[TAIWAN] Day Trip to Yehliu, Shifen & Night Jiufen

08:00 Travel Bunny 0 Comments


The popular trio of Yehliu, Shifen, and Jiufen offers the perfect blend of natural beauty and cultural history outside of Taipei. If you want to see the unique geological formations of Yehliu Geopark, the captivating sky lantern tradition of Shifen Old Street, and the misty, lantern-lit alleys of Jiufen Old Street all in a single day, the most convenient way is to join a day tour like I did. 

We started the day by having a classic Taiwanese breakfast at Sihai Soy Milk (四海豆漿大王). We ordered a cup of warm, creamy soy milk, a bowl of salty soy milk (咸豆浆), and crispy Youtiao. 

Then we meet our tour guide at the Taipei Main Station and joined a Klook day trip to explore the iconic northern coast. 


Yehliu Geopark (野柳) 
Yehliu Geopark (野柳) is famous for its fascinating rock formations shaped by sea erosion. The most iconic and recognizable rock formation in the park is the Queen’s Head, resembling the profile of Queen Elizabeth I. Due to ongoing natural erosion, its neck is continuously shrinking.

It was just our luck that the weather was bad that day, strong wind and heavy rain forced the park to be shut down. The wind was so strong that umbrella was useless. The only option was to wear raincoat.

Visitors still able to go in to have a look but only to the extend of viewing platform. We could only viewed the Queen’s Head from afar.

Area 2 and 3 were closed. Only Area 1 remained open that day. 

This area features various mushroom rocks, including the Cute Princess, Ice Cream Rock, and Candle Rock. The Cute Princess is a younger formation that resembles a girl with a ponytail and is considered the "successor" to the Queen's Head. Fortunately, we could still take photo with the Cute Princess Rock up-close as consolation. 

Bye, Queen's Head. Maybe next time.

Yehliu Geopark (野柳) 
Admission fee: NT$120 adult, NT$60 child
Opening hours: 8:00AM - 6:00PM (summer), 8:00AM - 5:00PM (winter)

Shifen Old Street (十分老街)
Our next destination is Shifen Old Street (十分老街), which is famous for its unique setting where the active railway tracks run right through the middle of the bustling street. The must-do activity at Shifen is releasing sky lanterns with wishes. It is now prohibited to release the sky lanterns right from the train tracks.

We got to choose the colours of the sky lantern beforehand. Different colours represent different wishes eg. red represents health and peace, blue for career and promotion and etc. Single colour lantern cost NT$200 and multiple coloured lantern cost NT$250.

First, we wrote our wishes on the sky lantern with ink brushes. 

Then the staff helped us to lit up the sky lantern and release it to the sky.

We bought some mini sky lantern as souvenirs. We also tried the unique rice stuffed chicken wings as recommended by our tour guide.

Shifen Old Street

Shifen Waterfall (十分瀑布)
Next, we headed to Shifen Waterfall (十分瀑布). It is nearby Shifen Old Street. Often nicknamed as "Taiwan's Niagara Falls", it is Taiwan's largest cascading waterfall. 

The short walk to the falls is refreshing and scenic. We passed by a bridge before reaching the viewing platform. The viewing platforms offered spectacular, misty views of the waterfall. Due to the rainfall, the waterfall was spectacular that day.

Jiufen Old Street (九份)
Last but not least, we visited Jiufen Old Street (九份) at night. This enchanting, misty, red-lantern-filled mountain village is said to have inspired the setting for the spirit world in Hayao Miyazaki's famous animated film, Spirited Away. 

The main alley is a narrow, bustling labyrinth lined with shops selling local foods, souvenirs, and crafts.

Taro Balls (芋圓) is Jiufen's most famous specialty. These chewy balls made from taro and sweet potato are served hot in a sweet soup or cold over shaved ice with beans. The best place to try taro balls is A-Gan-Yi Taro Ball.

Another popular activity was to enjoy a traditional tea ceremony at one of the many teahouses. We chose Jiufen Teahouse. They offer high-quality Oolong tea. Guests also get to enjoy exquisite views of the surrounding mountains. 

The most photogenic spot is the steep staircase (part of Shuqi Road) leading past the famous A-Mei Teahouse (阿妹茶樓). 

The entire area glows magically when the red lanterns are lit up after sunset.

Two hours are not nearly enough to explore the whole area of Jiufen. It is ideal to spend 3 to 4 hours at Jiufen to truly enjoy the experience. 

However, I must say the tour was efficient, getting us back to Taipei Main Station around 8:30 pm. We had a quick dinner near Taipei Main Station. Most restaurants are closed around 9pm. What an eventful day it was!

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