9 Things To Do in Jiufen, Taiwan

    Jiufen was once a generous mining site for gold. Local miners literally built grandiose houses because of the prosperous blessings they receive. But near the end of 1950, its gold resources started to diminish. Little by little houses were abandoned.  And what left were senior citizens struggling to survive. With the wise tourism strategy of the  Taiwanese government, Jiufen- a once wealthy then ghostly place was now transformed to a famous historical and cultural landmark. Here are the 9 things you can do in this place!

1.) Staycation in Flipflop Hostel- Jiufen

    I like the home vibes of this hostel with the view of the mountains and the Yin Yang Sea. I also love the staff Katy who gave us a free night tour and made us enjoy one of the best breakfast in Taiwan.

2.) Night Tour in Jiufen 

    One of the perks in Flipflop hostel is their free night tours. The tour starts 8pm and ends 9pm. I think the tour’s theme would be ‘revisiting the infrastructures in Jiufen’. We visited secret alleys of Jiufen’s residents and touched authentic age old house stone materials.

3.) Pass-by to all of its Chinese lanterned streets

Get the chinese vibes passing by all of these chinese lanterns with chinese music in the background.

4.) Spot the dogs and cats of Jiufen

     On my morning jog, I spotted a lot of cute dogs and cats roaming in the streets. I also found out that there are even cafes in Jiufen wherein you can mingle with cats.

5.) Enjoy the food!

I do not remember the names of the food that I ate but here are some of the pictures. For the drink, they call it Boba Milk Tea.

6.) Visit Artists’ shops 

     During the transition of Jiufen as a historical and cultural tourist spot, the Taiwanese government invited a lot of Taiwanese artists offering them free lots or abandoned houses. This has led to a generation of creative masters and youngsters establishing different varieties of artistic shops. We visited the Jiufen Art Gallery, the Ceramic Art Workshop, and a stall of cute hand-painted ceramic owls.

7.) Get close to Wufan tunnel 

    This is where the story of wealth begins. I had a sense that there are some ghosts trapped here. Or probably gold pieces… which could be yours once you visit Jiufen.

8.) Relax in Songde Park

    I got a feel that it was a cemetery. But reading some info’s from Taiwan government’s tourism website, Songde park is actually a memorial park for the predecessors who contributed to the welfare of this mining region.

9.) Watch in Shengping Theater

    The establishment is the oldest and only theater house in Jiufen. It has no entrance fee and you can watch Chinese movies for free.

How to go to Jiufen: From Ruifang train station, ask the locals where can you take Bus788. Then, alight in Dai Tian Fu Station where Jiufen is situated.

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