Exploring Taipei – Jiufen

Taipei, Taiwan is a bustling city with tall skyscrapers, busy night markets, and beautiful temples, national monuments and museums. If you’re short on time and can only spend a couple of days in Taipei, it’s entirely possible to have a taste of Taiwan’s gorgeous natural surroundings as well as enjoy the conveniences of the city.

I only had four full days in Taipei and wanted to experience a diverse range of surroundings instead of just navigating the city. Thankfully, national parks and ancient mountain villages are around one to two hours away from the city by public transportation. You can easily spend a day in these locations and then come back to enjoy the bustling night life that Taipei has to offer.

Transportation to Jiufen:

From Taipei Main Station, take the train north to Ruifang Station.

At Ruifang station, cross the street to the bus stop next to Wellcome Supermarket and board the Keelung Transit bus towards Jiufen.

Jiufen

An ancient mountain village, Jiufen was founded during the Qing Dynasty and went through resurgence when gold was found in the area during the Japanese occupation in 1893. Most of the original buildings built during the gold rush are still there, reflecting the Japanese influence from the occupation. As you walk down the narrow street, you’ll see a plethora of stores selling all kinds of snacks and souvenirs, tea houses, and small restaurants and cafes. Luckily, my lovely Taiwanese friend Jo was there to guide me, pointing out all the tourist traps and leading me to the right places to eat.

Famous Foods in Jiufen

Ah Gan Yi Yu Yuan

Ah Gan serves handmade taro and sweet potato balls which are also mixed with green beans, red beans and shaved ice. The taro balls are sticky and chewy, and not as sweet as I thought they would be.  It’s quite the filling dessert so share one carton with a friend if you want to sample other foods in the area. Ah Gan is up a hill with an indoor seating area that has a lovely view, so it does get crowded.

Yu Wan Bo Zai

Apparently there’s a variety of handmade fish balls in the area. We opted for this restaurant known for its set of fish balls soup, spicy clear noodles and stuffed tofu. The tofu in particular was incredibly delicious.

Other snacks we were too stuffed to try:

Jiufen is definitely an amazing place to spend the afternoon in. Visit during the weekdays to avoid the crowds and have a more relaxing time in this quaint mountain village.