Jiufen
An old gold town on the hills above Taiwan's north-east coast, its alleys stepped with teahouses, thirty kilometres from the centre of Taipei.
- Arrival
- Taoyuan International · TPE
- To the town
- About 62 km from TPE in a straight line
- Private jets
- Business aviation terminal at Taoyuan
- Best time
- March to April
The city
Gold, then film, then tea.
Railway workers found gold flakes near here in 1890, and within four years prospectors had struck quartz in the hills. The village of nine families became a mining town, at its busiest under Japanese rule, and fell silent when the mine shut in 1971. Hou Hsiao-hsien brought it back. His A City of Sadness, set in Jiufen, came out in 1989, and the visitors who followed opened teahouses and cafés along the old street.
About 1,600 people live here now, on slopes that face the sea. Come in the evening, when the day crowds thin and the teahouse windows look out over the lights of the coast. Fog often settles on the hill, and this corner of Taiwan has long wet winters; March and April are the kinder months.
- The old street A narrow alley winding along the hillside, lined with shops, teahouses and small restaurants.
- The teahouses Tea after dark, at a window looking over the town's lights to the sea.
- Gold Ecological Park At Jinguashi, the neighbouring mining village, with a tunnel to walk into and the story of the gold.
Arriving
From Taoyuan to the north-east coast.
Taoyuan International lies about 62 km west of Jiufen as the crow flies. Songshan, inside Taipei, is closer at about 30 km and handles regional routes. The last climb into town is on steep, narrow roads.
- Shanghai 1 h 15
- Seoul 2 h 15
- Kathmandu 5 h 00
- Bali 5 h 15
- Paris 13 h 00 long-range jet
When to go
March to April.
The north-east monsoon soaks this coast from autumn to late winter, with close to 400 mm in some months. Spring is drier and mild, 21 to 25 °C in March and April. July is the least rainy month of all, but also the hottest, at 33 °C, and typhoon season runs on into October.
- 18° J 328
- 19° F 350
- 21° M 274
- 25° A 211
- 28° M 284
- 31° J 290
- 33° J 120
- 33° A 211
- 30° S 390
- 26° O 378
- 24° N 397
- 20° D 357
Where to stay
Taipei's Key hotels, half an hour away.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
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Capella Taipei The one hotel in Taiwan with two MICHELIN Keys: 86 rooms by André Fu on the upper floors of a tower, and terrace suites with lap pools.
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Mandarin Oriental, Taipei A large hotel of 303 rooms dressed in the manner of the 1930s, with Ya Ge, a Cantonese dining room holding a MICHELIN star.
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Kimpton Da An Taipei A former apartment block reworked by Neri & Hu into 126 rooms, with a roof terrace and the Tavernist bar.
Where to dine
Starred tables in Taipei.
The MICHELIN Guide Taiwan 2026 does not reach Jiufen or Keelung. The nearest starred tables are in Taipei, about 30 km away.
- Taïrroir Three Michelin stars Taiwanese contemporary $$$$ Zhongshan, Taipei
- Le Palais Three Michelin stars Cantonese $$$ Palais de Chine Hotel, Datong, Taipei
- L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Two Michelin stars French Taipei
- Mizue Two Michelin stars Sushi Taipei
Elsewhere in Taiwan
More reasons to come.
- Taipei The National Palace Museum, night markets, and the Taipei 101 tower.
- Beitou Hot springs within the city limits of Taipei.
- Taroko Gorge Marble cliffs cut by a river, near Hualien on the east coast.
- Sun Moon Lake A mountain lake of tea farms and temples.
- Tainan The old capital, its temples and its street food.
Flying to Jiufen?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.