Founded during the Qing Dynasty, this small town was a relatively isolated village until the discovery of gold during the Japanese occupation in 1893, quickly developing the town due to a gold rush.
Many buildings in the town remain unchanged to this day, reflecting the Japanese influence on both architecture and culture on the island.
During World War II, the town housed a Japanese prisoner of war camp where captured Allied Force soldiers (mainly British) were forced to work in the gold mines. After the war, gold mining activities declined, and the town today exists mainly as a tourist destination remembering and celebrating Taiwanese history and culture.
Some nice activities in Jiufen include hiking on Mt. Keelung (基隆山), drinking chinese tea at the City of Sadness Restaurant (悲情城市小上海茶樓), visiting the Gold Museum (新北市立黃金博物館), visiting the newly opened park Jinguashi (金瓜石), and, of course, beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean.
Jiufen is the setting of the Taiwanese film City of Sadness (悲情城市), the first film to discuss the politically controversial228 Incident, and as a result of the film's success, many new visitors were drawn to visit Jiufen to experience a time gone by.
The unique architecture of Jiufen's downtown area was used as the model for the Japanese animated film Sprited Away.
By Train: From Taipei, take the train north to Ruifang Station. After exiting the station, cross the street to the bus stop next to the Wellcome Supermarket and board the Keelung Transit bus towards Jiufen. The bus trip takes roughly 15 minutes, and the fare is NT$21 during the week, NT$15 during weekends/holiday.
By Bus (via MRT): From Zhongxiao Fuxing (忠孝復興), Brown and Blue lines, leave from Exit 1 and take bus route 1062 (Keelung Bus) to Jiufen. The ride is about 1 hour and the fare is NT$90. Be sure to sit on the left side of the bus to enjoy scenic views of Northern Taiwan.
The main reason I wanted to go to Shifen was to release lanterns! Seeing the waterfalls was secondary,
There are about 2 or 3 shops selling lanterns and they are located at the end of the row, which is rather short by the way. The cost of a huge lantern starts from NT100 for 2 colors, up to NT200 for 6. We got a 4-colored lantern for NT150. Different colors represent different well-wishes. The color combination we chose was red-white-purple-pink and it represents good health, safety, bright future, happiness, good fortune and all in all, we'll get whatever our heart desires.
We ended the night by lighting up fire crackers.
