SPIRITED AWAY IN JIUFEN – Take a Walk on the Wild Side | jiufen spirited away
Ifthere’sacityworthgoingonadaytripwhilestayinginTaipei,it’smostprobablyJiufen(orJioufen,orChioufen).Anytraveller,anylocalwilltellyouaboutit:it’samustdo.Foronesimplereason:whenthesunsets,theplaceisjustsodamnpretty.Thankstoitsoldstreetsanditsredlanterns,JiufenhasaverytraditionalAsiancharm.(LiscetarticleenFrançais,bébé![1])Quiteisolatedduetoitssituationinthemountains,north-eastfromTaipei,Jiufenwasanunknowndestinationforquiteawhile:“Jiufen”meansliterally“Nineparts”becausetherewereprettymuchonly9...
If there’s a city worth going on a day trip while staying in Taipei, it’s most probably Jiufen (or Jioufen, or Chioufen). Any traveller, any local will tell you about it: it’s a must do. For one simple reason: when the sun sets, the place is just so damn pretty. Thanks to its old streets and its red lanterns, Jiufen has a very traditional Asian charm.
(Lis cet article en Français, bébé![1])
Quite isolated due to its situation in the mountains, north-east from Taipei, Jiufen was an unknown destination for quite a while: “Jiufen” means literally “Nine parts” because there were pretty much only 9 families living there for a while. This changed quite quickly when the Japanese came first to Taiwan, in 1893, discovering gold in the Ruifang District. It created a kind of “Gold Rush” in those mountains, and you can still visit old gold mines in the area.
RETRACING CHIHIRO’S STEPS IN JIUFENWhen the gold mining industry declined after World...