Exploring the mountain towns of Jiufen and Jinguashi in Taiwan (east of Taipei) feels a little like being in a fantasy movie.
With its historic narrow streets, packed full of beautiful tea-houses and street food stalls, set amidst a backdrop of stunning coastal views, Jiufen almost feels unreal.
In fact, legend has it that Jiufen was the inspiration behind the setting for the classic animated Studio Ghibli movie, Spirited Away (although many in our Taiwan Travel Tips (TTT) Facebook group dispute this so who knows?!).
This article was originally published on cktravels.com in June 2019.
Just a short train ride or bus trip away from Taipei, Jiufen is one of the best day trips from Taipei and can easily be combined with a trip along the world famous Pingxi Line including Houtong Cat Village and Shifen Falls.
From traditional temples to ancient alley-ways lit up by red lanterns at night (Jiufen Old Street), there are lots of things to do in Jiufen and the neighbouring town of Jinguashi.
A visit to Jiufen and Jinguashi should be high on your list when planning your Taiwan trip and Taipei itinerary – here is our guide to all things to do in Jiufen and Jinguashi, Taiwan. We last visited in February 2026, spending four nights here.
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How to get to Jiufen from Taipei
Getting to Jiufen by train and bus
To get to Jiufen from Taipei, you can take the northbound train from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang Station.
The journey takes 30 minutes for express trains, or 50 minutes for local trains. The cost of the trip from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang Station is NT$73 and can be made using a Taiwan EasyCard – train fare correct as of February 2026.
After alighting the train at Ruifang, exit the station, turn left and walk around 200 metres to the bus stop (located next to the police station named Local Residents Plaza 區民廣場).
Here you can take bus number 827 or 788 which both head towards Jiufen Old Street. The bus journey from Ruifang to Jiufen should take around 20 minutes and costs around $NT15 each way.
Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus 965 – Taipei to Jiufen
Alternatively you can take the new Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus 965 directly to Jiufen and Jinguashi for around NT$90.
The bus picks up from Banqiao Bus Station, Wanhua Railway Station, MRT Ximen Station, MRT Fuzhong Station and MRT Beimen Station. Pay with EasyCard or you can book your bus journey on Klook >
The journey from Ximending to Jiufen takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. You can check the bus timetable and route here >
Private transfers between Jiufen and Taipei
You can also book a private hire transfer between Jiufen (or Shifen) and Taipei. Choose between a 5-seater or a 9-seater car whichever will fit your traveling group and luggage best!
Book a Jiufen private transfer with Klook >
Jiufen as part of a tour from Taipei
There are several tours which depart from Taipei every day which include Jiufen as part of their itinerary. These are a great way to visit Jiufen if you are short on time and unable to stay overnight:
Tours from Taipei that visit Jiufen include:
- Yehliu, Jiufen & Pingxi day tour from Taipei >
- Taipei: Private Tour to Jiufen, Yehliu Geopark, and Pingxi >
- Yehliu, Jiufen, and Shifen day tour with Taiwanese Pastry Making >
Best time to visit Jiufen in Taiwan
We would recommend visiting Jiufen on a weekday as weekends can be super crowded and a bit unbearable! We would also suggest avoiding public holidays too like Lunar New Year in Taipei.
Our very first trip to Jiufen many years ago coincided with the Lunar New Year holidays and the crowds were huge and Jiufen accommodation was expensive.
Jiufen is an easy day trip from Taipei, but if you want to experience Jiufen without any tourists at all then we recommend staying overnight.
That way you get to explore the town at night after everyone has gone home and all the buildings are lit up, or early in the morning before the day trippers arrive.
On our latest early 2026 Jiufen and Jinguashi trip, we spent two nights at Sunny Room in Jiufen and then two nights at a wonderful and relaxing retreat in the mountains nearby, Adagio Jinguashi.
Accommodation in Jiufen
There are plenty of accommodation options in Jiufen from boutique hotels to guesthouses. Booking as far in advance is recommended however as Jiufen is a very popular to visit.
Budget ($)
On My Way JiuFen Hostel
Highly rated hostel in a central location with dorm rooms. Check rates and availability on booking.com and agoda.com
Mid-range ($$)
Sunny Room
We recently stayed here in February 2026 in an ocean view junior suite. which had a fantastic view from the balcony! The room we chose was quite basic however more modern rooms are available at Sunny Room at a higher price. Check out our full review and more photos on our Facebook group post >
Check rates and availability on booking.com, agoda.com and expedia.com
Luxury ($$$)
Something Easy Inn
Highly rated guest house with a garden and shared lounge, with some rooms offering outdoor terraces and sea views. Check rates and availability on booking.com, agoda.com and expedia.com
We’ve divided this article into the following sections:
- Things to do in Jiufen (below)
- Things to do in Jinguashi (click to go to this section)
- Where to eat in Jiufen (click to go to this section)
- Jiufen coffee shops (click to go to this section)
- Other things to do near Jiufen (click to go to this section)
Things to do in Jiufen in Taiwan
A Mei Tea House
The 100-year old A-Mei Tea House 阿妹茶楼 (map) in Jiufen is likely Taiwan’s most famous teahouse and the centre of the tourist universe here.
A Mei Tea House is also said to be most associated with being the inspiration for the Studio Ghibli / Spirited Away connection (although many debunk this – so believe what you want as it still pretty either way!).
One of the most Instagrammable places in Taiwan, the A Mei Tea House is perched on the side of Keelung Mountain, just below the main old street, and boasts stunning views over Taiwan’s north shores and the surrounding mountains.
All in all, A Mei Tea House is tea-riffic and definitely our cup of tea (sorry, not sorry).
As you would expect, A-Mei Teahouse offers a variety of cold and hot tea dishes (including tasting demonstrations) as well as wide range of homemade sweet treats and snacks.
It is also worth visiting the teahouse at night, to see all the lanterns on the side of the building lit up.
Fans of Phil Rosenthal’s Somebody Feed Phil Netflix series will recognise this teahouse from his recent Taiwan episode! Read more about where Phil ate in our guide >
Jioufen Teahouse
Whilst possibly not as famous as ‘A Mei’ next door, Jioufen Teahouse is the area’s oldest teahouse now owned by artist Hung Chi-Sheng (map).
Located across several stories, you can enjoy traditional Taiwanese tea looking out over Jiufen, visit the artists’ workshops and pottery kiln downstairs or simply have a taste for free.
This is one of our favourite things to do in Jiufen and much much quieter than nearby A Mei teahouse.
The downstairs area has an exquisite ‘showroom’ of tea from all over Taiwan; the packaged tea would make a great Taiwan souvenir to take home.
Other top tea houses in Jiufen
- Artist Teahouse in Jiufen
- Jiufen Old Street Taiwan Tea Experience
- Skyline Teahouse in Jiufen
- SIIDCHA Teahouse in Jiufen
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Jiufen Old Street
The focal point of Jiufen, the narrow, windy ancient streets that dissect the centre of this hillside town are what most people have come to experience, no trip to Taiwan’s Jiufen is complete without a walk along Jiufen Old Street.
Awash with gift shops, street food stalls and tea shops, half the fun along Jiufen Old Street is just wandering around without a map and seeing what you can find – a definite jewel in Jiufen!
The downside to these thin, narrow alleyways along Jiufen Old Street is that they get full very quickly, especially once the daily glut of tourist buses arrive from Taipei New City (the stampede generally starts from 10am every day).
On one of our visits to Jiufen, it became unbearable at times to move around on Jiufen Old Street, especially as many tourists use large umbrellas rather than wear waterproof ponchos! This was one of the very few times in Taiwan as a tourist where it felt too crowded / like overtourism.
People seem to have a love / hate relationship with Jiufen in our Taiwan Travel Tips (TTT) Facebook group – we like it but more so first thing or last thing at night when it is quiet and you can enjoy the views and cafes in relative peace.
Old Street at night
To enjoy without the crowds, we would recommend staying in Jiufen overnight and exploring the central old street early in the morning or later at night.
Most of the shops and restaurants stayed open until about 7pm at night although the Juifen 7-Eleven (map) and FamilyMart (map) stay open 24 hours (the FamilyMart in Jiufen is the best convenience store as it has an indoor dining area with a view of the sea).
Something also rather unusual at night were the tuneful Jiufen garbage trucks that would drive along the central old street.
These rubbish trucks in Jiufen have loud-speakers blaring out tinny tunes (actually European melodies!), to alert locals to bring out their rubbish – we feature them in our ‘unusual Taipei’ guide.
It also acts as a warning for shoppers to quickly get out of the way and seek refuge in a nearby shop entrance or alleyway. Be warned they don’t stop for anybody so jump out of their path as soon as possible.
PS ‘Old Streets’ in Taiwan don’t always mean ‘historic’ – it is more a term used to describe tourist streets with a high concentration of traditional restaurants and shops.
Jiufen Shengming Temple
Located at the top of the town and overlooking Jiufen and the nearby Keelung Mountain, the Shengming Temple dates back to the 1880s and is the centre of faith for the Jiufen region.
We actually stumbled across this temple at first quite by accident and then ended up visiting Shengming Temple several times during our Jiufen stay and never found it too busy.
Given the views from the temple and its location away from Old Street, it is one of the more tranquil and calm places in Jiufen to catch your thoughts or escape the wall of people.
Jiufen Old Theatre / Shenping Theater 昇平戲院
One of the oldest yet newest attractions in Jiufen, Shenping Theater reopened to the public in January 2024 after a long period of closure.
Free to visit, the restored theater originally opened in 1934 and has been lovingly restored to its original condition.
As well as the huge screen and cinema rows inside (old movies are shown sometimes), you’ll see all the old cinema features like the old ticket desk plus old movie projector.
Shenping Theater is open from 9.30am to 5pm and until 6pm on the weekends (it is also a good free toilet stop) – the theater is closed the first Monday of every month.
Ghostlore Jiufen
Just across from Shenping Theatre, a quick mention of Ghostlore Jiufen – a spooky haunted house with the most bizarre posters outside, it is a museum of horrors that tells tales of traditional Taiwanese horror stories.
Another excuse to be ‘Spirited Away’, this one is probably best suited to families or a quirky Jiufen wet-weather activity. Admission is NT$150.
Korean Photo Booths
It was only a matter of time until the phenomenon that is Korean photo booths invaded Jiufen – popular in districts like Ximending and Gongguan.
Well known Korean photo booth companies like Plan B Studio and PHOTOGRAY now have kiosks and stores in Jiufen, mainly along the old street. You can borrow clothes and props and then pose for selfies or take photos in the booths. A set of four photos usually costs around NT$200 and upwards.
Juifen ink stamps
We just hit the Taiwan stamp jackpot in Jiufen! Located at Jiufen Visitor Center (map), we think this might be one of the largest collections of Taiwan souvenir stamps in one place – there were around 20+ to collect!
Plus Ruifang train station (where you get the bus to Jiufen) has four stamps at their visitor center!
Learn more about the thrill of Taiwan souvenir stamp collecting and some stamp locations >
Things to do in Jinguashi (a short drive from Jiufen)
Close to Jiufen but much, MUCH quieter, we would highly recommend you spend some time (or even a night) in Jinguashi.
Where to stay in Jinguashi
Nestled away in a secluded, scenic setting, Adagio Jinguashi 緩慢民宿 金瓜石 is a relaxing and ultimately unique retreat in Taiwan.
One of our most rewarding stays and a world away from bustling Jiufen Old Street, Adagio Jinguashi is all about slow travel and local experiences – from the evening tasting menu that harks back to the local mining history to the valley views , this is one memorable stay.
If you like to escape the hustle and bustle and be close to nature and trails, this is a unique hotel for you – read our review of Adagio Jinguashi or check rates on booking.com, agoda.com and expedia.com.
Gold Museum
Jiufen has always been ‘gold’ in our eyes but a lot of people see it as a busy tourist-trap.
Recently, we were staying in Keelung and got a bus into Jiufen. We explored the Old Street early in the morning before the crowds arrived and then jumped on a local bus to the Gold Museum in Jinguashi.
The Gold Museum is a sprawling site and costs only NT$80 admission – the exhibits and buildings onsite are quite diverse.
They have a gold refinery building, an old railway you can ride along plus lots of gift shops and some lovely pitstops like the Jin shuei tea house.
You can even pan for gold at the museum and the whole site is surrounded by lovely trails and walks into the surrounding hills.
A special mention to the FamilyMart next to the Gold Museum as it is a godsend on hot days with its selection of cold drinks, ice-creams and even beer. The secret FamilyMart terrace tucked away behind the store has amazing views of nearby Teapot Mountain too. Find it on Google Maps here >
Chuen Ji Hall 金瓜石勸濟堂 and Rainbow Steps
Stairway to heaven? Away from usual Jiufen crowds, these rainbow steps are a colorful way to arrive at Chuen Ji Hall, a hillside temple in the Jinguashi district (and a short walk from the Gold Museum).
The views looking back from Chuen Ji Hall 金瓜石勸濟堂 are amazing and just behind the temple, you will find one of the main Teapot Mountain trailheads 茶壺山步道口 (alas this is something we haven’t done yet – next time for sure).
Qitang Old Street 祈堂老街
The antithesis of Jiufen Old Street, Qitang Old Street doesn’t have souvenir shops, convenience stores or masses of visitors – it is a quiet village thoroughfare in Jinguashi that leads from the Gold Museum towards Chuen Ji Hall.
A tranquil spot with some epic views, Qitang Old Street has a couple of tea-shops and building ruins and is a popular photo spot.
Golden Waterfall 黃金瀑布
One of the local areas natural wonders, Golden Waterfall is free to visit and is said to get its name from the discoloration of the local water supply by the heavy levels of copper in the area – we really are in ‘ore’ of it (yes, that was a mineral pun).
Given its unique colouring and vast size, the Golden Waterfall is well worth a visit.
Incidentally, the water is said to be toxic given the high metal levels found in it – so definitely don’t drink it!
Located on the roadside, this is an easy attraction to visit if you have a car – we decided to walk from Jinguashi to the falls but it was a very hot and sweaty hike along a main road. So maybe opt for a bus or taxi.
Remains of the 13 Levels 十三層遺址
A short hike from the Golden Waterfall, this huge abandoned building on the hill dominates the local skyline.
Located near Shuinan Cave, the Remains of the 13 Levels is actually what is left of the Taijing Mining Plant which closed in 1988 after 55 years of mining activity.
Vegetation has now taken over the various strata – it almost looks like Aztec ruins from afar.
Given its unusual setting It has been used as a filming location and the site lights up every evening.
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What to eat in Jiufen
Xiao Long Bao
We found this awesome restaurant called Jiufen Jie Jiao Traditional Diner (map) on Central Old Street.
It served some delicious Pork Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings which you can enjoy on their small outdoor terrace with incredible views of the ocean. If you fancy eating there, keep an eye out for a restaurant with the menu pictured below.
We eat here every time we visit Jiufen as the views are amazing and the prices very reasonable.
On a recent trip to Jiufen Jie Jiao Traditional Diner in late 2024, we paid NT$120 for a set of steamed xiao long baos, NT$50 for edamame and greens plus NT$30 for soft drinks.
Taiwan beer was also available for NT$100 and local craft beer for NT$200 – cheers / ganbei!
On our latest 2026 Jiufen trip, we also stopped at Jiufen Xingyu Restaurant 九份心宇食堂 (map) for some xiao long bao and beef noodle soup – both were surprisingly good and the setting was also nice.
Used as a filming location for the 1989 Taiwanese movie City of Sadness (there are movie posters all over the walls), this a nice nostalgic restaurant and from the lantern lit terrace, you can dine and look at beautiful views of Mount Keelung and A Mei teahouse next door.
Vinasse Taiwanese Meatballs
These are traditional meat dumplings from a restaurant called Jin Zhi Red Yeast Rice Meat Ball (map) on Old Central Street (which also operates a separate vegetarian version a few stalls away).
The dumplings have a gelatinous casing and a filling of pork which has been soaked in red yeast (vinasse). People say it is an acquired taste – Neil hated it but I (Caroline) loved it!
Fishball Bozai
Fishball Bozai (map) is a simple restaurant that serves a small menu of dishes that include braised pork and rice, oil chicken, noodles and fish ball dumplings in soup. Phil Rosenthal visited this restaurant as part of his Taipei Somebody Feed Phil episode.
Taiwanese Sausage
Hugely popular in Jiufen, nearly everyone we saw was eating one of these. To be honest we weren’t a fan – they tasted very sweet and had a lot of gristle (ew). We ate two bites of one and then threw the rest away, but you might want to try it yourself!
Taro balls
We think this might be the most popular food/dessert stall we saw in Jiufen. A Gan Yi Taro Balls (map) serves cheap pots of freshly made taro and sweet potato balls and beans, either served hot in a soup, or chilled on shaved ice and queues to purchase these are always long.
Most people order the taro balls to take away but there is a small dining area here with great views of the ocean.
Grandma Lai’s Sweet Taro Balls
Taro balls are a staple of Taiwan’s street food scene and one of the best places to try them in Jiufen is at Grandma Lai’s Sweet Taro Ball stall (map).
Chewy and a relatively cheap snack (well for Jiufen anyway), a large portion of taro balls costs just NT$100.
Ah Lan Herbal Glutinous Rice Cake 阿蘭草仔粿
This stall (map) sells mustard green rice cakes (hakka glutinous rice cake) that are usually filled with either sweet red bean, preserved turnip or salted green bean. This was also featured on the Taipei Somebody Feed Phil episode.
Deep fried seafood balls
We always saw huge queues for these seafood balls, so decided to see what the fuss was about. These deep fried balls are served with sweet chilli sauce and pickled vegetables and are very delicious.
Peanut Ice Cream Roll
We were obsessed with peanut ice cream rolls during our trip to Taiwan, and saw a stall along Central Old Street selling this dessert dish. Peanut ice-cream rolls were popular in nearby Shifen too along the Pingxi Line.
The vendor lays out a thin flour tortilla which is then covered with shavings of peanut candy brittle and a row of scoops of ice cream before being tightly wrapped up.
The ice cream flavours are usually either taro, vanilla, red bean or pineapple. You can add Coriander to the mix and it is highly recommended as an extra aromatic layer.
The mixture of ingredients taste sweet, nutty and salty, whilst the texture is creamy and crunchy. A very n-’ice’ thing to do in Jiufen, Taiwan!
Taiwanese Beef Noodles
A quick mention of Jiufen’s Age Inn Beef Noodles 年代客棧牛肉麵 (map), a family run restaurant hidden away just off Old Street.
Whilst not the best beef noodles in Taiwan, we appreciated one of few Jiufen restaurants that was open late with a big, hearty bowl of beef noodles costing just over NT$200 – it is very small inside with lots of noodle dishes to try and grandma here is very sweet with young children.
Eating late in Jiufen
Most restaurants and food stalls close for the day quite early here, compared to the big cities.
If you don’t eat before 7pm, your best affordable option is to get a toasted sandwich or microwave meal from either 7-Eleven (map) or FamilyMart (map).
We visited both on several occasions. The FamilyMart in Jiufen also has a little indoor seating area, with coastal views which was always very quite busy.
Jiufen Coffee Shops
For the best brews with views, be sure to visit one of Jiufen’s cafes, many of which offer incredible coastal views and panoramic lookouts. Read our detailed Jiufen coffee shop and tea house guide here:
Hima
Likely the most famous cafe in Jiufen, Hima 暇珈琲 (map) is a must visit if you are into coffee culture – but be prepared to queue on busy days.
Hima is a spectacular space boasting huge floor to ceiling windows looking out over Jiufen’s green landscapes and coasts.
Lickato貓十五
A few short steps from A-Mei tea-house, Lickato (map) is one cute Juifen cafe and a n-’ice’ place to enjoy desserts with an amazing view.
CHLIV Jiufen
A cool Jiufen coffee shop, award winning CHLIV (map) was founded by Chris Lin, a latte art lover who won the World Coffee Fest Latte Art Championship 10 years ago in Tokyo. Of all the Juifen coffee places we visited, this was the best coffee – but there isn’t really anywhere to sit inside.
Youshi Twilight Cafe
We loved Youshi Twilight Cafe (map), as it had a nice atmosphere, was very chilled and best of all, cute cats who seem to come and go freely.
Henry Cats ＆ Friends
九份石頭貓創始店 Henry Cats ＆Friends (map) has to be one of our favourite stores and coffee shop in the whole of Taiwan, not just Jiufen. We spent a magical hour at Henry Cats ＆ Friends drinking coffee and watching Henry and his partner handpaint gorgeous cat souvenirs like bags and t-shirts.
Samba Cafe
A little walk out of town and away from all the tourist hordes, Jiufen’s Samba Cafe 山巴咖啡 (map) is well worth a visit. It has a huge terrace outside overlooking the coast plus you have to walk through a small tunnel to get here from Jiufen Old Street.
Read our best Jiufen cafes and tea houses guide >
Other things to do near Jiufen, Taiwan
Houtong Cat Village
‘Feline’ like a ‘paw-some’ day trip from Jiufen? How about heading to the Houtong Cat Village located along the Pingxi Line in Taiwan?
Home to dozens of cats and kitties, Houtong Cat Village is a riverside town in the Ruifang valley.
Hutong has quite the history – a former coal mining town that once had riches galore, it was most famous for having a cave full of monkeys about 100 years ago (‘Hutong’ translates as ‘monkey cave’).
Now it is best known for its feline residents which outnumber humans hence the name ‘Houtong Cat Village. You know you are going to be in for something very different when one of the first things you see as you arrive at Houtong station is a massive metal footbridge, shaped like a cat.
Houtong is a short drive from Jiufen or approx 30 minutes away via public bus then the Pingxi Line.
Read our guide to Houtong Cat Village in Taiwan here >
Yehliu Geopark
Taiwan on the rocks – yahoo for Yehliu Geopark, home to a number of unique geological formations (‘rock stars’?) formed over thousands of years.
Located on a beautiful part of the North Taiwan coast, the peninsula stretches around 1,700 meters, formed by geological movement that forced the Datun Mountains to change their shape, jutting out into the ocean.
It also kinda reminded me of the New Zealand and Western Australia landscapes. Rock on!
Book your Yehliu Geopark day tour from Taipei here or book your discounted Yehliu Geopark ticket in advance with Klook.
Pingxi Line stops
The Pingxi rail line is a journey into the past and a perfect day trip from either Jiufen or Taipei City.
A 13km stretch of railway that goes through some of Taiwan’s most beautiful landscapes, the Pingxi Rail Line celebrated its 100th anniversary recently (in 2021).
With several villages and towns to explore along the way including Shifen, there are many things to do along the Pingxi Line.
So jump aboard a local train on the Pingxi Line and exploree a few places along the 8-mile long ‘verdant valley’.
From starting your Pingxi Line adventure in Ruifang and through to taking in waterfalls, floating sky lanterns and a quirky cat village along the way, check out our guide to the Pingxi train line >
All in all and despite the serene setting, we were not totally ‘Spirited Away’ by Jiufen. The hordes of tourists in such a small space left us a little weary. Jiufen was much better explored early in the morning or late evening, when the tourist buses were no longer here and it really came alive.
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