September 21, 2025
We timed our visit to JIUFEN to arrive for sunset, to avoid the heat and crowds! We pulled up just as sky was unfolding!
JIUFEN, TAIWAN is a former gold mining town south of KEELUNG along the coast. It's famous for its narrow lantern lined streets, traditional tea houses and scenic mountain and ocean views. It was inspiration for the 2001 animated film Spirited Away. It was a perfect date night to wander, shop and have a nice dinner, over looking the hills down to the ocean. We were blessed with a nice breeze and cooler air swirling up from ocean. Luckily the crowds were disappearing as we got there, because the streets are really narrow and lined with shops on both sides. Friends had been here days before and complained how packed the streets during daytime.This is known as the number one day trip for visitors in Taipei.
There were a lot of food shops but also some interesting crafts and specialty shops. I found a very unique purse in one of the first few shops, excited to show it in an upcoming blog. We also tried about 10 different seafood jerky's and bought a bag of fish jerky!
Dinner - you guessed it - more dumplings! At this nice tea house perched on the side of the hill looking out over valley to ocean.
Everytown has got to have a Shrine or Temple - this one was nestled in at the top, of the hill. The shops all close down around 8 pm and then 2 trucks start at the bottom of the narrow street and drive up the steep hill, with lots of honks and waving to get out of the path and they stop in front of he shops, to pick up first their trash and then recyclables. Good time to head back to the ship!
