Jiufen (or Jioufen) is a small town in northern Taiwan famous for its nostalgic old street, food and ocean view. Jiufen was a prosperous gold mining town since 1890s but its popularity faded as the gold resource was depleting since 1950s.
Jiufen was given a new life in 1989 when award winning movie “A City of Sadness” (directed by Hou Hsiao Hsien and starred Tony Leung etc.) was filmed there. Jiufen has become a popular tourist spot since then and a favourite weekend getaway location for Taipei folks.
The most iconic spot in Jiufen, made famous by A City of Sadness
Old streets in Jiufen
Oceanic and mountainous view from the town
Jiufen is also famous for being used as a model in Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar winning anime movie “Spirited Away” in 2001. Korean drama “On Air” also filmed some scenes in this small town in 2007/2008; in fact I just watched that episode a couple of days before visiting the place, so it provided some extra fun during the visit.
Too bad I didn’t have much time to spend there; I would definitely visit Jiufen again in future to explore the lovely little town in details.
Sharen… don’t know any in particulars, but there’s definitely a few guest houses around. Sorry, can’t help much.
einfach nur Atemberaubend ….. bin schon einige male dort gewesen …. werde in ein paar Wochen wieder hinfliegen . Taiwan ist wirklich meine 2.Heimat geworden .
This is a charming old town, clinging to the towering cliffs/hills overlooking the ocean, faintly reminding one of some areas of the Amalfi Coast in Italy, although the town is set back somewhat from the ocean itself. It is now very touristy but the food, made right on the premises is genuine. Some of the restaurants and cafes are really pleasant with great views of the coastline and sea.