Sights in Jiufen & Jinguashi
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
Remains of the 13 Levels
Further towards the sea from the Golden Waterfall, the remains are a massive copper-smelting refinery (十三層; Shísān- céng). The refinery inspires such a heavy, dystopian industrial awe that it has been used as a background for music videos. There are signs in English to direct you here from the park.
reviewed
-
Jiufen Teahouse
The owner claims his business, housed in a 90-year-old building at the far end of Jishan St, was the first teahouse in Jiufen. Certainly it has the best selection of teas, including some rarities such as roasted Oriental Beauty and a fruity Tieguanyin. There is indoor and outdoor seating, and it's hard to decide which to choose, though we usually sit inside as the wood and brick design has such a charming old-world feel to it. The teahouse only serves tea and snacks, but if you want a meal they will direct you to their sister restaurant down the street.
reviewed
-
Jiufen Kite Museum
This quirky private collection in the basement of a local B&B can seem underwhelming at first. But then, at some point it dawns on you: my God, these things can really fly! There are several hundred kites in the collection, from the tiniest butterfly-shaped kites, to a 3m-long phoenix with a fox in its mouth. Perhaps most astonishing are the kites with musical instruments built into them so that they drum or whistle when in the air.
The owner of the museum is rightfully proud of his collection and grows visibly happy when he sees visitors impressed.
reviewed
-
Jishan Street (Juifen Old Street)
Narrow, covered Jishan St (基山街; Jīshān Jiē) often leaves lasting impressions. It's really just one long, narrow covered lane, but spending a few hours here browsing the knick-knack, curio and craft shops is a lot of fun.
One of the most popular activities on the street is snacking. Some distinctive snacks to look for include yùyuán (芋圓; taro balls), yúwán (魚丸; fish balls), cǎozǐ gāo (草仔糕; herbal cakes) and hēitáng gāo (黑糖糕; molasses cake).
Jishan St begins just to the right of the 7-Eleven on the main road.
reviewed
-
Jilongshan
You can't miss this emerald colossus for the way it dominates the skyline. At only 588m, Jilongshan (雞籠山 | Jīlóngshān) may read like a rather puny giant, but it rises up so fast and steep, it's dizzying to stare at from below. You can climb the peak in about 40 minutes.
The trailhead is about 500m up the main road from the 7-Eleven.
reviewed
-
Golden Waterfall
The water that forms this unusual fall (黃金瀑布; Huángjīn Pùbù) has a yellow hue from the copper and iron deposits it picks up as it passes through Jinguashi's old mines. You'll find the waterfall down from the Gold Ecological Park as you head towards the sea.
reviewed
-
Gold Ecological Park
We could spend hours just wandering through this park, set high above the village in green, quiet hillsides. It's a slice of old Taiwan here, with pretty Japanese-era residential and office buildings, and narrow walkways bordered by aged brick walls.
The Crown Prince Chalet (太子賓館; Tàizǐ Bīngguǎn) at the back of the park was built to house the Japanese royal family on their visit to Taiwan (which alas, never came). It's the best-preserved Japanese-style wooden residence in Taiwan, and really quite a beautiful structure. However, at the time of writing you could only wander the gardens and look inside.
The former working Beishan Fifth Tunnel allows visitors to go…
reviewed
-
Fushan Temple
The earth god (Tudigong) has one of the lowest rankings in the Chinese pantheon, but, not surprisingly in these old mining towns, he is among the most exalted. In the 1930s, miners crowded the 200-year old Fushan Temple daily, praying to the god to point them to a rich vein that would make them gentlemen overnight. After a decision to expand the temple caused panic ('What if it damages the efficacious feng shui?'), a larger structure was simply constructed over the original, giving Fushan the nickname 'the temple within a temple'. Alas, the damage appeared to have been done in any case (some claim that other gods were jealous to see Tudigong raised so high), and many…
reviewed
-
Beishan Fifth Tunnel
reviewed