Jiufen Old Street, Taiwan 台湾 九份老街 - WW

Entrance to Jiu Fen Old Street

Jiufen's quaint streets, teahouses, stunning views of the ocean plus a wide variety of novelty and souvenir shops transform it into a popular tourist magnet.

Nestled in the hills in the northeast of Taiwan, this picturesque old town was a prosperous gold mining town until the 1950s. With the decline of gold mining activities, the poor village faded.

Must pose for a photo on Jiufen's famous flights of steps - a great souvenir to bring home

Fortunately, Jiufen's charming layout and architecture was the inspiration for a number of films such as Hou Hsiao-hsien's 'A City of Sadness' (侯孝賢的'悲情城市'), which won the Golden Lion award at the 1989 Venice Film Festival.

This was my second trip to Jiufen and it was still full of fun and delights. I enjoy wandering around this mountain sanctuary. There are lots to see and taste and don't forget to take lots of pictures.

Stalls selling all kinds of traditional Taiwanese food, beverages and snacks lined both sides of the narrow street. It took me quite a while to complete this short winding lane as I was constantly distracted by the sights and wonderful aroma of the food.  

Not wanting to offend the kind vendors who offered food-sampling at almost every stall, I tried everything. :P In the end, I purchased quite a lot of souvenirs to gift away to friends and relatives back home.

teahouses on both sides of the street

a unique teahouse which sells pottery

traditional teahouse and restaurant

 

finally a place which serves coffee!

There are many unique teahouses which offer awesome views of the ocean and mountain of Jiufen. For visitors who dislike the commercialised old street or the noise, these teahouses offer a place to relax. You will forget your worries as you sip a cup of tea and enjoy the scenic view of Jiufen.

Many local residents provide accommodation places. If you were not in a hurry, you may want to pick a nice B and B to stay for the twinkling stars and fishing lights at night. I am planning to stay a night on my next trip to Jiufen.

九份老街的特色就是那復古懷舊的街景, 依舊保留著純樸的舊日生活風貌。
九份環山面海，擁有變化多端的山海美景。
让自己的心沉醉在美丽的山城 - 九份。