Red lanterns
On the stairs.
Ganmatthew — CC BY 4.0 · Sunkenbean — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Another Believer — CC BY-SA 4.0 · melvil — CC BY-SA 4.0
A hillside town above the Pacific that was a booming gold-mining town in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, then faded when the mines closed, before springing back to life when films were shot here and it became one of Taiwan's best-known sights. Only about sixteen hundred people live here today. Its heart is the old street, a narrow winding lane partly roofed over, lined with food and sweet stalls and small shops, with steep stone stairways branching off between wooden teahouses hung with red lanterns. The loveliest time is late afternoon, when the red lanterns glow on the stairs and teahouses and the light fades over the sea and Keelung Mountain. Many link its mood to the world of Japanese animated films. A favourite snack is sweet taro balls. Crowds are heavy at weekends and from midday to mid-afternoon, so arrive in the morning or stay into the evening. The street is free, with buses from Ruifang station or straight from Taipei. Taiwan's typhoon season runs from June to October, peaking July to September, so check forecasts before heading to mountains and coasts, per UK travel advice.
On the stairs.
Sea views.
The local sweet.
Jiufen, Ruifang District, about an hour from Taipei
Train to Ruifang station then a bus of about 15 minutes, or a direct bus from Taipei in about an hour.
