Jiufen Old Street: The Village That Made Me Feel Like I Was in a Movie

Since 2012, I had seen this incredible image of a lantern-lit multi-story teahouse. I had no idea where it was, but I instantly knew I needed to go.

And years later, after a bit of research, I found that it was in Taiwan. Which was great, because I was headed back to Taiwan (one of my favorite places in the world), and I’d finally be able to visit.

A quick video from Taiwan. It really is magical there. ♥️ 

And after years of waiting, and not knowing if it would line up with my travel schedule, my husband (Silas) made it happen.

We were going to be living in Taiwan for a few months, and I kept on putting it off. I have this thing where I sometimes get overwhelmed when planning things. So Silas basically just told me, “Hey, I don’t want you to leave Taiwan and regret not having visited Jiufen. You need to go soon.”

And after doing just a bit of research on what I could do, and making reservations at the famous teahouse that first caught my attention, it was set.

I ended up taking a comfortable bus ride from Taipei to Jiufen for around an hour and a half, passing over rivers, small towns, temples, and cemeteries that stretched up into the hills.

Now this has been the crazy part of becoming a blogger for me. I didn’t believe in myself to be able to blog, and make an income online and travel full-time.

That was my husband who believed in me. I just didn’t think I was special enough, or that I could actually get there.

But when I did, this whole new world opened up to me. A world where I could stop just seeing cool places online and daydreaming about visiting them and actually go.

And here I was, walking up the steps of the mountain village I had dreamed of visiting.

But it wasn’t a daydream anymore, it was real, and I was finally taking a day trip to Jiufen.

Oh, and I was super blessed to come when I did.

I was living in Taiwan for the first 6 months of the pandemic. I arrived just before it became a problem for the whole world, and then got stuck when the country’s borders shut down. And while they had no lockdown where we had to stay indoors all the time (they handled it early on – very few cases and no real scare), people still weren’t traveling around the country as much.

Which meant that I and a handful of other people had this village all to ourselves. No annoying selfie taking tourists getting in the way of the perfect shot; it was the best. 👌 

Also, the peace and quiet was incredible!

Walking through this place made me feel like I was in a movie. 

And it makes sense because this is the village that many believe to have inspired Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. And while he’s confirmed this isn’t so, I totally understood why people thought this as I walked through this red lantern lined village.

Now the teahouse that I visited was called A-MEI Tea House and had me concerned since I wasn’t sure if this was gonna be a place that looked cool, but was just kind of gimmicky for the tourists. And I’m so glad I was wrong.

When I went in, I was treated to great service, given a great place to sit with an incredibly scenic view of the ocean below, and treated to tea that was really good.

And if you’re looking into the best things to do in Jiufen, then this should definitely be on your list. It’s a charming place with very kind people and good food and drinks.

Also! I got to experience a traditional Taiwanese tea ceremony and it was honestly so much fun to see the woman prepare the tea and teach me how to properly serve it to myself once she had left.

I think I stayed there for around an hour, admiring the picturesque view of the ocean and village down below on their beautiful open balcony, and drinking a lot of tea. 

Once my time had come to leave this richly decorated teahouse, I decided that it was time to do a bit more exploring of the Jiufen village and its main street. 

Also, to try their famous sweet potato and taro balls. They reminded me a bit of dumplings and made for a super delicious, comforting, and filling dessert. Also, it was cool to see them make it!

If you’re trying to figure out what to do in Jiufen and you’re creating a list, then I’d highly recommend just watching the cooking process and getting some to go!

And with my dessert in hand, I continued taking more photos (😂), exploring shops, and meeting very kind people.

Here are a few photos of Jiufen Old Street below.

Oh, and there was a really cool temple I got to check out. Honestly, this small village was full of hidden paths, narrow alleyway, and beautiful spots to explore!

Now, there’s plenty of other things to do in Jiufen, such as hiking up to Keelung Mountain Peek (which can be seen in the image above), taking a 35-minute hike to the Golden Waterfall, or visiting Chuen Ji Hall & Jiufen Qingyum Temple. 

But sadly I didn’t have enough time to do those things and was off, back to Taipei.

And honestly, I can’t wait to go back next time! Maybe I’ll stay in a nice guesthouse or hotel, but either way, I’m gonna make sure I meet more of the kind people and see more of what the region has to offer.

Leaving Jiufen. Bye! 👋