Jiu Fen is a popular tourist attraction located in the northeastern coast of Taiwan. As a little village on a windy road up the steep hillside, the old street of Jiu Fen is quaint cobblestone path that is lined with shops, temples, guesthouses and viewing platforms. Notably, there are a large number of food stalls, and you can get almost any kind of Taiwanese food here, from noodles to taro balls to grilled sausages.
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| Part of Jiu Fen's old street. |
Jiu Fen rose to greater limelight after Miyazaki's Spirited Away was released, for scenes of the shop leading to Yubaba's bath house are supposedly inspired by the old street of Jiu Fen, and Ah Mei's tea house bears an uncanny semblance to Yubaba's bath house.
Most tours will drop you off at the 7-Eleven, where the entrance to the more popular section of the cobblestone path lined with shops starts. Depending on the time, it could be jam-packed with tourist or it could be an easy walk up the cobblestone path.
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| Houses and guest houses along the path. |
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| Curio mask shop in the old street of Jiu Fen. |
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| Tea houses with lighted signboards and lanterns. |
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| There is a temple just below the 7-Eleven entry point to the old street of Jiu Fen. |
Do:
- Walk all the way to the top, there is a temple and school at the end of the street at the top of the hill.
- Explore the various parallel paths and side street. Do not be afraid to get lost, the locals will happily point out how to get back to the old street.
- Enjoy the view, it is free.
Negatives:
- Tea houses are a bit 'touristy'.
- Food here isn't as good as other places in Taiwan, in my opinion. Feels more like a touristy trap, but you can eat your way to the top.
- Can be a very muggy and sweaty experience if there are many bus loads of tourist all trying to get onto the cobblestone path.
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