Hidden tea houses of Jiufen

Built into a hillside on Taiwan's north-east coast, Jiufen is a former gold-mining town turned warren of red lanterns, narrow stone stairways and tea houses perched over the water. Late afternoon, when the mist rolls in off the Pacific and the lanterns flick on one by one, it becomes one of the most atmospheric places in all of Taiwan.

It is an easy half-day trip from Taipei, and this guide covers the whole thing: how to get there, the best time to arrive, the tea houses worth your afternoon, what to order, and where to stay for the rest of your trip.

How to get there

Jiufen is about 90 minutes from central Taipei. The most reliable route is a train to Ruifang, then a short bus or taxi up the hill. Direct buses also run from Taipei City Hall and Zhongxiao Fuxing if you would rather skip the transfer.

• Train + bus: TRA to Ruifang, then bus 788/827 or a 10-minute taxi up to Jiufen Old Street.
• Direct bus: routes from Taipei City Hall / Zhongxiao Fuxing run straight to Jiufen (about 1.5 hours).
• Tour or driver: easiest if you want to combine Jiufen with nearby Shifen and its sky lanterns.

Best time to visit

Go on a weekday and arrive by mid-to-late afternoon. You will see the lanes in daylight, then watch the whole town transform at dusk as the lanterns come on and the day-trip crowds thin out. Weekends are shoulder-to-shoulder on the narrow stairways; if a weekday is impossible, go as early or as late as you can.

Recommended stops

Jiufen rewards wandering, but build your afternoon around these:

• Jiufen Old Street - the covered market lane: taro balls, fish-ball soup, peanut ice-cream rolls.
• A-Mei Teahouse - the famous red-lantern facade; the terraces just above and below share the same view with fewer crowds.
• Shengping Theater - Taiwan's oldest cinema, restored, a quiet step back in time.
• The sea-view steps - the stairways that frame the lanterns and the bay; come back for them at dusk.

Settle into a teahouse terrace for at least an hour. Order a pot of high-mountain oolong, brewed at your table, with a plate of pineapple cakes or taro balls in warm syrup, and let the mist do its thing.

Order a pot of oolong, take the table by the window, and let an hour disappear into the mist.

Make it a coast loop

Jiufen rewards being paired with its neighbours rather than rushed as a standalone stop. Twenty minutes down the hill, Shifen is where you release a paper sky lantern over the old railway tracks and walk to a broad waterfall; the gold-mining ruins of Jinguashi and the eerie blue of the Yin-Yang Sea are a short ride the other way. A driver or a half-day tour can string all three together, turning an afternoon in Jiufen into a full, varied day on the north-east coast.

Where to stay

Most travellers visit Jiufen on an afternoon trip and sleep in Taipei, which keeps the train station and the late-night markets within easy reach for the rest of the trip. Our central Taipei picks are below, each with a live partner rate for your dates.