JIUFEN, SHIFEN | Taipei Taiwan Day Tour Travel Guide

Jiufen & Shifen Taipei Taiwan Day Tour Travel Guide

Visiting Jiufen & Shifen: Experiencing Taipei, Taiwan In A Day

Contents

Taipei may be a small city capital, and Taiwan perhaps is one of the smallest countries in Southeast Asia, but it’s fully packed with amazing places to visit and experience. Two examples of the most popular places to see and have a tour can be found in the Northern part of Taiwan, and not that far from East of Taipei. These are the remarkable mountainous town of Jiufen, and the historical appeal of Shifen.

The Author at Jiufen Old Street [ Jiufen & Shifen Taipei Taiwan Day Tour Travel Guide ]

Jiufen & Shifen One Day Tour

With proper planning of your itinerary, you’ll be glad to know that these tourists can be explored in a day, even with just a budget. With this guide, you will have a clearer picture of how this can be done, thus, before you plan for anything, read on.

The Best Way to Get There

From Taipei, pre-booking a shuttle bus tour is the recommended way to reach both Jiufen & Shifen. This is because the tour companies plan the most efficient itinerary for you, and the whole trip can be finished in just half a day. Upon booking, they will set a pick-up location for tourists, and you will reach Shifen in an hour.

Shifen will be your first stopover, and you will have enough time to get around its best spots through the guided tour. After an hour or so, the shuttle will take you to Jiufen and spend the remaining time of the 7-hour tour. This shuttle tour package costs typically between $21-$25.

You can always take public transport option but the travel time alone is already 4 hours round trip, which involve multiple trains and buses transfers, and the cost is only a little bit lower.

Jiufen Old Street at night [ Jiufen & Shifen Taipei Taiwan Day Tour Travel Guide ]

Jiufen & Shifen Day Tour First Stopover: Jiufen

Jiufen is once a gold mining spot during the 1893 Japanese invasion, and it’s now one of the best tourist destinations because of its tea houses and nostalgically beautiful sceneries. The place is full of charm with its streets filled with red lanterns, and since it since on a mountain, you can have an excellent view of the Pacific Ocean.

Most old houses and structures in Jiufen have been preserved, and you’ll know right away that the Japanese have profoundly influenced the place.

There are numerous places and things to do while in Jiufen. Once you’re there, you might be interested in the following :

Songde Park.

In the eastern area of Jiufen at Qinbian road, you’ll find this memorial park. If you want to unwind and loosen up, this place is perfect. The site is a memorial for Jiufen’s mining industry founder, Yen Yun-nian.

Shengping Theater.

Sitting right at the access road of Jiufen’s main street is a classic theater that would remind you of a scene from old Hollywood movies. Since you’re on a limited tour time, though, you may not finish a film, but the old-style film posters, vintage ticket window, and snack shop are surely Instagrammable.

Wufan Tunnel.

Just next to Songde Park is a tunnel that has been sealed since the 70s to protect the tourist and residents of Jiufen. These are mining tunnels of what once a thriving industry in Jiufen.

When it comes to dining, Jiufen is also one of the most famous spots in the country. You can have snacks of full meal on these food establishments:

some stalls at Jiufen Old Street [ Jiufen & Shifen Taipei Taiwan Day Tour Travel Guide ]

Jin Zhi Red Yeast Meat Dumpling.

One of the best in Taiwan, Jin Zhi’s Meat Dumplings, is tasty because the meat is marinated in red yeast.

Wu Di Taiwanese Sausage.

If you’re a foreigner, you’ll be surprised to find out that the juicy wild boar sausage can be at par with the regular sausages in the world. The fish egg and squid and sausages are great alternatives as well.

Zhang Ji Traditional Fishballs.

Other than their famous fish balls served with soup, squid balls and meat wrapped fishballs are a must-try.

Jiufen Old Noodle Shop.

Their best seller is the signature tender beef noodles. The spicy broth complements the noodles and chunks of beef.

Shifen Water Fall [ Jiufen & Shifen Taipei Taiwan Day Tour Travel Guide ]

Jiufen & Shifen Day Tour Second Stopover: Shifen

Situated in the Pixi area of Taiwan is the charming Shifen village. The town is surrounded by railroads that used to be trackways for coal transportation in the area. Presently, these old streets have converted to tourism spots because of its food, charisma, sky lanterns, and old train tracks.

Thus, here are several enjoyable things that you can do in Shifen :

Shifen Waterfall

Just outside Shifen is its 20-meter high waterfall, and easily accessible by motorcycle, or by simply waking. Shifen Waterfall is considered one of the most spectacular in Taiwan.

Jingan Suspension Bridge.

This bridge for pedestrians adjoins the Nashan villages in the area. Located behind the Shifen train station, this bridge is Instagrammable, and if time still allows it, you can have a look at the vibrant houses in Nanshan.

Shifen Old Street/Lantern [ Jiufen & Shifen Taipei Taiwan Day Tour Travel Guide ]

Release Chinese Sky Lanterns.

First, enjoy exploring the town of Shifen, and visit one of their shops that caters to Chinese sky lantern releasing. Sky lanterns are available in various colors, and visitors create their wishes, then release them to the sky.

Eat Snacks.

Since Shifen town is also a marketplace, its Old Street is home to many dining restos and food stalls. You’ll spend more time at this stop, so most likely, you’ll take lunch here. Highly recommended snacks include Taiwanese sausages, peanut pancakes, bubble teas, fried squid, rice stuffed chicken wings, and other flavorful food items.

We hope that our guide showed you a glimpse of Jiufen and Shifen. When visiting Taiwan, consider visiting these towns, and I assure you, it’s like experiencing a time preserved spots you only see on movies. In a modern world, it’s always good to know that we can relive the past through Jiufen and Shifen.