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Voykit pocket guide · Taiwan
Jiufen
九份
Go as a day trip from Taipei, arriving before 11:00 on a weekday; sleep one night only if you want the lanes after the buses leave at dusk.
Jiufen is a former gold-mining hill town in Ruifang District, New Taipei, about 90 minutes from Taipei by bus. Its draw is a short, steep lane of teahouses and snack stalls with a Pacific view. The lanes are small: two to four hours covers them, so most travellers come and go the same day and stay in Taipei or Keelung.
- Country
- Taiwan
- Local name
- 九份
- Best months
- Oct–Apr; weekdays year-round
- Avoid
- Weekend afternoons, Lunar New Year, typhoon days (Jul–Sep)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TWD
- Money
- Night markets, breakfast shops and many small restaurants take cash only; carry NT$1,000–2,000 in small notes.
- Daily spend
- Budget NT$600–1,200 excl. bed (day trip from Taipei) · Mid NT$1,200–2,500 excl. bed · High NT$2,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone sell tourist SIMs and eSIMs at TPE and KHH arrivals; a passport plus a second photo ID is required (check).
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Tourism helpline (24 h) 0800-011-765
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 110 V · 60 Hz · US and Japanese plugs fit; European, UK and Australian plugs need an adapter, and 220 V-only appliances need a converter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; a 10% service charge appears in many sit-down places and hotels.; Taxis: No tip; round up if you like.; Hotel porter: Not expected; NT$100 in luxury hotels if you want.; Private guide or driver: Not required; NT$200–500 a day or a meal is a thank-you.
- Water
- Treated at source, but locals boil or filter it. Filtered hot-and-cold dispensers are in stations, hotels and many public buildings; bottles cost NT$20–30.
- Toilets
- Free, clean toilets in every MRT station, convenience stores and department stores; paper goes in the toilet in most new buildings — follow the sign.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Taro balls (yuyuan) bowl | NT$50–80 |
| Fishball soup | NT$60–100 |
| Tea for two at a teahouse | NT$500–900 |
| Ghost Lore Museum entry | NT$150 |
| Bus 1062 Taipei–Jiufen | NT$105 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | NT$200–500 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TPE · Taoyuan International
- MRT and bus to Taipei first; Jiufen has no airport of its own
- TSA · Taipei Songshan
- Bus 1062 to Jiufen leaves from MRT Songshan Exit 2
Typical fares
- Bus 1062 Taipei Songshan → Jiufen
- about NT$105, 90 min (check)
- Bus 788 Ruifang → Jiufen
- about NT$15, 15 min (check)
- Bus 965 Banqiao → Jiufen
- about NT$90, 65–90 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
On foot. Jishan Street twists along the hill and Shuqi Street is a steep flight of steps; expect stairs and slippery stone in rain. Buses 788, 856, 1062 and 965 link Jiufen with Ruifang, Jinguashi, Keelung and Taipei. On weekends only public buses and cars may enter Jiufen; private coaches park outside and shuttle in.
See and do
Known for
- Jiufen Old Street (Jishan and Shuqi Streets)
- Teahouses with ocean views
- Taro balls and fishball soup
- Gold-mining history
- The Spirited Away association, denied by Miyazaki
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Jinguashi and the Gold Museum | Bus 856 from Jiufen, or 788 | About 20–30 min |
| Pingxi and the lantern railway | Bus to Ruifang, then the Pingxi Line train | About 1.5 h |
| Keelung night market | Bus 788 from Jiufen | About 45 min |
| Taipei | Bus 1062 from Jiufen, or 965 via Ruifang | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Old Street lanes (Jishan and Shuqi)
- Guesthouses marked 住宿; you sleep inside the crowd and get the lanes early and late.
- Qingbian Road, one block below
- Quieter, still a short walk up to the Old Street.
- Ruifang or Keelung
- Cheaper beds and rail links; 15–45 min by bus to Jiufen.
- Taipei
- The default base: more beds, later food, direct buses 1062 and 965.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 不好意思bù hǎo yì si |
| Thank you | 謝謝xiè xiè |
| How much is it? | 多少錢？duō shǎo qián |
| This one, please | 這個，謝謝zhè ge, xiè xiè |
| Where is the bus stop? | 公車站在哪裡？gōng chē zhàn zài nǎ lǐ |
| Can I pay by card? | 可以刷卡嗎？kě yǐ shuā kǎ ma |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A nod or light handshake; 'nǐ hǎo'; avoid: Hugs with new acquaintances
- Handing things: Two hands for cards, gifts and money; avoid: Tossing money on the counter
- Gifts: Fruit or a boxed sweet for hosts; refuse once before accepting; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, pears and anything in fours — they sound like death or parting
- MRT: Queue at the markings, give up priority seats; avoid: Eating, drinking or chewing gum past the gates
- Temples: Enter right, exit left; one or three sticks of incense; avoid: Stepping on thresholds; pointing at deities
- Home visit: Shoes off; slippers provided; avoid: Writing names in red ink
- Sensitive topics: Follow your host's lead; many people hold a range of views on identity and cross-strait ties; avoid: Assuming everyone thinks the same about China or the ROC's status
Scams and watch-outs
- Weekend afternoons: the main lane is shoulder to shoulder, and buses fill at Songshan before reaching later stops.
- Rain and fog are common on the northeast coast; steps get slick.
- Shops generally open 11:00–18:00, so a late arrival finds shutters down.
- Guesthouses are small and few; book ahead for a weekend night.
- Typhoon season Jul–Sep can close trails and cancel buses.
Very safe for tourists. The real risks are wet, steep steps, weekend crowding in the narrow lane, and the last bus leaving without you.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Jiufen yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Jiufen Old Street (Jishan and Shuqi Streets)
- Teahouses with ocean views
- Taro balls and fishball soup
- Gold-mining history
- The Spirited Away association, denied by Miyazaki
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Taiwan Tourism Administration: eng.taiwan.net.tw/
- New Taipei City Travel: newtaipei.travel/en
- Taiwan Railways Administration: www.railway.gov.tw/tra-tip-web/tip?lang=EN_US
- Wikivoyage: Jiufen, revision 5310088 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5310088
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Jiufen九份
請到這個地址
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Tourism helpline (24 h)0800-011-765
No embassies in Jiufen; most are in Taipei. The US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all have offices in Taipei (check addresses).
Jiufen is a district of New Taipei City, not a separate city; the nearest rail station is Ruifang.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/jiufen). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.