Jiufen & Jinguashi : Two Quaintest Villages For Your One-Day-Tour Next to Taipei !

Nestled against the mountains and hemmed in by the sea are Jiufen (九份; Jiǔfèn) and its neighbour Jinguashi (金瓜石; Jīnguāshí), 10 minutes by bus away from Jiufen’s main road. These two villages are the quaintest stops along the northeast coast. Both were mining centres during the Japanese era, and by the 1930s Jiufen was so prosperous it was known as ‘Little Shanghai’. Jinguashi later became notorious during WWII as the site of the prisoner-of-war camp Kinkaseki.

Any trip to the area should leave time to wander the hills and check out old mining facilities in different stages of photogenic dilapidation in Jinguashi. If you can imagine a grassy landscape, with a rugged topography dominated by jagged shale peaks and steep slopes dropping into the sea, dotted by desolate structures, then you’ve pictured something of this extraordinary bit of Taiwan.

There’re some nice spots in this area that you must not miss!

Golden Waterfall:The Golden Waterfall is located near the Gold Ecological Park in Jinguashi. Actually there is no actual gold flowing forth from these falls, it’s just the fall’s reflection of heavy metal elements deposited in the riverbed which shows the golden color.

Jinguashi Gold Ecological Park:A gold mine-themed park that highlights the gold mining culture and the ancient lifestyle of the people in Jinguashi area.Also, you can find nice food stalls and quirky shops there in the park.

Jiufen Kite Museum:This Museum showcase colourful kites of all shapes and sizes from around the world. The museum also offers classes for visitors to make a kite of their own, and is open on weekends.

Remains of the 13 Levels:The smelter structure is built into a hillside. However, if you take a closer look, there is a total of 18 levels!This place now is just like a ruin full of mystery. So if you’d like to take adventures, welcome here.

Fushan Temple:Fushan Temple worships the TuDiGong (The God of Neighborhood).There are several temples that worship TuDiGong in Taiwan. But this was the biggest one in Taiwan during the Japanese Colonial Era…

Jishan Street:Jiufen’s famous stair-street, Shuqi St, which features an old theatre and teahouses used as sets in the movie City of Sadness, intersects a few hundred meters down.

Nanya Peculiar Rocks:The northernmost tourist site in the scenic area, Nanya is noted for its fantastic rock formations and sea-eroded coral shore. The entire coastline here is a veritable sculpture garden that illustrates.

Benshan Fifth Tunnel:In the past, workers had to take a safety oath and wear a helmet before they enter the mine tunnel due to the serious threat of collapse. The mining life couldn’t be easy. Now visitors can experience the underground work conditions of mine workers in this tunnel.

Travel Info
Jiufen & Jinguashi
[九份金瓜石 / jiǔ fèn jīn guā shí] 

-Located in:Northern Taiwan
-County:New Taipei City
-Features:Quaint village, Scenic Spots, Old streets, Mine tunnels
-Highly recommend to:Historical Sites Enthusiasts
-Opening Hours:Various in different spots(please check them out through the links above!)

-Transportation:

-Address:Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan

Editor : Summer@ReadyGo

Thanks to Lonely Planet for the content sharing.
Original article:https://goo.gl/PFth4Z