Sightseeing Tour of Jiufen old street
Jiufen
Some say that Jiufen’s rising popularity is due to the movie “City of Sadness,” however, that is only they have not finely experience the real beauty of this charming place. Not only has Jiufen preserve numerous old architectures of the Japanese colonial period, it too has maintained the unique atmosphere of a mountain city. While today’s Old Street continues to brim with people, it still maintains a quiet trail excellent for sightseeing. When in Jiufen, make sure to eat a bowl of taro ball dessert and sample an array of nostalgic small eats. Together, Jishan Street, Shuqi Road and Chingbien Road form a real-life storybook. Here is where you can explore the exciting story of Jiufen and simultaneously eat and shop. If you have ample time in your hands, have a visit at the Gold Museum to get a glimpse of the mining scenario back in
Tour Guide
Stepping into Jiufen’s most bustling Jishan Street, you’ll find countless shops and restaurants overflowing with rich, fragrant smells. The diverse array of handicraft stalls and old-style grocery stores, bed and breakfast guesthouses and teahouses are filled with an air of nostalgia in the festive atmosphere.
Follow the crowds of people to experience the hustle and bustle. Specialty shops that line up on both sides of the street sell various bamboo-made art products, retro toys and gadgets. Setting foot into a shop selling old toys is sure to evoke many people’s childhood memories. This is also one of a favorite destination of children as these toys continue to hold the same amount of fun and interest despite being from different parts of time. At Jiufen, you’ll find a whole display of wooden postcards that only requires a stamp before being mailed. Wooden clogs and wooden clog accessories are also souvenirs many tourists enjoy purchasing during their time here.
Join in the long line of people to experience the joy of lining up for the sake of food. “Grandma Lai’s Taro Ball Shop” is the ancestor of Jiufen’s taro ball dessert shops, and many tourists make sure that this shop is the first stop of their journey. In the early days, Grandma Lai made a living out of raising pigs before using the most generic taro material and transforming it into chewy taro balls that has become the most famous local product of Jiufen. From the simple taro and sweet potato balls in the early days to the assortment of new flavors that were later developed, customers are able to choose from a variety of options. The shop’s taro balls use an entire freshly picked taro that is finely pureed before wrapped tightly in flour, thus maintaining the natural sweetness of the taro. Sink your teeth into the soft and doughy dessert and taste the fresh sweetness of taro.
The next spot to visit is Shuqi Road where the entire street is made up of various flights of stone stairs that ascended directly upwards. The slightly rugged trail is a path that must be taken if you come to Jiufen or else your visit would not have count.
Following the stone steps upwards, rows of teahouses, curry houses and art shops can be found along both sides of the stairs. The rich creamy tea aroma tickles your nose even more you step into the shops. Stone steps, aromatic tea and old Japanese houses outline a nostalgic and beautiful scenery. It is exactly this unique beauty that attracts tourists from all over the world.
Tired Find a teahouse for your legs to get a well-deserved rest. “Ah Mei Tea House” is one of the favorites of places to visit for visitors. A few scenes from “Spirited Away”, written and directed by Japanese animation master Miyazaki Hayao, are similar to Jiufen Old Street. Rumor has it that Miyazaki’s source of inspiration came from Ah Mei’s Tea House. For this reason, many Japanese tourists come to Jiufen in search of the scenes in the animation and a mask that resembles “Yubaba”, the bathhouse witch.
After tea tasting, a 10-minute walk will bring you to JiufenElementary School. Surrounded by bed and breakfast inns, the quaint and exquisite elementary school has an excellent scenic spot. Standing atop the podium of the field lends a perfect view of Keelung Islet, so perfect, that it seems as if it is right in front of your eyes. The deep blue sea reflected by the light blue sky and puffy white clouds is so mesmerizing that one almost forgets that he/she is actually inside a school.
Named as a school with a hundred unique characteristics, there is also a special mining culture museum that makes you feel as if you are right inside a mine.
In addition, Auntie Gun’s Taro House is right next to the school, and many visitors can be seen cupping a bowl of taro dessert in their hands as they sit on the steps in front of the school and lending an interesting sight.
During the golden era of the mountain city, Shengping Theater can be the representative of the luxurious and opulent lifestyle of Jiufen. The theater’s interior was decorated to imitate the style of Baroque architecture and houses over 600 seats. There is even a private room area on the second floor. It’s been allegedly said that the facilities were extremely advanced with a stage that could ascend/descend and spin. It was a one of a kind in those days. Many movies such as “A Borrowed Life”, “City of Sadness” or “Blue Mountain Coffee” have used the theater as a backdrop for their movies and were able to capture numerous classic images. After extensive repair in 2011, the theater’s former elegance and glamour has been reproduced. Aside from periodical showing of old movies, the theater also holds a variety of special exhibits and art seminars on a frequent basis.
When you walk from Shuchi Road and almost reaching the main road, you will find a small plaza displayed with stone tables and chairs. Behind the plaza is a high-rising one storey, two-floor Japanese architecture that has been well preserved. This is the locally famous “Peng Garden.”
Peng Garden is an old Japanese building that has over 80 years of history, and was built in commemoration of Dr. Cing-Huo Peng. Dr. Peng had practiced medicine throughout his entire life in Jiufen and saved countless people. Back in the day, many miners were infected with silicosis due to excessive inhalation of dust. For this reason, Dr. Peng delved deeply into the research of silicosis and was able to save the lives of countless miners.
The inside of Peng Garden is decorated with many relevant information and historical pictures and is free for visitation. The house was once the shooting site of many movies. Today, it has been transformed into a bed and breakfast inn. Visitors of Peng Garden must not forget to make reservations in advance!
Finally, follow Chicher Road and walk for 15 minutes before reaching Jiufen Museum of Gold Mine. A provincial exhibition center operated by former local miners exhibits Jiufen’s mining history, alchemical equipment and dozens of raw mineral stones, all of which have been collected across three decades by the curator with a mining background. Aside from mineral stones, the center also displays an array of old pictures that evoke fond memories of the past.
The curator enthusiastically demonstrates mining techniques, allowing visitors to see this type of ancient technique with their own eyes. Those interested in fulfilling the dream of mining can surely find it come true here!