dedicate at least half a day and some transportation money to visit, but it’s well worth it.

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History of Jiufen

Jiufen has a long history that dates back to the Qing Dynasty in the 1890’s. During the construction of the Taipei-Keelung railway, workmen had discovered gold flakes at the construction sites.

Shortly after, a gold-mining district was established in the hillside of Kau Hun (otherwise known as Jiufen today), Taiwan. Though it started as a few kilograms of gold per day, foreign experts believed there to be much more gold.

Eventually the Taiwan gold rush was in full effect during the Japanese era – starting in 1895. The little town that once housed just nine families (Kau Hun means “nine portions“) developed into a lively and energetic town by the sea.

The gold rush did not last. After losing the Second World War, the Japanese retreated and the mining activities declined sharply. By 1971, all gold mining operations had ceased.

This lead Jiufen into economic depression and decline. And, it wasn’t long before the once-booming city was forgotten.

The Rise of Jiufen, Once Again

The reborn tale of Jiufen certainly did not happen overnight. In fact, it wasn’t until 1989 where the acclaimed film, “A City of Sadness” was released internationally.

A City of Sadness was filmed in Jiufen. And because of the film’s immense popularity, people finally started visiting the unique city once again. Thanks to the boom in tourism, new shops, cafes, tea houses and souvenir stores started to pop up.

By 2001, the Japanese anime “Spirited Away” was released and became an instant success. Again, the anime film took place in a city that resembled Jiufen, which peaked the interest of Japanese tourists. Soon enough, they began to flock to the cliffside city.

Tourism was booming again. Media outlets started to feature the tourist attraction and the rest is history.

How to Get to Jiufen (From Taipei)

Getting to Jiufen is not as convenient as other destinations around Taipei. However, it’s still easy if you’re willing to spend a few bucks. But I’ll include options for those that want to save money too.

From Taipei Main Station, Ximending, Songshan or really anywhere in Taipei, you’ll have a couple options. I would personally recommend you go by taxi or Uber.

Carpool Taxi

You can hail a taxi from nearly anywhere in Taipei and they may or may not take you there. However, there are certain taxis that specialize in carpooling for rides to Jiufen.

To find these taxis, take the Blue Line to Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station and take Exit 1. You’ll find taxi solicitors asking if you want to go to Jiufen. Don’t worry, it’s completely safe (I take these myself). These taxis are marked and legit. If they’re not marked, don’t take it.

It’s perfect for solo or couple travelers because they’ll wait until the car has 3 to 4 people. That way, you guys split the cost of the trip. It’s like Uber pool, but done manually. It never takes that long to fill up a car anyway.

Costs will vary, and it’ll be more pricey than the bus. But for a 45 minute car ride, it’s well worth it. It’s less stressful and you’re guaranteed a seat.

Jiufen By Bus

Taking the bus isn’t as simple as with the MRT, but it’s not bad option. You’ll want to take the Blue Line to Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station again. From there, take Exit 2 and you’ll be outside the large SOGO department store.

Head towards the street to where the bus station is. You want to take the 1062 Bus (Keelung Bus) to the Jinguashi stop. You’ll likely need your Easy Card and it’ll cost only a few dollars USD.

The ride will be about an hour depending on the traffic. If you can, sit next to the window for an awesome view of the surrounding nature of Taipei!

Exploring Jiufen Old Street

The entrance of the old street is not as grand as say, Raohe Night Market’s. In fact, if you just walked by without knowing, you’d probably have no idea how amazing the place was.

The entrance looks like this. You won’t miss it and your taxi driver will drop you off right in front anywhere. For bus travelers, you’ll need to walk a few minutes from the station.

There are some convenience stores, cafes and shops on this street. You can stock up on drinks or take some nice scenic pictures if you have some time.

Once you get in, the whole atmosphere and vibe changes. You know you’re definitely not in Taipei anymore…

The main street is filled with stores selling souvenirs, candy, toys and of course, plenty of foods. It’s pretty interesting checking these little shops out as you stroll through.

Make sure to eat whatever looks good…because it’s likely it really is good.

Of course, tea eggs are a classic everywhere in Taiwan. But they’re very good at this lady’s shop in Jiufen Old Street. Pick up a few and snack on it while you walk through the rest of the village.

You already know squid balls will be AMAZING here. Being so close to the sea, it’s easy to see why. The pork sausages aren’t bad, but there are so many great places to get this in Taipei, so it may not be worthwhile. Up to you, though.

Rou Yuan – Must Eat!

No this isn’t pasta, as many of my friends think. Rather, it’s Rou Yuan (肉圓) – a traditional Taiwanese snack that Jiufen does exceptionally well. In fact, this is one of the most famous dishes in Jiufen Old Street. You must try it!

It’s a “meatball” that’s wrapped in a thick rice/sweet potato layer. It’s chewy good. Inside the layer is a mix of pork, bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms – nicely blended together in a savory pork sauce.

Once fully cooked and you get to the good stuff, it’ll look something like this…

I highly recommend trying this out, even if you aren’t a fan of traditional Taiwanese foods (why are you even in Taiwan?).

The food is great and there are so many snacks you can try. But after you’re done with the food, head up the stairs and look for the Taro Bowl Soup.

Most Famous Dessert in Jiufen

The Taro Bowl Soup is by far the most famous and popular dessert dish in Jiufen. In fact, it may even be the most famous dish here, period. I’m not a fan of taro, but this was delicious!

The texture of the taro balls is perfect. It’s not too hard, but not too chewy. There’s a reason why this place is so famous despite the popularity of this dessert in Taiwan.

If you’re visiting on a cold day, you can opt for the steamed (hot) version. However, most people get the cold version and it’s definitely the more popular choice.

The cold dessert is actually served with kidney beans and some ice. It’s refreshing, not too sweet and super delicious. Make sure you sit down at the shop and enjoy the view by the windows!

Eating delicious Taiwanese taro balls and enjoying this breathtaking view – what’s better than this?

Inside Jiufen Town

Jiufen is much more than an old street of food and vendors. Besides the bustling market, there’s actually a little town built adjacent to the old street. It’s fun to explore, but make sure to be respectful. Real people actually live there.

The alleyways and stairways are all nicely decorated in old Chinese decor. Exploring the town is great and you’ll likely see a lot of stunning spots for awesome views of the cliff and ocean.

Keep walking and you’ll see even more old buildings and shops that strays from the lively areas of the old street. There will be a good mix of locals and tourists here…and even some stray cats or dogs.

I’d recommend checking out as many alleys and stairs as possible. It’s fun to explore this town and occasionally, you’ll discover a really nice spot with an epic view on the sea.

And as you can see, there are so many houses built on this cliff. This town has really come a long way since it’s gold-mining operation days…

From Jiufen to Taipei

Now that you’ve fully explored the world-famous Jiufen, it’s time to head back to Taipei. You’ll likely be able to catch taxis prepared to take you back to the city at all different hours.

When you’re finished with your day trip, there will be taxis that are dropping off visitors that want to visit during night time. This is a full-day market after all.

As for bus, you’ll want to take the same bus back to Taipei city. It may take a while to catch a bus, but it’ll come. By now, it’s likely there’s a line forming for the bus.

Attractions Near Jiufen

If you decided to visit Jiufen during the day and you don’t want to go back just yet, there are plenty of great attractions that I highly recommend.

The best and easiest ways to get to these attractions is by taxi or Uber (if you can find one here). They’re not too far away so it’s relatively cheap to get a ride to one of these destinations.

Jinguashi Gold Ecological Park

At the Jinguashi Ecological Park, you’ll find this – the Golden Waterfall. It’s not actually gold that’s flowing through (duh), but the combination of the heavy metals/minerals and water sure does make it look like it.

Depending on the sunlight and time you go, it really does look like real gold. Plus, the lush green grass that surrounds the waterfall is a beautiful sight to take in too.

There are other things to do and sights to see at this park, but this is probably the main attraction. It’s definitely a very “Instagram-able spot” and makes for a nice selfie too.

Miaokou Night Market

This night market is fairly far away. But depending on how much time you have and your means of transportation, it can potentially be on the way back (kind of).

Miaokou Night Market is situated in Keelung, Taiwan. It’s the biggest night market in Keelung, which is the adjacent sea village of Taipei. There’s great foods that are different from Taipei’s night markets. Plus, they do it so well.

If you’re taking a taxi, it may take you around 30 minutes to get there. However, you’ll be much closer to Taipei after you reach your destination. Also, finding an Uber ride from Keelung would probably be much easier than from Jiufen.

Recommended Taipei Attractions:

Jiufen Old Street – Inside Taiwan’s Ancient Seaside Cliff Town