Jiufen
Wikipedia | Google | Google Images | Flickr


Japanese and Western travelers year after year choose Jiufen for a different reason. Travelling to this small town on the slopes of Ruifang hills feels like crossing the border between dimensions as the road runs up among villages and graveyards – and finally the bus drops you off in that very town where the little girl, Chihiro, found her parents turned into pigs in Hayao Miyazaki


Activities and Sights

Mining Operation Office
At the end of 19th century, gold was discovered in the area, and the Japanese built a prison camp here to start mining for the precious metal. The mines were eventually abandoned in the 1970s, and you can still visit them, left the same way as they were decades ago. Wufan Tunnel (五番坑道) near Songde Park (頌德公園) is sealed but can be viewed from the outside.You can climb a few peaks in the neighborhood to see the surrounding landscape in its full glory. Jilong Shan (基隆山) is the closest mountain and is easy to scale in less than an hour.
Sleeping and Eating
Jiufen has one budget hostel (One My Way Jiufen Hostel) and several guesthouses (Mingsu Long Men Ke Zhan, 86 Guesthouse), as well as a few upscale options.City of Sadness Restaurant is the most famous restaurant due to its name, as explained above. Otherwise, do not try to find a proper place to sit down and eat, the charm of Jiufen and many other Taiwanese towns is in its food stalls and night markets selling small snacks and sweet treats. You might not know what you are ordering but it will be delicious.
$ 18 USDOn My Way Jiufen Hostel
$ 79 USDChiu Chunt Dint Inn
$ 70 USDKyufun Komachi Inn
$ 79 USDGolden101 Bed and Breakfast
$ 195 USDAmple Villa
$ 81 USDLoft 16 Bed and Breakfast
Getting There
From Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT in Taipei, take bus number 1062 that goes directly to Jiufen. It stops in several other places around Taipei and you can choose the most convenient stop to hop on.From Keelung

Do you see any omissions, errors or want to add information to this page? Sign up.
Author: wilhelminamurray. Last updated: Jan 12, 2015
Pictures of Jiufen

