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5 Things to do in Jiufen

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Jiufen is perhaps best known for its magical 'Spirited Away' tea house additionally there is so much more to explore and eat, like stinky tofu, fish balls and almond drinks making Jiufen a great day trip destination.

Tips & Advice
  • What: Historic gold mining town Jiufen
  • Where: Jishan Street, Ruifang District, New Taipei City [Map]
  • Tip: Be in good physical condition, the stairways around Jiufen are very steep
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  • Book Now: Complete Jiufen Day Trip for just $20 USD

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gorgeous mountain village Jiufen in Taiwan in Jiufen, Taiwan tea ceremony at A-Mei tea house in Jiufen in Jiufen, Taiwan Jiufen, Taiwan in Jiufen, Taiwan A-Mei tea house in Jiufen in Jiufen, Taiwan

One of the most iconic sites in Taiwan, Jiufen is a historic gold mining town and now a major tourist attraction best known for the A-Mei tea house, rumor goes that director Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away was influenced by it.

Map

Best Places for Travel in Jiufen

  • 1. Jiufen OId Street

    A gorgeous authentic market street with little shops selling street snacks, drinks and merchandise.

  • 2. Stinky Tofu

    One of Taiwan's most famous street foods is stinky tofu, it is stinky because it is fermented tofu which you can smell from miles away.

  • 3. Almond Drink

    Nothing beats fresh almond drinks, Taiwan definitely has almond drinks figured out, rich almond flavours at a good price.

  • 4. Peanut Ice Cream Rolls

    I had no idea peanut ice cream rolls with cilantro and scraped caramelized peanuts could be so delicious.

  • 5. A-Mei Tea House

    Most iconic tea house in Jiufen, best known for having inspired the movie 'Spirited Away'.

  • 6. BONUS: Taro Balls

    These balls are a regional specialty, sweet chewy nuggets in a refreshing iced soup.

peanut ice cream rolls at Jiufen Old Street in Jiufen, Taiwan Jiufen Old Street: the market street in Jiufen, Taiwan Jiufen Old Street in Jiufen, Taiwan scenery of Taiwan from Jiufen in Jiufen, Taiwan

Start off your Jiufen day trip at the Jiufen Old Street for snacks and drinks, the best dish to start with is the stinky tofu which is fermented tofu which I truly enjoyed but can be an acquired taste. Another great snack are the peanut ice cream rolls which is a wrap with 2x scopes of ice cream, cilantro and scraped caramilzed peanuts.

a-mei tea house in Jiufen, possible influence for anime: Spirited Away in Jiufen, Taiwan a-mei tea house in Jiufen, possible influence for anime: Spirited Away

Since Jiufen has many steep stairways you require to be in good physical condition but once you reach the top, go up to the rooftop deck at the iconic A-Mei tea house for these mesmerizing mountainous views of the Ruifang district and Keelung city.

Jiufen in Jiufen, Taiwan steep Jiufen stairways in Jiufen, Taiwan trying to be cute in Jiufen, Taiwan in Jiufen, Taiwan Jiufen, Taiwan in Jiufen, Taiwan Jiufen, Taiwan in Jiufen, Taiwan Jiufen Old Street in Jiufen, Taiwan Jiufen, Taiwan in Jiufen, Taiwan Jiufen, Taiwan in Jiufen, Taiwan

The weather on Taiwan can be very unpredictable, crazy mist and fog started to crawl up in front of us out of nowhere which was actually quite refreshing since was a hot piping 35 degrees celcius kind of day. I have a sort clip of the experience in the video listed above. If you do not have time to organize the day trip to Jiufen yourself you can book a day trip with a local guide to Jiufen including a visit to the A-mei Spirited Away tea house, creating sky lanterns in Shifen and visiting the spectacular golden waterfalls.

delicious stinky tofu, it is stinky because it is fermented tofu in Jiufen, Taiwan delicious stinky tofu, it is stinky because it is fermented tofu

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