shifen tourist center

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Shifen Scenic Area

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Shifen Special Scenic Area is located in Shifenliao between Shiding, Ruifang and Shuangxi in northeastern Taiwan. Administratively part of Pingxi District, New Taipei City, the terrain here has been carved by a tributary of the Keelung River, northern Taiwan's largest and longest river, into a ravine with a dissected topography. The faults and rock formations have given birth to numerous waterfalls along the river extending north from Houtong to Sandiaoling and onwards to Shifenliao and Pingxi. Among the biggest and best known of these falls, and a popular visitor attraction, is Shifen Waterfall.

Shifen Waterfall Shifen Waterfall lies between Dahua Station and Shifen Station on the Pingxi Railway Line in Pingxi District, New Taipei City. Torrents of water thunder down this curtain-type fall like a white satin sheet. As the water plunges into the large, deep pool beneath, it raises mists that often enshroud the falls. On sunny days, the mists paint dazzling rainbows in the blue skies: a sight that has earned the waterfall pool the nickname of "Rainbow Pond." Because its bedrock slopes in the opposite direction of the water flow, Shifen Waterfall is a cascade-type waterfall similar to North America's Niagara Falls, earning it the nickname of "Taiwan's Niagara Falls."

Shifen Station The Pingxi Branch Rail Line extends 12.9 kilometers through Keelung River Valley from Sandiaoling to Jingtong stations. The line was built in 1918 to transport coal; and in 1992 it was repurposed as a tourism route. Shifen is one of the stops along the line. The station is located in a scenic area that greets visitors with beautiful waterfalls and streams. Shifenliao is home to a broad river terrace and is also traversed by the Pingxi Line. Homes hug closely to the tracks, adding to a nostalgic ambiance that has made the area a popular site for filming ads. Jing'an Suspension Bridge, a 128-meter-long span connecting the villages of Shifen and Nanshan, is one of only a few well-preserved pedestrian suspension bridges in Taiwan. The romantic beauty of the landscape has made this area a popular visitor attraction.

Shifen Visitor Center The Shifen Visitor Center is located in the Ruifang Special Scenic Area. The scenic area covers an area of 56.89 hectares starting from the upper reaches of the Keelung River and embracing Shifen, Xinliao and Nanshan. This scenic paradise has been generously endowed with beautiful mountains, mighty waterfalls, and the intriguing river potholes in Dahua. The visitor center can be reached by a 15-minute walk from Shifen Station along the Old Street. The center presents free scheduled video showings daily; and group showings can be arranged by phone reservation. The center also offers classes on making sky lantern.

Travel Information

• Nat'l Fwy 1 → Exit at the Badu Interchange → Prov. Hwy 62 → Exit at the Ruifang Interchange → Prov. Hwy 2D → County Hwy 106
• Nat'l Fwy 3 → Exit at the Nangang System Interchange → Nat'l Fwy 5 → Exit at the Shiding Interchange → County Hwy 106B → County Hwy 106
• THSR Taipei Station (or TRA Taipei Station) → TRA Ruifang or Badu Station → TRA Shifen Station
• THSR Taipei Station (or TRA Taipei Station) → Taipei MRT Muzha Station → Taipei Bus 795 (bound for Pingxi) to Shifen Visitor Center

Area Information

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Shifen, Taiwan: The Lanterns, Old Street, and Waterfall Park

TRAVEL GUIDE: VISIT SHIFEN, TAIWAN

Shifen, Taiwan, is perhaps best known for its famous waterfall, and also its flying sky lanterns.  

Even without those draws, Shifen’s lively Old Street is worth visiting on a day trip (or half-day trip) from Taipei.

How to Get to Shifen, Taiwan, From Taipei

You can get to Shifen by car or by public transportation.  The trip is really easy, even if you don’t speak the language and have never been to Taiwan before!

Uber or Taxi from Taipei to Shifen

The drive to Shifen is about 22 miles, and it takes about 40 minutes in normal traffic.

An Uber or taxi from Taipei to Shifen will cost $35 to $40.  

The Train from Taipei to Shifen

Taking the train to Shifen is much more adventurous … and cost-effective.  If you plan it right (using Google Maps) you can make it from Taipei to Shifen in about an hour and 40 minutes.

From Taipei , head to the Ruifang Train Station  (pronounced ray-fung).

From the Songshan Station in Taipei, it’s about 45 minutes to Ruifang , and a $1.30 fare.  Literally… a dollar and 30 cents!  

The ticket vending machines are easy to use, and they accept Visa or Mastercard.

And, yes: You’re still expected to wear a mask on public transportation in Taiwan.

Ruifang to Shifen

From Ruifang , you’ll have to change trains to head toward Shifen Station .

The second leg of the trip to Shifen will be 25 minutes, at a cost of *less* than a dollar!  

This train runs less frequently, so check the schedule on Google Maps to help you avoid sitting around waiting longer than necessary.

The Best Tours of Shifen, Taiwan

If you’re not into public transportation and don’t want to drive yourself, you can always take a tour from Taipei. These are some of the best options:

➡️ Click Here: Tour of Shifen & Jiufen from Taipei

➡️ Click Here: Private Tour of Shifen & Jiufen

➡️ Click Here: Shifen Tour from Taipei

➡️ Click Here: Private Tour of Shifen from Taipei

➡️ Click Here: Full Day Tour of Northern Taiwan

➡️ Click Here: Private Charter from Taipei

➡️ Click Here: Tour Shifen & Jiufen from Keelung Cruise Port

Shifen Waterfall

I’ve heard people describe Shifen’s waterfall as “The Niagara Falls of Taiwan.”  It’s not nearly as spectacular, but the hike to get there is still very pretty and worthwhile.

The waterfall is part of the Keelung River.  It’s almost 70 feet high and 130 feet wide.  Shifen is the widest waterfall in Taiwan.

Getting to the Waterfall

To find the waterfall, you’ll walk through Shifen’s Old Street area and toward a visitor center.  You’ll cross the first of two suspension bridges behind the complex.  

It’s a paved concrete walkway for most of the journey to the waterfall.

Shortly after the second suspension bridge, you’ll hear the waterfall and come to a series of shops and food vendors.  You can buy local crafts, souvenirs, and food.  

There are also riverside tables setup if you’d like to bring food for a picnic.

The walk to Shifen’s Waterfall is good for seniors and children since it’s pretty flat.  

There’s even a swingset or playground of sorts along the way for kids, and a koi pond for them to enjoy.   

At the waterfall itself, you’ll find an observation deck which is accessible to all. Plus you can walk down to a few lower-level platforms for a better view.

The stone steps do get very slippery, so take it easy going up and down!

More Info on Visiting Shifen’s Waterfall

• There’s no cost to go visit the waterfall.
• This is a “No Drone Zone.”
• The waterfall is open for visitors from 9:00am to 4:30pm
• Taxis are available near the Shifen Train Station if you’d rather not walk all the way to the first suspension bridge.
• It’s less than a kilometer from the train station to the visitor center.
• It’s less than a kilometer from the visitor center to the waterfall.

Shifen’s Old Street

The Old Street starts at the front door of Shifen’s Train Station.

The buildings and shops along the Old Street originally went up along the rail line, which was used by miners to transport coal.

In fact, the big lanterns that draw tourists here today were used as a signaling system for the miners.

Aside from the lantern, you’ll find restaurants and cafes, plus souvenir shops on Old Street.

The Sky Lanterns

As the train pulls into Shifen Station, bright red lanterns flying above will catch your eye.

It’s become a famous tradition in Shifen to write your wishes on big paper lanterns, and ignite a fuel source under them to send them flying above town.

You’ll see a lot of families come here to do this together:

While most of the lanterns are red, people seeking fortune in other parts of their lives (marriage, health, career, etc.) can add different color-coded sides to their lanterns.

• RED: Health and Peace
• BLUE: Career and Promotion
• YELLOW: Money and Wealth
• ORANGE: Love and Marriage
• GREEN: Vigor and Success
• WHITE: Future and Brightness
• MAGENTA: Attraction and Popularity
• PINK: Happiness.

The cost is 200 TWD for a single-colored lantern, or 250 TWD for a multi-colored lantern.  That equates to $7 or $8 (USD).

The people working in the series of sky lantern shops will provide brushes and black ink for you to decorate your paper lanterns with your desires.  

After each side is painted, someone from the store will walk out onto the train tracks with you to ignite some sort of fuel or flammable gel.  It warms the air inside and sends the lantern flying.

Controversy over Shifen’s Lanterns

I immediately wondered about the environmental impact of launching dozens of flaming lanterns into the sky each day.

On our hike to the Shifen Waterfall, I spotted debris from old lanterns in the river and surrounding landscape.

Environmentalists and hikers, as it turns out, have long complained about the practice.

There’s also the danger of lanterns sailing into power lines. We witnessed it happen!  The lantern burst into flames and came crashing down onto the tracks, where an incoming train ran it over.  Chaos!

FAQ’s About Shifen, Taiwan

Let’s tackle a few of the frequently asked questions people tend to have about Shifen!

When’s the best time to visit Shifen?

I’d say the answer to this is the same as it is for much of Taiwan: Anytime but the summer!  

July and August are really too hot and too humid to be able to enjoy yourself outside.

Fall and spring are nice and mild, but it can reach 90 even in March so bring a lot of water with you!

In terms of the best time of day to visit, I’d get there early-ish … around 10:00am.  The crowds will be smaller as you walk to the waterfall.  Then, by the time you get back to the Old Street, all of the stores and restaurants will be open.

How much time do you need in Shifen?

If you’re trying to be efficient and pack as much as possible into your trip to Taiwan, I’d say a half-day is needed for Shifen.

Three or four hours will give you enough time to explore Old Street, walk to the waterfall, and come back to have a snack before jumping on a train to your next destination.

Are there hotels in Shifen?

There are a few bed and breakfasts in Shifen. As for hotel options, you’ll have to stay a few miles from town.

You can use this interactive map to check out the hotel and rental options in the Shifen area:

How do you get from Shifen to Taipei?

Backtracking on the outbound journey, to get back to Taipei, hop on the train down to Ruifang. From there, get a train back into Taiwan.  Google Maps will be your biggest help, since it provides the schedule, the train lines, the cost, and more.

What Else is There to do Near Shifen?

I’d recommend visiting the northern coast of Taiwan since you’re already in the region.

A taxi or Uber driver will take you to the marina at the Shan’ao Fishing Port or Fanziao Park.  It’s neat to check out the huge fishing vessels (which appear to go out at night searching for squid, based on the lanterns hanging around them).

You can also hike to a newly Insta-famous rock formation on the coast, known as Elephant Trunk Rock.  As I write this, it’s been closed down (likely due to people pulling dangerous stunts out on the rock!).  You can still go out and explore the interesting coastline and rock formations … and search for seaglass.

When you’re done here, an Uber or taxi driver will pick you up for the ride back to Riufang Train Station.

Do a Combined Shifen / Jiufen Day Trip

You can combine Shifen and Jiufen into a big day trip from Taipei.  They’re similar, in that they’re both old mining towns, but different in terms of what there is to do and see.

In Jiufen, you’ll find red-lantern-lined alleys along the town’s Old Street, full of shops selling local foods and crafts. Jiufen’s streets are mostly closed to vehicles, so it’s very pedestrian-friendly.

A few decades ago, Jiufen was largely abandoned! The gold mining operation which started in the late 1890s closed down in the 1970s. A movie producer is credited with reviving interest in the town in the 1980s, after using it as the setting for the film “A City of Sadness.”

It won big in film festivals, and sparked a renaissance in Jiufen, which led to business owners setting up shop and filling the Old Street’s empty storefronts once again.

How do you get from Shifen to Jiufen?

It’s easy to get from Shifen to Jiufen (or vice versa).

Start by taking the train back to the Ruifang Station.  From Ruifang you have two options:

• Walk to the bus stop, and take the 965 or 788 bus to Jiufen
• Take an Uber or taxi to Jiufen.

The bus will take 20 minutes and cost $1 (USD).  An Uber or taxi to Jiufen will cost bout $7 (USD) and take 10 minutes.

Wrap: Is Shifen, Taiwan, Worth Visiting?

I loved our half-day in Shifen!  

The waterfall is very pretty, though I wish we had better access to it and wish the trail was more rugged and natural.  But that’s what you’ll find at many of Taiwan’s ‘hiking’ sites.  It’s less of a hike, and more of a walk on a paved surface to a waterfall or scenic viewpoint.

You’ll find: Shifen is a crowd-pleaser for people visiting from other parts of Taiwan and other parts of the world!

Check out our other posts from Taiwan for more travel ideas:

Taroko Gorge National Park

Visit wulai, taiwan, visit jiufen, taiwan, best day trips from taipei, taipei at night: markets & more.

A Guide to Shifen Old Street, Taiwan’s Famous Sky Lantern Spot

Shifen Old Street (十分老街) is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Taiwan . Every day of the year, foreign tourists flock to this tiny village on the Pingxi Railway Line to write their wishes on sky lanterns and release them to the sky from the train tracks.

In this article, I’m going to introduce everything you need to know for visiting Shifen, like how to get there, what to eat, the best tours, and how to visit during the annual Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival . For Shifen Waterfall nearby, you’ll want to see my separate Shifen Waterfall guide .

I’ll also try to convince to you buy the eco-friendly sky lanterns (the regular ones are terrible for the environment) and how to find them at Shifen.

Finally, I’ll provide some alternatives to Shifen Old Street for those who prefer to avoid the most touristy places.

FYI – in a poll I conducted in my Taiwan Travel Planning group , members voted Shifen as the 4 th most overrated tourist attraction in Taiwan after Cinging Farm , Shilin Night Market , and Sun Moon Lake. Personally, I’m not a fan of Shifen Old Street.

Table of Contents

Shifen Old Street Introduction

Shifen (十分) literally means “ten portions”, as the original 10 families living here would request 10 portions of supplies. Nearby Jiufen (九份), another extremely popular attraction that people usually visit on the same day, means “9 portions” for the same reason.

Shifen is the middle station of the Pingxi Line in Pingxi district of New Taipei City . The Japanese built this railway line in 1918 to transport coal from mines in the Pingxi Valley. Shifen was one of several small mining towns that developed along the line.

Coal mining in the area ended in 1971. In the early 90s, these towns started to become tourist attractions.

The custom of releasing sky lanterns (天燈 or tiandeng ) can be traced back to Fujian province in China, where the ancestors of most Taiwanese came from.

In the mid-1800s, bandits plagued the Pingxi area. When local villagers would descend from the mountains to the train station area to pick up supplies around Lantern Festival, they would send up sky lanterns to inform others that it was safe to come.

Because the lanterns would ascend so high into the sky, locals later developed the habit of writing wishes to the gods on them. It also become common for newlyweds to release them, as tiandeng sounds similar to “have a baby boy” in the Taiwanese language .

Today, tens of thousands of visitors flock to the region every year for the Pingxi Mass Lantern Releases on Lantern Festival (the 15 th day of the 1 st lunar month). Taiwan has become famous for its sky lanterns and this festival.

The festival is so popular that it is held on two separate days, usually the two Saturdays closest to the the festival date . One of them is usually held at in Shifen and the other at Pingxi station.

Besides the mass release events, tourists can buy and release lanterns from the train tracks at Shifen station any day of the year. This can also be done at the less touristy Pingxi and Jingtong stations.

These three villages are the only places in Taiwan that you can release sky lanterns. Other Lantern Festival events around the country focus on viewing beautifully designed lanterns on the ground.

Getting to Shifen Old Street

There are three main ways to get to Shifen, by car, by train, or by bus. The bus or train take a similar amount of time but reach Shifen from totally different directions – by train you’ll arrive from the east, but by bus you’ll come from the west.

If you rent a car or hire a private driver , it takes about one hour to drive from Taipei to Shifen. Driving time will depend on where in Taipei your coming from and rush hour traffic. National Freeway 1 goes straight east towards Keelung then south to Shifen.

Some people choose to take a slower route from Taipei to Shifen, via Shenkeng, Shiding, and Pingxi, in order to visit attractions like Shenkeng Old Street, Hsu’s Hand-Pulled Noodles , and Jingtong or Pingxi stations before reaching Shifen.

There is parking here at Shifen Old Street. Since you have a car, it makes sense to drive to Shifen Waterfall (otherise it’s a 30-minute walk from Shifen Old Street to Shifen Waterfall).

It’s a lovely 20-minute walk from this parking lot to the waterfall along a river with two suspension bridge crossings. Or, you can have your driver drop you off at this spot only 5 minutes from the falls (but no parking there).

By train, it’s a 45-minute ride east from Taipei to Ruifang, which is a transportation hub for the area. At Ruifang Station, you will arrive at Platform 1 or 2. Cross over to Platform 3 for catching the Pingxi train line, which will go south then west to Shifen (27 to 31 minutes). See more info in my Pingxi line guide .

Note that Jiufen Old Street is a 10-minute bus ride from Ruifang station, so you might want to exit the station and visit Jiufen first before going to Shifen.

Jiufen Old Street is best visited around 10 AM (when shops open) until 12:00. After noon, Jiufen becomes extremely crowded and the crowds don’t taper off until the early evening. Shifen Old Street and Shifen Waterfall, on the other hand, have more space, so they won’t feel as crowded as Jiufen, even in the afternoon.

Most trains to Ruifang and all trains to Shifen (i.e. all Pingxi Line trains) are Local type, which means you can’t reserve seats and you can just swipe your EasyCard to board. They can get packed at busy times.

A few trains per day from Taipei to Ruifang are express ones (Puyuma Express or Tze Chiang 3000) – those ones require seat reservations. See more info in my guide to riding TRA trains in Taiwan .

Don’t forget to swipe out when you arrive at Shifen station (it’s easy to miss the machine there). Search all your train times here or on the TRA train app .

A lesser-known way to reach Shifen is by bus. Bus 795 goes from Muzha MRT to Shifen, taking 1.5 hours to get there (TWD 45). Use GoogleMaps or the Bus+ app to see the times (see my guide to best apps for Taiwan ). Swipe EasyCard for the bus.

You need to factor in time for getting to Muzha MRT station (one stop before Taipei Zoo), so this option may actually be a little slower than taking the train to Shifen, depending on where you are coming from in Taipei city.

If you get a seat on the busy, you’ll have a nice cosy ride. However, on busy weekends, holidays, or December high season in Taiwan, the bus can get very full and you might have to stand.

Before reaching Shifen, the bus will pass some other places you might want to stop, including Shenkeng Old Street (famous for stinky tofu), Jingtong station (the last stop on the Pingxi Line), Pingxi Station , Lingjiao Station , and Wanggu Station (see my Pingxi Line guide to read about each stop).

After Shifen Old Street, the bus goes one more stop to Shifen Visitor’s Center, the terminal stop. Get off there if you want to visit Shifen Waterfall first.

Walking to Shifen Waterfall

Around this point on Shifen Old Street, the road splits in two and that is basically the end of the Old Street. There are a few more shops and restaurants up either lane (both are named Shifen Street or 十分街).

You can walk down either lane to reach Shifen Waterfall (30 minutes one-way). See my Shifen Waterfall guide for the details and map of the walking route.

The scenic walk follows the river, with a view of a small waterfall on the way and Pingxi trains going by. The walk includes some stairs so it is not wheelchair friendly.

You can walk back to Shifen Old Street and train station the same way or via this quiet vehicle road . This pin is also the location where you could get dropped off by a driver for the shortest possible walk (and it is wheelchair-friendly route) to the waterfall viewing platforms.

Best Shifen Tours & Private Drivers

Most visitors want to visit Shifen + several other attractions in the area on a day trip from Taipei. However, the logistics can become a little complicated, not to mention all the time waiting for buses and trains.

Therefore, many people visit Shifen as part of a day tour from Taipei. The most popular day tour is this one which includes Shifen Old Street, Shifen Waterfall, Golden Waterfall, Jiufen Old Street, and Yehliu.

Similar ones with slightly different itineraries or activities include this one with pastry making , this one with Heping Island in Keelung , and this one with hotel pick-up in Taipei.

If you’re staying in Ximending , this one and this one offer pickup from Ximen .

If you want to travel at your own pace or with customized itinerary, booking a private driver to Shifen and other spots here .

Where to Stay at Shifen

Not many people stay overnight at Shifen and I don’t really recommend it. Besides being super touristy, there isn’t much to see or do there besides Shifen Old Street and sky lanterns. You only need about one hour to do these.

Almost everything in Shifen closes around 7 PM , including all restaurants and shops selling sky lanterns. The village is totally dead after that. The one FamilyMart in town closes at 10:30. During Lantern Festival, any guesthouse anywhere near the festival will be very hard to book.

If you do still want to spend the night at Shifen, there are only two accommodations I’m aware of in Shifen.

Pingxi Car Head B&B (see on Booking / Agoda ) is a very basic guesthouse close to the train station. Very Happy Guesthouse (see on Booking / Agoda ) is better, but it’s a 15-minute walk from Shifen Old Street or 30-minute walk from Shifen Waterfall.

See my recommended hotels in Jiufen and in Taipei , which have far more options than Shifen.

Visiting Shifen Old Street

Shifen Old Street is only about 300 meters long , so you can visit it in one hour or less , including time to set off a sky lantern. If you plan to walk to Shifen Waterfall as well, add 90 minutes, for a total visiting time of about 2 to 2.5 hours.

You will exit the train station on the north side , and Shifen Old Street starts right at the end of it. At the start of the Old Street, you can cross the tracks to reach Jingan Suspension Bridge (靜安吊橋), a popular photo spot.

The souvenir shops, sky lantern shops (more than 30!), and small restaurants run along either side of the train tracks.

At the souvenir shops, you can purchase various typical souvenirs, but also some region specific ones like Spirited Away merch (due to the false myth that nearby Jiufen Old Street was the inspiration for the Miyazaki film) and some cute little sky lantern decorations with lights inside (see my guide to buying souvenirs in Taiwan ).

You can walk on and cross the train tracks almost anywhere along the Old Street, but of course you need to be careful when a train is coming.

The main section of the Old Street ends here , where the paths on either side of the train line separate to the left and right. A few more shops and restaurants can be found up either lane, and you can walk up either lane to reach Shifen Waterfall.

Releasing Sky Lanterns

Sky Lanterns (天燈) are the biggest draw at Shifen Station. Even though various environmental groups in Taiwan have spoken out against them ( read here , here , and here ), tourists continue to practice this environmentally harmful activity.

What goes up must come down, so when the fire inside sky lanterns burns out, they fall back to the Earth. The 30,000 lanterns released every month usually land in the forest or get stuck in trees or electrical wires, sometimes causing fires.

The lanterns have metal and plastic parts and harmful dyes in them. If you really must participate in this activity, then please consider to pay a little more for the eco-friendly ones (see below).

The typical price for a sky lantern and Shifen is TWD 200 (single color, red is the most common), 250 (four colors), or 350 (8 colors).

The price will include everything you need to paint your wishes on the side and light the fire to send it up to the sky.

Each color of lantern has a different meaning , as you can see on the below photo. Or you can cover all the bases and splurge on the eight-color lantern.

While lighting the lantern, it’s best to have two or more people to hold onto it.

As soon as you all let go, it will take off to the sky quite quickly (thanks to the heat created from the flames of the kerosene soaked paper), so make sure to have your cameras ready or one person on the side taking photos.

How to Find the Eco-Friendly Lanterns

For just a little more money (TWD 450), you can purchase an environmentally friendly sky lantern at Shifen Old Street. These ones burn up entirely in the sky, so nothing falls back to the ground.

These lanterns were first developed by graduates from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (國立陽明交通大學) in Hsinchu . The graduates consulted with long-time lantern makers in Pingxi area, such as Shifen local resident and retired teacher Lin Guo-he.

Lin first learned how to make sky lanterns from his father. He still makes and sells them from Yiqiao Traditional Sky Lantern Shop (藝巧傳統天燈工藝社), located here at the end of Shifen Old Street, just after it branches off on the right side.

Lin makes his lanterns with entirely biodegradable parts , including bamboo and paper pulp. Not only are his less harmful to the environment but also they are made using traditional techniques which are closer to those in the past.

The lanterns have five sides instead of the usual four. Because they are lighter, they will supposedly fly even higher up than the other ones, soaring up to 250 to 250 meters before burning up (the regular ones only go up about 50 to 100 meters before they start descending, often still burning as they fall down).

Whether you meet Lin Guo-he or his wife in the small shop, they may proudly show you the laminated newspaper article from Taiwan Journal, published in 2007, about their lanterns. They are very friendly and will do their best to help you snap photos if you need it.

I also noted that this shop on the left side of Shifen Old Street also has the same eco-friendly lanterns available.

Visiting During Lantern Festival

Shifen Old Street is at its busiest during Lantern Festival . While the festival falls on the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar New Year (usually in February or early March ), the whole Pingxi area will be very busy for weeks around that time.

The Pingxi Mass Lantern Releases usually take place on the two Saturdays closest to the holiday date. One of them is usually held at this venue near Shifen and the other at this venue near Pingxi station.

All evening on those two days, masses of sky lanterns will be released at the same time, once every 15 minutes.

This event is one of the most crowded places I’ve ever experienced . The Pingxi Line will be jam packed, so opt for the shuttle bus from Muzha MRT. You may need to wait in a line for some time to get there and again to get back to Taipei.

If you want to participate in one of the timed mass releases, you have to show up earlier in the day to register. But if you don’t, you can come just to watch or set off your own lantern anywhere in the area as you wish.

During COVID, the Pingxi Mass Lantern Release event was cancelled a few times. In 2023, the crowds weren’t so bad because tourism numbers hadn’t fully recovered and many locals were still very COVID conscious.

But for the 2024 event and later ones, we’re finally back to full tourist numbers again, so expect the event to be crazy busy once again.

What to Eat at Shifen Old Street

There are several small eateries and food stalls on Shifen Old Street. They are all aimed at tourists, so I personally found the quality of food was not the best, yet the prices were high for Taiwan.

Some of the foods you will see on Shifen Old Street include rice stuffed chicken wings (雞翅包飯, try it here or here ), deep fried cuttlefish, river shrimps, and river crabs (the one I tried was lower than average quality) and stinky tofu ( this vendor is the best).

I also saw soup dumplings , peanut brittle cilantro ice cream wraps (you can never go wrong with these), and popsicles with local flavors such as kiwi, roselle, and plum.

If you also visit Shifen Waterfall, there are a few vendors there selling sausages , grilled mushrooms , and cold drinks.

If you are also visiting Jiufen Old Street on the same day, consider waiting until you get there to eat, as it has more variety, unique foods, and better prices.

Alternatives to Shifen Old Street

Because it is so touristy, I don’t personally enjoy visiting Shifen Old Street.

If you’re willing to ride the Pingxi Line just 13 minutes longer to Pingxi station, Pingxi Old Street (平溪老街) has a less touristy vibe than Shifen Old Street and attracts more locals than foreign tourists.

You can also buy and set off sky lanterns right on the train tracks at Pingxi station. Brave hikers should also check out the thrilling Pingxi Crags hikes from there (read about them here in my Taipei hiking guide ).

Ride another five minutes past Pingxi and you’ll reach the terminal Jingtong station, and Jingtong Old Street (菁桐老街). Of the three four famous old streets accessible from the Pingxi Railway Line (Jiufen, Shifen, Pingxi, and Jingtong), this one is the smallest but I would say cutest and quietest. You can also buy and release sky lanterns there.

Although Jiufen Old Street (九份老街) is even more popular and crowded than Shifen Old Street, I still like it better than Shifen. It more variety and better foods, ancient teahouses, impressive views of the Pacific ocean, and overall more atmospheric vibes.

See my Jiufen Old Street guide .

Shenkeng Old Street (深坑老街) also attracts mainly local tourists, who flock there on weekends for its many stinky tofu stalls and nicely restored old buildings. It’s closer to Taipei – make it a stop when riding the bus from Muzha MRT to Shifen. See my Shengkeng Old Street guide .

For alternatives to Shifen Waterfall (there are several other great waterfalls on the Pingxi Line!), see my Shifen Waterfall guide.

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Shifen Scenic Area

LAUNCH A SKY LANTERN IN THIS OLD RAILROAD TOWN

The Shifen Scenic Area is home to one of New Taipei’s most picturesque mountain towns, the little community of Shifen, and its neighboring cascade, Shifen Waterfall. Famous for its rustic atmosphere—you can imagine this is what the rest of Taiwan felt like 30 years ago—this former coal mining town has now become a hub for city tourists looking to travel back in time. On the weekends, the lanes of Shifen are filled with visitors who have come for the delicious snacks, the relaxed country-vibe, and to launch a sky lantern or two off of the railroad tracks.

Shifen Old Street

Keelung Night Market

NORTHERN TAIWAN’S SEAFOOD CAPITAL Keelung Night Market often flies under the radar of most tourists as it is

The Rise and Fall of an Industry

THE GOLD MUSEUM IN JINGUASHI Jinguashi, a gold mining town just beyond the ridge of the magical mountain

Harmony Between Art and Nature

JU MING MUSEUM Ju Ming, today one of Taiwan’s most prominent modern sculptors, started his artistic journey as

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Shifen Waterfall: A Breathtaking Day Trip from Taipei

Table of Contents

WHAT TO EXPECT AT SHIFEN WATERFALL?

Shifen waterfall is really big, really pretty, and really photogenic. It is a natural wonder that beckons travelers from all over Taiwan. The waterfall, also known as the “Little Niagara” of Taiwan,” is a must-visit destination for those looking to escape the bustling streets of Taipei for a day. Marvel at the 40-meter-high waterfall, which plunges dramatically into a jade-colored pool. You can admire the falls from a viewpoint or take a short hike to get closer and feel the refreshing mist on your face.

However, Shifen Waterfall can be a bit touristy, and depending on when you go, it can be quite crowded (favor weekdays rather than sunny weekends).

You can walk on paved trails, stairs, wooden paths, and various bridges for about 10 to 20 minutes (round trip) in a nice scenic environment.

You cannot swim there, but the waterfall is impressive, and if you are in the neighborhood I think it is a nice spot to see.

We also included Shifen Waterfall as part of our Pingxi Waterfall Hopping Itinerary .

The park is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (the last entrance to the park is at 5:30 p.m.). No entrance fee is required and there are some food stands close to the waterfall.

HOW FAR IS SHIFEN WATERFALL FROM TAIPEI?

About 1h15 bus ride. The falls are easily accessible as the bus drops you at the visitor center and you can follow the trail.

HOW TO GET TO SHIFEN WATERFALL FROM TAIPEI?

From anywhere in Taipei:

Bus : Take the MRT or bus to MUZHA MRT Station (brown line)

• At Muzha, get out at the only exit and go to road 106.

• Take the 795 bus Towards Shifen Falls. (bus stop that is on the side of the road that has the OK mart (NOT the 7-Eleven)).
• Stop at the Shifen Visitor Center (it is actually the last stop of the bus).

Since it is a pretty touristy place, it will be easy to figure out how to get to the waterfall once you reach the visitor center. All you have to do is follow the trail or the people.

Train: Head to Taipei Main Station, and from there, catch a train bound for Ruifang Station. Once at Ruifang, transfer to the Pingxi Line and alight at Shifen Station. The train ride itself is an experience, offering glimpses of Taiwan’s lush countryside. Shifen Waterfall is a short walk from Shifen Station.

Car : If you prefer flexibility and comfort, consider renting a car for the day. The drive from Taipei to Shifen takes approximately 1.5 hours, depending on traffic conditions. Remember to have a GPS or navigation app handy.

EXPLORING SHIFEN

Shifen Old Street : If you are traveling to Shifen to get a picture of the waterfall, then you will also have the opportunity to visit Shifen Old Street . This historic street is famous for its quaint lantern shops and street food stalls. Don’t miss the opportunity to release a sky lantern, a traditional activity that’s believed to bring good luck and make wishes come true.

Shifen Railway Tracks: The railway tracks that run through the village provide unique photo opportunities. Wait for the moment when the train passes by, and you can capture an iconic shot of the Shifen train crossing the waterfall.

Pingxi District: While you’re in the area, consider exploring nearby Pingxi. This charming town is known for its annual Sky Lantern Festival and offers a chance to immerse yourself in Taiwan’s rural culture. See our article about the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival HERE .

With its stunning natural beauty, cultural attractions, and the chance to participate in the lantern-releasing tradition, Shifen offers a well-rounded and memorable experience. Whether you’re a nature lover, a photography enthusiast, or simply seeking a day of relaxation, Shifen Waterfall has something to offer everyone.

Shifen Waterfall Park

Taiwan's 'Little Niagara' can be glimpsed as you chug past on the Pingxi Branch Rail Line, but to get up close to the country's widest, if by no means tallest, falls it's a well-marked 30-minute walk downriver from Shifen train station, taking you over suspension bridges with lush valley views. En route, keep a lookout for peculiar kettle holes worn into the limestone riverbed.

There's a good selection of snacks, cold beer and riverside seating as you approach the falls. You can also take a taxi from Shifen station for NT$230.

Suggest an edit to this attraction

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Nearby Shifen attractions

1 . Cat Village

Cross the 'cat bridge' out of the train station to hang out with Houtong's feline divas, who are well used to being doted on by tourists. Similar to Japan…

2 . Jishan Street

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3 . Fushan Temple

Blending Japanese, Chinese and European decorative motifs (note the angels over the altar), 200-year-old Fushan Temple was where the region's miners would…

4 . Gold Ecological Park

Jinguashi's big draw is this Japanese-era mining-complex-turned-tourist-park, where hillside paths connect 1930s offices, workshops and dormitories, and…

5 . Taiwan POW Memorial and Peace Park

Only a single gatepost remains of the Kinkaseki camp where 1000 British and allied soldiers were imprisoned and forced to work in the neighbouring copper…

6 . Golden Waterfall

The cascades at this popular tourist stop have stained the rocks a honeycomb yellow due to the pyrite (fool's gold) deposits picked up by the water as it…

7 . Remains of the 13 Levels

Just across from the Golden Waterfall, on a sea-facing bluff, are the remains of a massive copper-smelting refinery (十三層; Shísāncéng) whose 13 levels…

8 . Nanya Peculiar Rocks

This quirky section of coastline has an eroded swirl of rock that genuinely looks like a striped ice-cream cone. The odd shapes and colours were formed by…

SHIFEN WATERFALL 十分大瀑布 – THE LITTLE NIAGARA OF TAIWAN

As I look back at my week in Taiwan , Shifen waterfall 十分大瀑布 easily stands out as one of the highlights. This was part of my full day trip to Jiufen, Shifen and Yehliu so its no surprise that this beautiful natural wonder stole the show for me and comes up as my very first blog from Taiwan 🙂

Located in the quaint Pingxi district of new Taipei city and just 34 kms from the main Taipei city , it makes for a top attraction close to city. Its usually the perfect add-on to your weekend Jiufen itinerary.

This stunning cascading waterfall is aptly nick named as the Little Niagara of Taiwan and if you visit, you can clearly see why. Even though much smaller than its intimidating counterpart, it has the similar 40 metre wide horseshoe shape and an extremely powerful water flow.

Best Shifen Waterfall Tours in Taiwan

Are you looking for tours that include Shifen waterfall? It is not really a standalone activity and can easily be clubbed with other cool Taipei attractions.

Here’s a handpicked selection of top rated and highly recommended tours you can book for less than $30 and enjoy so many cool activities –

Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen, Shifen, and Golden Waterfall Day Tour Yehliu, Jiufen, Shifen One-day Tour with Hotel-pick up Yeliou, Jinguashih, Juifen and Shihfen Join Day Tour Thousand-Island Lake, Shifen, and Juifen Day Tour with Pick-up

It is one of the largest, most scenic waterfalls in Taiwan, which adds to its popularity quotient.

This Shifen waterfall video snippet pretty much explains it all –

Why Add Shifen Waterfall Taiwan to your Taiwan Itinerary

Its not just a waterfall but a full fledged tourist attraction with parks, food court, photo opps, stunning bridge and tons to do for families with kids – feed the ducks if you like.

As soon as you enter, its a nice 15 min walk to the main waterfall, at leisurely pace. Lots of steps and lovely sights on the way, then you need to cross a huge bridge (more photo opps there) , the multitude of play areas and food stalls to reach the final attraction in Shifen waterfall park .

Plus there’s a pretty temple too!

You will see several view points and I would suggest taking pictures from each of these to get different angles. These pics were taken from the highest viewpoint –

Plus, the mist covered area on the right side is just as pretty. So, I would recommend carrying a wide angle lens to get the entire view of Shifen falls in one frame.  This is what I mean by taking the right Shifen waterfall photos –

Another reason to visit is that you can easily head to the lovely Shifen old street to release lanterns for good luck or take pictures on the rail tracks.

          View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Jyotsna Ramani 🌎🛫 (@wanderwithjo)

Tip – Check Shifen weather before you go, it rains almost everyday. If you pick a nice sunny day, you might be rewarded with a pretty rainbow plus it makes walking/exploring much easier. Either ways, be prepared for impromptu showers so carry your umbrella/ rain jacket and comfy shoes. 

Shifen Waterfall How to Get There

Here’s a handy Shifen waterfall map , however, you can see signs everywhere once you reach Shi fen waterfall and as one of the most popular attractions in Shifen, you simply can’t miss it.

To reach Shifen itself, simply get a train from Taipei main station to Ruifang and make a quick connection to the Pingxi line. You can even take a bus for NTD 120 to/from Shifen (or the more popular town of Jiufen).

Taxis are upwards of NTD 1200 but if you are in a small group, it makes sense to board a cab. However, my top choice would be to simply t ake this convenient, cheap guided tour  to avoid all hassles of “ how to get to Shifen waterfall “.

Shifen waterfall to Shifen old street is just a 25 min walk or 3 mins by bus/taxi so its easy to do both in a half day trip.

Shifen Waterfall – What to know before you Visit

Shifen Waterfall opening hours

Open daily from 0900 to 1630 hrs, I would advice going early to beat the crowds. It tends to get very crowded, like all popular attractions so be smart about timings.

Shifen Waterfall entrance fee

Entrance to this attraction is free 🙂

Shifen Tour Booking Info

This post contains affiliate links at no additional cost to you 🙂 

Even though you can do it yourself, if you take a tour to all top spots of Shifen and include nearby attractions like Golden waterfalls, Jiufen and more, it will more than make up for your time especially if you are doing a day visit.

My tour was booked through KKday.

Click here to book a similar tour on Klook so you can follow my footsteps. 

FAQ’s

Is shifen waterfall worth visiting.

Shifen is the widest waterfall in Taiwan and among the top attractions of Taipei. Situated just outside new Taipei city, it gives easy access to tourists as well. Definitely a must add to your Taipei itinerary.

How Long is the Walk to Shifen Waterfall?

A nice quiet 1 hour long walk (When its not crowded with tourists).

What is the nick name of Shifen Watefall?

The waterfall is also named Little Niagra of Taiwan.

So friends, have you visited Shifen waterfall in Taiwan or plan to? If not be sure to add it to your Taipei itinerary. 

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Asia , Outdoor Guides , Taiwan · September 6, 2020

How to Get From Taipei to Shifen: An Insider’s Guide

Planning a day trip to Shifen but not quite sure how to get there? If so, you’ve come to the right place! This step-by-step guide highlights the best ways to get from Taipei to Shifen and includes loads of tips and tricks to help you plan an epic Shifen day trip!

The perfect Taipei day trip starts with a visit to the gorgeous little town of Shifen (十分). Tucked away in the lush jungles of Pingxi District among the Keelung River Valley, Shifen is a popular go-to spot for hikers, nature seekers, photographers, and those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Taipei City. 

Despite being an exceptionally tiny village, Shifen has a lot going for it! From a booming little Old Street chock-full with traditional food stalls and sky lantern shops to excellent hiking trails and a gorgeous waterfall. 

Of course, there’s more to Shifen than just its stunning scenery. This little town is also famous for its railway culture and forms part of the 13km historic railway branch – the Pingxi Line. Built in 1918, the Pingxi Line played a vital role in transporting coal between the little villages, with Shifen being one of the stops along the way. Today, the Pingxi train no longer transports coal between Jingtong and Sandiaoling, but it’s a fun way to get a glimpse into the past. 

Disclaimer: This post probably contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase through one of these links, I might receive a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Table of Contents

Before you go to Shifen

Before diving into this guide on how to get to Shifen from Taipei, here are a few tips to help you plan the perfect Shifen day trip. 

• If this is your first visit to Taipei (or Taiwan), these  savvy travel tips  will come in handy.
• Make sure to download  Google Maps  and  Google Translate  on your phone. That way, you can check bus/train schedules, access maps, plan your stops, and translate Chinese menus in a jiffy. 
• Make sure to pack  mosquito repellent  for your trip to Shifen. I love this  eco-friendly bug spray  that helps repel bugs and insects, without the harmful chemicals.
• Check the weather forecast before you go to Shifen. While cloudy days will undeniably be a bit cooler, the scenery is much more striking on sunny days. 
• Grab Taiwan’s local top-up transit card, the  Easy Card , so that you can tap and go on local trains/ buses without the headache of buying tickets. 

In a rush? Pin this Taipei to Shifen Transport Guide to read later.

How to get from Taipei to Shifen: 4 Ways to Travel

While Shifen is only located 31km east of Taipei, it is an arduous journey to get there, especially if you’re using public transport. Traveling times are often quite long and usually require switching between different modes of transportation.

To help you figure out how to get to Shifen, I’ve mapped out the easiest ways to travel to Shifen from Taipei. That way, you can spend less time planning and more time enjoying the scenery!

Taking the train from Taipei to Shifen

Traveling time: 1.5hrs – 2hrs | Cost: NT$69-NT$87 depending on which train you take.  

One of the most popular ways to get to Shifen from Taipei is by train. It does involve quite a bit of traveling time and switching trains, but it’s a great way to see a bit more of New Taipei City’s gorgeous scenery along the way.  

First, get yourself to Taipei Main Station. From there, take any northbound train (TRA) to  Ruifang (瑞芳車站) . Make sure to check the stops on Google Maps or at the train station, as  Keelung-bound trains do not stop   in Ruifang . A ticket on the Fuxing Shuttle costs NT$48 and NT$67 on the Tze-Chiang Limited Express train. 

Once you arrive at Ruifang, you’ll need to transfer to the Pingxi Line to get to Shifen Station (十分車站). To do this, you’ll need to cross the underground walkway to platform 3 . It’s the very last platform, and there are clear signs in English, so don’t worry about getting lost.

The train ride from Ruifang takes about 30 minutes and costs NT$20. Just a heads up — the Pingxi train is always packed to the brim on weekends! If your itinerary is flexible, try to come during the week. Also, the train only comes every hour, so it’s best to time your visit here.

Travel Tips:  If you don’t have an  Easy Card , I strongly suggest you get one. That way, you can simply tap-and-go on local trains and buses. You can grab Taiwan’s local top-up transit card at any convenience store across the island or  book one here.  If you want to see a few other stops   along the Pingxi Line like Jintong, Pingxi, Wanggu, Houtong, or Sandiaolang, it’s best to buy a  Pingxi Line 1-day pass  (NT$80) at Taipei Main Station.

Taking the bus from Taipei to Shifen

Traveling time: 2hrs – 2.5 hrs | Cost: NT$45 

The cheapest way to get to Shifen from Taipei is by bus. The  Muzha Pingxi Shuttle Bus  (Taiwan Tour Bus #795) is the only direct bus route to Shifen. The bus stops at both Shifen Old Street ( Shifenliao Bridge ) and Shifen Visitors Centre ( Shifenliao ). The ride only costs NT$ 45 and takes about 2h30.  See the bus schedule here.  

To catch the Muzha Pingxi Bus, take the  Blue MRT Line  (Bannan) from  Taipei Main Station  to  Zhongxiao Fuxing Station . 

Then transfer to the  Brown Line  (Wenhu) towards Taipei Zoo Station and alight at  MRT Muzha Station . The metro ride takes about 18 minutes, and the station is the second last stop on the line. 

Exit the station (there is only one exit, so don’t worry about getting lost). Finally,  cross Muzha Road , the bus stop is located opposite the 7-11. ( See on Google Maps here ).

Joining a tour from Taipei to Shifen 

Traveling time: 1hr -1.5hr | Cost: NT$445

If you are staying in or near Ximending in Taipei, another option is to take a shuttle bus. Klook has a cool shuttle service that includes return transfers to Shifen and Jiufen . (Jiufen is a beautiful little hillside town best known for its awesome street food, quaint tea houses, and hundreds of alleys strewn with dangling red lanterns). The best part, it’s not a guided tour! So, you’ll get to explore both villages at your leisure and plan your own itinerary.

Since it’s the most convenient way to go to Jiufen and Shifen, tickets usually sell out fast. It’s best to book your tickets well in advance to avoid disappointment. 

Just a heads-up, most of the tour’s time is spent in Jiufen. While you’ll have ample time to browse the Old Street, sample some local snacks, and decorate a sky lantern, you might not have sufficient time to walk all the way to the waterfall and back. With that being said, if you really want to see the waterfall (and you definitely should) , rent an electric scooter near the railroad crossing. (NT$200 for 1 hour).

Taking a private transfer from Taipei to Shifen

Traveling time: less than 1hr | Cost: Nt$1000 (one way) 

If you don’t feel like bothering with public transport or simply don’t have the energy to figure out the nitty-gritty details of how to get to Shifen from Taipei,  taking a private transfer  is your best bet. It’s by far the least stressful way to get to Shifen since you’ll be picked up right at your hotel. 

With that being said, I really only recommend choosing this option if you are traveling in a group, or with very young kids or the elderly. While it is arguable the fastest way to get to Shifen, it is much more expensive than the other options already covered in this guide. Also, keep in mind that it’s a pick-up and drop-off service, which means you’ll need to either book a return ride or find your own way back to Taipei.

Phew! Now that you know how to get from Taipei to Shifen, let’s get to the good stuff! Read along to find out what to do in Shifen. 

What to do and see in Shifen

A day trip to Shifen packs the perfect mix of nature, history, and food. As one of the most charming little towns near Taipei City, Shifen definitely deserves a spot on your Taiwan itinerary . 

Shifen Old Street (十分老街)

Shifen Old Street is a quaint little street running along both sides of the train track and is the perfect place for a leisurely walkabout.

The street is lined with sky lantern shops, cute souvenir shops selling all kinds of interesting knick-knacks, and tons of little stalls and eateries dishing up local treats. Some of the must-try traditional snacks include taro balls, taro ice cream burritos, fried cuttlefish sticks, and chicken wings stuffed with sticky rice. Come hungry, because there are lots to try!

Shifen Waterfall (十分大瀑布)

Located about 20 minutes’ walk from the Old Street is Shifen Waterfall — the widest waterfall in Taiwan and the “Little Niagara of Taiwan.”

It is the biggest highlight in Shifen and one of the most picturesque places to visit along the Pingxi Railway Line. The waterfall is only about 40m wide and 20m tall, but what really sets it apart from other waterfalls near Taipei is its rushing cascading flow. The best part, it’s free! So, skipping it is simply inexcusable. 

To get to Shifen Waterfall, follow the signs leading the way from the Old Street. Once you pass the Visitor’s Center, you’ll walk along a well-paved footpath leading up and down countless stairs and over several bridges. It’s a very scenic walk, and you’ll be surrounded by a lush jungle no matter which way you turn.

At the waterfall entrance, you’ll find lots of food stalls selling street food, barbeque skewers, ice cream, and everything in between! Grab a few snacks and an ice-cold beer to enjoy next to the river before exploring further. 

There are heaps of different viewing platforms, all offering breathtaking views of Shifen Waterfall. Make sure to follow all the little trails jolting off from the main path to see the waterfall from all angles!

Opening hours: 

Oct – May: 9:00-17:00, with the last entry at 16:30.

June – Sept: 9:00-18:00, with the last entry at 17:30

Travel Tips:  If you’re combining your Shifen day trip with a visit to Jiufen, you probably have some luggage with you. If you don’t feel like tugging it along, you can leave your bags at the Shifen Visitors Centre’s small restaurant for a small fee. Don’t lose the ticket as you’ll need it to get your bags and deposit back. 

Send up a Shifen Sky Lantern

Releasing a sky lantern with good wishes written on it is an age-old tradition in the Pingxi District. It’s also one of the most popular things to do in Shifen!

Along Shifen Old Street, you’ll find several stores selling sky lanterns in all kinds of colors and sizes imaginable. It’s a fun thing to do, but I highly recommend finding a store that sells eco-friendly lanterns . Most of the sky lanterns can’t decompose, which is harmful to the environment. Before buying a lantern, make sure it’s made from cotton paper and has bamboo sticks.

Prices generally start around NT$150 but expect to pay up to NT$350 for an eco-friendly lantern.

Travel Tip:  The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is one of the most memorable festivals in Taiwan. It is held on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year , which usually falls somewhere in February. If you’re keen to join the crowds, make sure you check the Lunar Calendar in advance.

Other Things to do Near Shifen 

If you have a bit more time to explore Taipei’s outskirts, here are a few places near Shifen that deserve a spot on your list of things to do:

• Jiufen:  A gorgeous little town offering incredible views, quirky alleys full of lanterns, and oodles of tea houses and tasty street food.  Find out how to get to Jiufen here.
• Houtong:  A cute little cat village home to nearly 200 cats and lots to keep you busy. Read my guide on what to do in Houtong for more info.
• Keelung:  A beautiful port city filled with history, culture, and amazing food. Read my guide on what to do in Keelung to discover all of the city’s best bits.
• Dahua Kettle Holes:  A cool spot to check out how years of erosion have shaped crevices in the Keelung River. 
• Wufen Mountain Trail: A gorgeous 3.2km hike offering picture-perfect vistas atop Wufen Mountain at an elevation of 756-m.
• Wanggu:  Another stop along the Pingxi Line famous for its beautiful hiking trails and the Wanggu waterfalls. 

That’s all I’ve got on Shifen. Have you visited Shifen on a day trip from Taipei yet? Feel free to share your tips on getting from Taipei to Shifen, the top things to do, the best eateries, and anything in between. 

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Taipei Day Trip: Jiufen and Shifen Guide To All The Must-Eat-See-Dos

First published:  12 Nov 2017

Charming old towns in Keelung, Jiufen (九份) and Shifen (十分) are popular spots to visit on a day trip from Taipei. 

Before the 1950s, Jiufen and Shifen were gold and coal mining towns respectively. Today, their rustic vintage vibes, great local Taiwanese delectables, and iconically Taiwanese activities such as releasing sky lanterns make them popular day trip destinations from Taipei.

However, these places aren’t the most accessible to visit despite the proximity. Public transportation involves too many transfers across various means, while cab drivers are known to mark up fares to unsuspecting tourists. No one wants to spend additional time and money when those can be spent on better things, such as food. Oh yes, all the great food to be discovered in Taiwan 😋.

Read also: 4D3N Taipei Itinerary: Insider Guide to Exploring Taipei and its Outskirts Like a Local

How to get to Jiufen & Shifen from Taipei

Most visitors will head to Shifen and continue to Jiufen, as Shifen is nearer to Taipei. Although both towns share similar-sounding names, they aren’t actually very near to each other.

1) By Public Transport

From Taipei to Shifen: Take a rail train from Taipei Main Stn. (台北車站) to Ruifang Stn. (瑞芳站) and transfer to the Pingxi Small Railway (平溪支線) to Shifen Stn. (十分站)

From Shifen to Jiufen: Take the Pingxi Small Railway to Ruifang Stn. (瑞芳站), and transfer to bus #788, #827, or #1062 to Jiufen Old Street (九份老街)

*Pro-tip: There’s no public transportation between Jiufen and Shifen, so you’ll have to return to Ruifang Stn. (瑞芳站) for transfers.

From Jiufen to Taipei: Take bus #1062 from Jiufen Old Streets (九份老街) to Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Stn. (忠孝復興站) in Taipei

Cost:  ~S$16 (round-trip) Total travel time: ~4hrs (round-trip)

2) Shuttle bus (Highly recommended)

Probably the most cost-effective and convenient way to get from Taipei to Jiufen & Shifen is to pre-book a shuttle service with a guided tour package . It picks you up from Taipei Main Station and stops at Jiufen before heading to Shifen. Take note of what activities and transfers are included in the tour package !

Cost of tour: ~ S$34/pax (Shifen and Jiufen package; round-trip from Taipei) Meeting time: 9:15AM

*Pro-tip: Use code <THETRAVELINTERN> on Klo ok to get 5% off all activities with a min. spend of S$50 (discount cap at S$15). Apply the promo code upon checkout. One-time use only!

Must-dos in Shifen (十分)

Shifen is somewhat like the less popular sibling of Jiufen, kinda forgotten yet attractive in her own ways. Shifen’s alluring old-school charms and the Shifen waterfall makes this an equally worthy stop.

We only had an hour to spare here so we narrowed down these three must-do things in Shifen!

1) Release Sky Lanterns (放天燈)

Releasing sky lanterns on the old rail track in Shifen (which still functions btw!) is almost ritualistic. Like everyone, we bought a lantern from one of the many lantern shops along the old rail track, wrote our wishes in unintelligible Chinese, and released it to the heavens. Let’s hope the gods above can read our handwriting 😃

Cost: ~S$11/lantern via Klook Opening hours: Varies (most operators open from sunrise to sunset) How to get there:  Pingxi District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 226 [台湾新北市平溪区226]

2) Ride an electric scooter to Shifen Waterfall (十分大瀑布)

The second most famous sight in Shifen is this natural beauty, the  Shifen Waterfall 十分大瀑布 . You can rent an electric scooter from operators along Shifen Old Street to get here.

Cost of scooter rental:  ~NT$200/hr Opening hours: 24 hours Location:   Nanshan Village, Pingxi District, New Taipei City, Taiwan [ 台湾新北市平溪区南山村]

*Pro-tip: Book a half-day guided tour to do these activities in Shifen if you don’t plan to drop by Jiufen! Or, book a guided day tour to explore Shifen Waterfall, Yehliu Geopark, and Jiufen hassle-free.

3) Get Onboard an Old Choo-choo Train (平溪線小火車)

A fun way to get to Shifen is via the Pingxi Small Railway Train 平溪線小火車 . This Japanese-era train used to transport coal when the mining industry was thriving but has since become a means of transportation for visitors to get to Shifen from Ruifang station (瑞芳站).

From Shifen station itself, you can also board the train to visit  Pingxi station (平溪站)   and Jingtong station (菁桐站) , which are scenic old towns too.

Bonus: Snack on LiouGe BBQ Stuffed Wings (溜哥燒烤雞翅包飯)

What’s the best way to find the best food? Ask the locals, and that’s exactly what we did in Shifen. We actually asked an uncle from another food stall what his favourite food at Shifen is. And LiouGe BBQ Stuffed Wings was his recommendation. Now, we’re recommending it to you.

The chicken wings from this stall are no ordinary wings. Besides being deboned and stuffed with rice, the homemade barbeque sauce is fragrant and very flavourful.

Cost: NT$65/piece Opening hours:  10AM – 6PM How to get there:  2min walk from Shifen Train Station ( Google Maps )

Must-Eats in Jiufen (九份)

Those who have been to Jiufen will know what a food haven it is. The tight winding street is lined with food stalls from the beginning to the end. From Taiwanese Sausage to chewy Taro Balls, there are all kinds of food from savoury to sweet, hot to cold.

If you’re taking the shuttle bus , you’ll have about 2 hours to explore the nooks and crannies of this charming old town on your own!

1) Zhang Ji Traditional Fishballs (張記傳統魚丸)

At Zhang Ji Traditional Fishball 張記傳統魚丸 , one does not simply only try the fishballs. Get the Combination Soup that comes with three different types of fishballs — meat-encased fishballs (Fuzhou balls), squid balls, and regular fishballs.

From the same stall, you also have to try their Braised Pork Rice (滷肉饭) with Braised Egg (滷蛋). Who would have imagined such simple-looking dishes would taste so good?

Cost: NT$50/bowl for Combination Soup; NT$35/bowl for Braised Minced Pork Rice Opening hours: 10:30AM – 7:30PM (Mon – Fri), closes 8PM on Sat and Sun How to get there:  3min walk from Jiufen Old Street bus stop ( Google Maps )

2) Shi Mi Jiufen First Stinky Tofu (食謎店 九份第一家臭豆腐)

Stinky Tofu is a love-or-hate thing. Fans of this dish will love the store  Shi Mi Dian 食謎店 . They sell both deep-fried and spicy braised versions, but we personally prefer the deep-fried version.

The fried skin added a crunchy texture to the surprisingly soft tofu without being too dry. The unmistakable scent can be picked up from tens of metres away, just imagine the punch it’s packed with.

Opening hours: 11AM – 8PM (Mon – Fri), closes 9PM on Sat and Sun How to get there:  6min walk from Jiufen Old Street bus stop ( Google Maps )

3) Jin Zhi Red Yeast Vegetarian Dumpling & Jin Zhi Red Yeast Meat Dumpling (金枝紅糟素肉圓 & 金枝紅槽肉圓)

Jin Zhi is one of the most famous dumpling stores in Taiwan primarily due to the fact that the meat is soaked in red yeast ( vinasse ), and that there’s actually a vegetarian branch  a few stalls down.

Available at the meat dumpling stall is also a combination meatball soup (五色綜合丸湯)   that’s worth a try too! It comes in five different flavours — Codfish, Squid, Pork, Kimchi, and Bamboo charcoal, this soup is definitely something out of the ordinary you should try.

Vegetarian Dumpling Opening hours: 10AM – 8PM (Mon – Fri), 9AM – 10PM (Sat – Sun) How to get there: 4min walk from Jiufen Old Street bus stop ( Google Maps )

Meat Dumpling Cost:  NT$45/piece of meatball; NT$50/bowl of combination balls Opening hours:  10:30AM – 7PM (Mon – Thu), 10AM – 8PM (Sat – Sun) How to get there: 6min walk from Jiufen Old Street bus stop ( Google Maps )

4) Jiufen Old Noodle Shop (九份老麵店)

Although 九份老麵店 Jiufen Old Noodle Shop sells a variety of noodles and soups, their signature beef noodles (招牌牛肉麵) are a must-try. The chunks of beef are cooked until perfectly tender and go very well with the spicy broth.

Another great find is the Century Egg Tofu (皮蛋豆腐) side dish. Served cold, the tofu is smooth yet firm, creating a gastronomic adventure when eaten together with a bite of century egg.

Cost: NT$120/bowl of Signature Beef Noodles; NT$40/plate of Century Egg Tofu Opening hours: 10:30AM – 7:30PM (Mon – Fri), closes 8:30PM on Sat and Sun How to get there:  4min walk from Jiufen Old Street bus stop ( Google Maps )

5) Wu Di Taiwanese Sausage (無敵黑豬肉香腸)

Taiwanese locals are some of the friendliest and most fun people I know of, and it’s not hard to understand why. Not only is the lady boss of  Wu Di Taiwanese Sausage 無敵黑豬肉香腸 extremely friendly, but she’s quite a charmer too. Whenever she’s around, visitors would crowd and vie to catch her attention to their cameras.

Of course, her sausages (香腸) are as charming and unforgettable as her. Fragrantly charred skin that crunches with every bite, exposing the juicy meats inside. The squid and fish egg sausages are an interesting alternative to the wild boar sausage too!

Cost: ~NT$40 per piece or ~NT$100 for 3 pieces Opening hours: 9AM – 7PM How to get there: 5min walk from Jiufen Old Street bus stop ( Google Maps )

6) Ah Lan Hakka Glutinous Rice Cake (阿蘭草仔粿)

Photo credit: you.ctrip.com

If there’s only one thing you can try at Jiufen, make it the Glutinous Rice Cake ( 草仔粿) from Ah Lan Hakka Glutinous Rice Cake stall. They come in multiple variations of fillings, from the sweet red bean to salted green bean and preserved turnip flavours.  

The Steamed Taro Cake (芋粿巧) sold in the shop is also well-loved by many.

Cost: NT$10/piece Opening hours:  9AM – 9:30PM How to get there: 5min walk from Jiufen Old Street bus stop ( Google Maps )

7) Misty Cake (米詩堤甜點王國)

Misty Cake 米詩堤甜點王國  sells cream and ice-cream puffs in every possible flavour. We tried the classic sweet potato-filled puff. The sweet potato was on point, fragrant but not too sweet. The generously-filled puffs can be quite a mess to eat as the freshly baked outer layer crumbles with every bite to expose the oozing fillings.

Cost: ~NT$85/piece Opening hours:  9:30AM – 6.30PM Address:  No. 6-1, Sec. 1, Mingdeng Road, Ruifang District, Taiwan [6-1号，二段。台湾瑞芳区明登路1号]

8) A-Zhu Peanut Ice Cream Roll (阿珠雪在燒花生捲冰淇淋)

Just watching the stall owner of A-Zhu create this delicate roll of ice cream is satisfying enough. Peanut shavings are ground off a huge block of compressed peanuts before being added to two scoops of ice cream and cilantro (IKR, weird but oddly delicious) and skillfully wrapped into a roll of ice-cold goodness.

Cost: NT$40/piece Opening hours:  10AM – 7PM (Mon – Sat), closes 8:30PM on Sun How to get there:  4min walk from Jiufen Old Street bus stop ( Google Maps )

9) Grandma Lai’s Taro Balls (賴阿婆芋圓)

Taiwanese Taro Balls have since entered Singapore’s market, coming in an assortment of flavours and toppings. But nothing beats eating a bowl of traditional chewy taro balls in Jiufen Old Street amongst the locals at Grandma Lai’s .

Cost: NT$50/bowl Opening hours:  7AM – 9PM How to get there:  7min walk from Jiufen Old Street bus stop ( Google Maps )

Other Things to Do in Jiufen

Sheng-ping theatre (昇平劇院).

Built in 1934, Sheng-Ping Theatre 昇平劇院 is one of the first film theatres in Taiwan. It was ultimately closed in 1986 due to the dwindling population of Jiufen. After being used as a film location in a 1989 Taiwanese film, A City of Sadness 悲情城市 , Sheng-Ping Theatre gained attraction again and is now being conserved.

The theatre sometimes shows reruns of old-time Taiwanese movies and operas at certain times of the day, so do try to catch one if you have time to spare in Jiufen.

Opening Hours:  9:30AM – 5:30PM (Mon – Fri), closes 6PM on Sat and Sun How to get there:  6min walk from Jiufen Old Street bus stop ( Google Maps )

A-Mei Tea House (阿妹茶樓) 

Another iconic landmark made famous through films is the A-Mei T ea House . You might recognize it from Hayao Miyazaki’s 2001 movie, Spirited Away . Touristy is what A-Mei Tea House has become due to its popularity, but it’s still a nice backdrop for photos and worth checking out when at Jiufen!

If you’re averse to crowds, there are other tea houses such as Artist Teahouse and Skyline Teahouse with equally stunning views, just a stone’s throw away from A-Mei.

A-Mei Tea House Opening Hours: 8:30AM – 9:30PM Address:  6min walk from Jiufen Old Street bus stop ( Google Maps )

Jiufen Chipao Rental Shop

Photo credit: @qey89757 via Instagram

It’s becoming a recurring theme for us to dress up in kimonos or yukatas overseas when the opportunity arises. We even rented one in Taiwan’s Hinoki Village ! But when in Jiufen, it’s probably more appropriate to don a traditional Chinese outfit instead.

Head to Jiufen Chipao which provides qipaos, shoes and accessories for ladies, as well as cheongsams for men and children. The outfits only need to be returned before the shop closes at 7PM, so there’s ample time to explore Jiufen’s alleyways and stop for plenty of photos.

Cost: From ~S$35/day Opening hours: 2PM – 7PM How to get there: 1min walk from Jiufen Old Street bus stop ( Google Maps )

Jiufen and Shifen Guide

We hope that this itinerary has piqued your interest in visiting the quaint townships of Jiufen and Shifen. In today’s rapidly changing world, it’s nice to have somewhere to remind us how vibrant life used to be in the yesteryears. Not forgetting how convenient it has now become to cover these two towns on a day trip!

*Pro-tip: Remember to pre-book your Jiufen & Shifen shuttle bus or day tour via Klook for a hassle-free trip. And use <THETRAVELINTERN> for 5% off all activities (min spend S$50, discount capped at S$15).

Save up to 35% on Taipei activities : Psst… the Klook Pass Taipei lets you bundle up to six experiences from a list of 40 choices (including the Yehliu Geopark, Shifen & Jiufen day tour , Shifen sky lantern , and EasyCard ) for extra savings! 😉

Read also: 8D Taiwan Itinerary: Insider’s Guide to Hidden Adventures from Taipei to Kaohsiung via THSR

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Re Peanut Ice Cream Roll: It’s cilantro, not parsley.

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Shifen Old Street

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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SHIFEN OLD STREET: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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Getting from Taipei to Jiufen and Shifen (with pictures and times)

Dear reader: This article contains links to products and services that I may be compensated for, at no extra cost to you.

Jiufen (九份 or Jioufen) is one of the most popular day trips from Taipei and one of the top things to do in Taiwan . To learn more about why everyone loves this charming little mountaintop village so much, see my detailed guide to Jiufen Old Street .

Getting to Jiufen from Taipei is very easy, but there are quite a few different ways to do it, including direct bus, train + bus, and day tours.

It also makes sense to combine your Jiufen trip with other popular Taipei day trips in the area, like Jinguashi Gold Ecological Park , Golden Waterfall, Shifen Waterfall , Houtong Cat Village , Keelung city , Keelung Night Market , and even Yehliu Geopark if you plan it right.

Below I’ll tell you every detail you need to know on how to get to Jiufen and Shifen Waterfall from Taipei City , or how to combine all the above in one epic day trip from Taipei!

If you decide to book any of the transportation passes, shuttle buses, or tour options I recommend in this article, make sure to sign up for Klook with my referral link first to get NTD100 off your first booking! Also see these important tips for traveling in Taiwan .

Table of Contents

How to Do it all, in a Nutshell

Before we get into all the details, here’s how to plan an epic day trip from Taipei to Jiufen, Shifen Waterfall, and more.

• Ride an early train from Taipei to Ruifang (45 min)
• Transfer to the Pingxi Train Line and ride it to Shifen (30 min) for visiting Shifen Waterfall (opens 9 AM)
• Ride from Shifen to Houtong (20 min) for visiting Houtong Cat Village (skip if too rushed)
• Ride from Shifen/Houtong to Ruifang (30/5 min) and transfer to Jiufen bus (15 min) for visiting Jiufen Old Street
• Catch bus 788 going downhill from Jiufen Old Street to Keelung Station (50 min)
• Transfer to bus from Keelung station to Yehliu Geopark (50 min, closes at 5 PM, skip Yehliu if you can’t make it before closing, or take a taxi there – 30 min)
• Back to Keelung for dinner at Keelung Night Market

Taipei to Jiufen and Shifen Day Tour

Total time needed: Full day tour Total price: around TWD 1000 ( price varies)

There are some really great, cheap shuttle bus tours available that allow you to easily see Jiufen, Shifen, and other places in one day without worrying about all the transportation information.

Currently, this popular shuttle bus day tour as well as this one include Shifen, Jiufen, and other stops.

For what you get, I think these are great deals, and they save you a lot of time compared to doing it all on your own.

Hire a Private Driver

There are many reasons you might want to hire a driver for the day. Traveling with kids or elderly? Don’t want to figure out all the buses and trains? Want to see as many places as possible? Then it could be a great idea.

This deal on Klook gives you a car + driver for 8 hours, definitely enough to plan the perfect customized trip to Shifen, Jiufen, and more.

You could also rent a car and drive to Jiufen and Shifen yourself.

Train + Bus to Jiufen

Total time needed: 1 to 1.5 hours Total price: around TWD 70-100 each way

If you’re planning on traveling to Jiufen during rush hour, then taking the train to get out of Taipei then a bus for the final leg to Jiufen is the best idea.

This option is also good if you are staying near Taipei Main Station (or one of the other train stations, like Banqiao, Wanhua, Songshan, or Nangang) in Taipei.

The train takes 30-60 minutes (NTD49 to 76) depending on which type of train your catch. There are more than 30 per day, so you can pretty much just show up anytime and catch the next one, but you can also find the current times on the Taiwan railway site .

If you catch one called LOCAL TRAIN, there are no seat reservations. PUYUMA EXPRESS requires a seat reservation (no standing ticket allowed). Other types allow seat reservation or standing ticket.

After you arrive at Ruifang, simply cross the street in front of the train station and walk about 200 meters to the left (east) on Mingdeng Rd. to this bus stop just past the police station. Make sure to get the bus on the police station side; the bus stop across the street from the police station is for buses from Ruifang to Taipei

Catch bus 827, 856 (Taiwan Tourism bus), 788, 825, 965, or 1062 (NTD15-20) for the final 10 to 15-minute ride from Ruifang to Jiufen. The buses usually say Jiufen/Jinguashi in English on the front.

There are two stops you can get off at in Jiufen. The first is the Jiufen police station (九份派出所), where you’ll find the small Jiufen Visitor’s Center and a staircase that leads directly up to Amei Teahouse (Jiufen’s most famous attraction). Note that bus 1062 (the Taipei to Jiufen bus) doesn’t stop here, but all the others do.

The more popular stop to get off is two stops later, Jiufen Old Street (九分老街), and just about everyone will get off here. After you get off the bus, follow the road uphill about 85 meters to find the entrance to the old street beside 7-Eleven.

This method of getting to Jiufen has more variables in terms of price and time, and note that the train from Taipei to Ruifang (or pretty much anywhere) can be REALLY packed on weekends. On weekdays, you can often get a seat on the train without reserving one.

If you’re determined to get a seat on the train, a smart thing to do is to get on at Banqiao or Wanhua, before the train reaches Taipei Main Station, but of course that takes longer and still won’t guarantee you a seat, just a better chance. If you really, really care about getting a seat, you can even reserve one on some trains, but personally I wouldn’t bother for such a short ride. They never sell out.

You can pay for the train and bus rides with an EasyCard . Make sure to swipe when you enter and exit the train station, and when you get on and again when you get off the bus.

For returning from Jiufen to Ruifang, note that the bus stop is in a different location. From the entrance to the Old Street, don’t go downhill to where you got off the bus when you arrived. Instead, walk about 100 meters further uphill along the main road for the Jiufen to Ruifang & Taipei bus stop (see picture of bus stop in the #3 section below).

Get off the bus at Ruifang Train Station (瑞芳火車站), and walk 200 meters in the same direction the bus was heading to reach Ruifang train station.

Taipei to Ruifang train times

Trains from Taipei to Ruifang leave throughout the day, from around 5:15 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. They come every 15-45 minutes, with the morning generally having more frequent departures.

Check the current departure times for your date of travel on the Taiwan Railway website .

You can swipe your EasyCard when you board and get off these trains, so there’s no need to buy a ticket.

Direct Bus from Taipei to Jiufen

Total time needed: 1 –2 hours (depends on traffic) Total price: NTD 100

Probably the most convenient option for traveling to Jiufen on your own is to take the direct bus from Taipei to Jiufen. Once you get on, you’re guaranteed a seat, and it’s smooth sailing directly to Jiufen. There are two possible bus choices from Taipei to Jiufen: 1062 and the newer 965.

If you have a Taipei Unlimited Fun Pass (buy pass here), it should work for bus 965 but not for 1062. The pass works for all Taipei City/ New Taipei City buses that have 1-3 digits, but doesn’t work for 4-digit buses.

The most popular is bus from Taipei to Jiufen is bus 1062 , operated by the Keelung bus company, traveling directly from Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT station to Jiufen, continuing to the terminal stop, Quanji Temple a few stops past Jinguashi Gold Ecological Park, before returning to Taipei on the same route.

To find the bus stop for Jiufen , simply go out exit 2 of Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT, turning left when you reach the top of the escalators, and walk about 50 meters south on Fuxing South Road (復興南路), the road which has the MRT line running above the street. You will most likely see a long line of people waiting for the Jiufen bus.

The only downside to this bus is that the line can be really long at peak hours (late morning and all afternoon). You might have to wait for one or two to pass before you can get on. If the line is really long when you arrive, you can always take a taxi to Jiufen (see below). Also note, there’s no toilet on the bus.

When I took this bus recently, I arrived at 7:30 a.m., and there were only five people in line. But when I got to Jiufen around 8:45, most of the shops weren’t open yet (they mostly open around 10). This was fine, though, as I went directly to Amei tea house (opens at 8:30 a.m.). I had the famous teashop almost entirely to myself, but in the daytime it becomes very busy. There’s no way to book a table anymore – you just have to wait in line.

A second, lesser-known choice for taking a bus from Taipei to Jiufen is bus #965 . You can board this bus here at Fuzhong MRT exit 1, here at Banqiao MRT exit 2, here at Wanhua Railway Station, here at Ximen MRT exit 2, or here at Beimen MRT exit 2.

The fare from Banqiao or Taipei to Jiufen is NTD90. This bus runs from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. (weekdays) and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (weekends), coming every 30-40 minutes (peak hours) and 40-60 minutes (off-peak hours). Since fewer people know about this bus, the lines may be shorter at peak times.

The easiest way to pay for any bus to Jiufen is with an EasyCard ; just make sure you have enough money loaded onto it before your trip. You can also pay by exact cash. Remember to swipe when getting on and again when you get off.

  You can also order a traditional Chinese Qipao in advance for taking photos in Jiufen!

Taipei to Jiufen bus times

The bus times for Taipei to Jiufen on this route can be found here (click “timetable”). Last time I checked, the bus’s first and last departures from Taipei are 8:00 a.m and 5:10 p.m. (subject to change).

Taking the bus from Jiufen to Taipei

As described in the previous section, to take the bus from Jiufen back to Ruifang or Taipei, walk 75 meters uphill from the entrance to the Jiufen Old Street to find the well-marked bus stop (picture above). Buses 1062 or 965 go all the way back to Taipei (965 goes all the way to Ximen and Banqiao as well) and have signs on the front in English.

Once reaching Taipei City, if you’re bored of sitting on the bus, you can get off at Songshan MRT station instead of riding all the way back to Zhongxiao Fuxing.

Tourist Shuttle Bus

Total time needed: 1 to 1.5 hours Total price: Free if you have a Taipei Unlimited Fun Pass or Taipei Fun Transport Pass , similar to taking regular buses if you use an EasyCard

Just a heads up, this section is going to be a little complicated. Taiwan Tourism is really good at making things complicated and not providing much info.

It is possible to take a Taiwan Tourism shuttle bus from Taipei’s Muzha MRT station station directly to Shifen Waterfall (bus #785). There is also a bus (#856) from Ruifang train station (you’ll need to ride the train there first) to Jiufen. However, there is no shuttle bus running from Shifen to Jiufen, so you can’t visit both places in one day by shuttle bus alone.

Visitors who purchase a Taipei Unlimited Fun Pass or Taipei Fun Transport Pass can ride these shuttle buses for free. The Unlimited Fun Pass includes entrance to 16 major attractions, unlimited Taipei and New Taipei City buses and MRT rides, and the five tourist shuttles. The Taipei Fun Transport Pass is for the transportation only, not the 16 attractions. Read by guide to using Taipei Fun Passes to find out if either of these passes are really worth the money for you.

For Jiufen, you’ll need to first pay to get from Taipei to Ruifang on the train (NTD 49-76, not included on the Fun Pass). The bus stops at the same spot as all the other buses to Jiufen (see picture and details in section 3 below).

After visiting Jiufen and Jinguashi, you can ride this shuttle bus further to some other cool spots, including Bitoujiao, Longdong, and Fulong Beach, or you can return to Ruifang on it. Read more about all these places in my Taipei day trips article .

However, this shuttle DOES NOT go to Shifen. If you wanted to visit Shifen as well on the same day, you’d have to take the same shuttle back to Ruifang, then take the Pingxi train to reach Shifen. For the Pingxi train, you can pay for a single ride, swipe an EasyCard , or buy an all-day Pinxi train line pass (NTD80) if you plan to make a couple stops.

For Shifen , shuttle bus #795 travels from Muzha MRT station in Taipei to Jingtong, Pingxi, Shifen Old Street, and Shifen Waterfall.

So if you want to visit Jiufen and Shifen in one day, which shuttle bus should you take? I think it depends on where you are coming from in Taipei. If going to Muzha MRT is more convenient, then maybe you can take the Muzha-Pingxi shuttle bus first, ride it to Shifen Old Street and/or Shifen Waterfall. From there, take the Pingxi train to Ruifang, and transfer to the Gold Fulong Shuttle bus to Jiufen (or any regular bus to Jiufen, also included with your pass).

If you want to depart from Taipei Main Station, first take the train to Ruifang, shuttle or regular bus to Jiufen and back, then Pingxi train to Shifen. At the end, you can return to Taipei by going back to Ruifang, or take the other shuttle bus to Muzha MRT.

So who should use these shuttle buses? Well, if you’ve decided to get the Unlimited Fun Pass anyway , then it only makes sense to use these shuttle buses for visiting Jiufen and/or Shifen. But your pass also gives you free rides on all buses in Taipei, New Taipei City and Keelung, so you can hop any local bus to Jiufen or Shifen if it comes first! But it’s important to note that Unlimited Fun Passes DON’T include buses with 4-digit numbers. For example, you can’t use your pass to board the 1062 bus to Jiufen, but there are several others with 3-digits that you can use (see below).

The only downside is that the shuttle buses don’t go to all the stops on the Pingxi line, but you can always just hop on the Pingxi train if you need to. For example, to travel from Shifen to Ruifang or any of the stops between, the Pingxi train is your only option.

If you don’t plan to get a Taipei Unlimited Fun Pass, then you can still ride these shuttle buses, but you’ll have to swipe an EasyCard just like normal buses, and rides cost NTD 15-90, depending on how far you go.

Taking a Taxi from Taipei to Jiufen

Total time needed: around 45 minutes Total price: $1000-1200 per vehicle (each way) or 300-400 per person (for larger taxis that fit more people, you may get a seat for as low as 200 per person as we once did).

Taipei taxi drivers are smart and know that some people will get bored of waiting in that long line for the bus to Jiufen at Zhongxiao Fuxing, especially at peak times. They will stand around and try to pool people together for a ride.

I’ve done this with my friends before, and it’s not a terrible deal if you just want to skip the line and get to Jiufen quickly. You can try to barter with them a little, but they aren’t likely to go down much.

Getting from Taipei to Jinguashi

All the Jiufen buses from Taipei and Ruifang continue another 10 minutes to Jinguashi (金瓜石), site of the Jinguashi Gold Ecological Park. It’s a much less crowded attraction than Jiufen, and like Jiufen it features impressive views of the coast (the views at Jinguashi are even better, I would say).

Jinguashi is also the starting point of a great hike to Teapot Mountain (pictured above), which takes 1-2 hours. Another really cool attraction at Jinguashi is the Golden Waterfall.

Make sure to get off at Jinguashi Gold Ecological Museum (金瓜石黃金博物館) stop for the entrance to the Gold Ecological Park; most buses actually continue for two more little stops before they turn around.

Getting from Taipei to Shifen

Shifen, a small town on the Pingxi train line, is another extremely popular day trip from Taipei, and since it is relatively close to Jiufen, it makes sense to do both on one day.

To get to Shifen, simply take any train from Taipei to Ruifang (30 min to 1 hour, NTD 49-76), as described above. At Ruifang, you’ll arrive at either platform 1 or 2, and you’ll have to cross underground to platform #3, where the Pingxi train sets off (check the signs, because this could change).

The train from Ruifang to Shifen takes 12 minutes and costs NTD15. It only departs about once per hour; you may want to take a train from Taipei that has a good connection time so don’t have to wait a long time while transferring at Ruifang.

From Shifen station, it’s a 15-minute walk to the awe-inspiring Shifen Waterfall, the widest waterfall in Taiwan.

As I mentioned earlier, this shuttle bus tour and this one are great deal that includes both Shifen Waterfall and Jiufen, with return transportation from Taipei.

Getting from Shifen to Jiufen

If you’re visiting both in one day, I recommend visiting Shifen first because it opens at 9 AM. Most shops in Jiufen don’t open until 10 or 11 AM.

After visiting Shifen waterfall, walk back to Shifen train station. Ride the train back to Ruifang. Then exit the train station and follow the directions I described above for getting to Jiufen by bus. If you’re going the opposite direction (Jiufen to Shifen), just do the same thing in reverse!

For more information on your visit to Jiufen, don’t miss my guide to Jiufen and Jinguashi .

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50 thoughts on “Getting from Taipei to Jiufen and Shifen (with pictures and times)”

Are there taxis available from Ruifang station to Jiufen? If it’s only a 10-15 min bus ride, taxi may be easier for us to travel with a 5 yo.

Yes, they are waiting in front of the train station!

Hello, what station I get off in shifen when riding the train from Ruifang?

The station is called Shifen 🙂

Walk to end of bus stop farthest from Beimen MRT exit #2 to catch bus #965.

Thanks for the info!

Thank you Nick. Can confirm on 22/01/20 I used the info to get train from Taipei Main to Jiufen. I don’t agree that you can “show up anytime at a HSR station and get on the next train”. We tried to do this yesterday and the next one was in more than 2± hours. So, we had to change our plans to go today. So, I highly recommend checking timetables. Once you’re at Ruifang, it was easy and services are frequent, just like Nick says. Really enjoyed my time there. Hope you do too.

Hi Nicole, thanks for you comments! What do you mean that the next HSR was in more that 2+ hours? The HSR is running every 30 minutes or more, so I’m guessing that what you mean is you couldn’t get a reserved seat on the next departing HSR. However, if you choose a “non-reserved” seat, you can get on any train, even one that is leaving in 5 minutes. There is no limit to how many non-reserved tickets they will sell. However, in really busy times (like Lunar New Year), if too many people buy non-reserved tickets, then there could be a line to board the train, but even when I did this once during the New Year holiday, we only had to wait about 30 minutes. Also, the HSR doesn’t go to Ruifang (or you are talking about two different trips?) Thanks for bringing this up this though, as this is important information for all travelers to know about it!

Hi, if I choose to stay 1 night in Jiufen, and I want to visit Keelung (night market) and Shifen (old street and waterfall), can you recommend me the best route, please? Thanks 🙂

Hi Devy, if you want to visit both in one day, I suggest you go to Shifen first. Take the bus from Jiufen to Ruifang train station (10-15 minutes) then take the Pingxi railway line to Shifen station. After you see the waterfall, you can take the train back to Ruifang Station. From Ruifang, there are several ways to reach Keelung (try GoogleMaps to see the best one when you are there). The fastest is probably taking another train to Badu, then transferring to the train to Keelung. There are also buses from Ruifang to Keelung. I think you should do Keelung last, so you can enjoy the night market there. It actually starts in the afternoon, but has more food in the evening. Enjoy your trip!

Hi Nick, I was confuse about the unlimited fun pass information. I’m planning to get to Rufiang Station from Taipei Main Station, do I have to pay a MRT ride to go there? Or, I can use my Unlimited Fun Pass?

The MRT does not go to Ruifang. Only the regular train or buses go there. If you are going from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang, you can just take the regular train to go there, but unfortunately regular trains are not included on the Taipei Unlimited Fun Pass. So you’ll need to pay for that train ride, but it’s really cheap. Then you can use your Unlimited Fun Pass for the bus from Ruifang to Jiufen.

I hope that answers your question!

Thank you Nick.

I’ve read from your updated Unlimited Fun Pass and also from the Klook site that there are 5 tourist shuttles added to the pass. So from Taipei you can take the MRT to Muzha station, then take the Muzha-Pingxi Route. This bus will go all the way to Shifen Tourist Center. Then from Shifen to Jiufen can take the bus as you suggested (also paid for by the Unlimited Fun pass).

So this would be a lot easier?

Hi Thao, sorry I missed this comment from a few weeks ago. Yes, you can use the Taipei Unlimited Fun Pass for the shuttle from Muzha to Shenfen. From Shifen to Jiufen, you’ll have to first ride the Pingxi Small Train from Shifen station to Ruifang Station (trains aren’t included on the pass, so this won’t be included). Then you can ride the Jiufen tourist shittle from Ruifang to Jiufen (included on the pass).

we would like to spend the night in Jiufen, then head to Hualien the next morning. What is the best way to get from Juifen to hualien? Will be travelling mid week in April. Thanks,

From Jiufen Old Street, it is only 10 min by bus or taxi to Ruifang train station, where you can catch a train to Hualien (1 hr 45 min to 2.5 hrs). The trains sometimes sell out, especially faster ones, so it’s better to buy a ticket in advance. But if you don’t mind to stand on the train, you can buy a standing ticket even if the train is sold out. Be careful for April 1-5, which is a 5-day holiday, so it will be extremely busy.

Hi Nick, thanks so much for all the info that you share, it is a godsend for me as I am planning our first trip to Taiwan. I have the exact question as well about travelling from Jiufen to Hualien. Can you kindly share where/how I can buy the train tickets? Planning to travel this leg on first week of March.

From Jiufen, take the bus or taxi back to Ruifang train station (10 min). Then take a train from Ruifang to Hualien. You can search the train times on the Taiwan trains website. https://tip.railway.gov.tw/tra-tip-web/tip?lang=EN_US Express trains like Puyuma, Taroko, or Tze Chiang 3000 must be reserved in advance (up to 4 weeks), no standing ticket allowed. Local or Fast Local can’t be booked, just swipe easycard and sit or stand anywhere. And others like Chukuang or Tze Chiang (all numbers except 3000) have bookable seats or you can stand if they’re all sold out.

hello! what is the fastest way to get from yehliu geopark to jiufen old street?

First, bus from Yehliu to Keelung (about 45 min). Several buses going past Yehliu go to Keelung. In Keelung, hop on bus 788 to Jiufen Old Street. You can use GoogleMaps to find the exact bus stop location.

May I know if renting a car for a day trip to Yehliu Geopark, Shifen Waterfall, Shifen Old Street, Golden Waterfall and Jiufen Old Street ideal? I am concern about parking at these places. Are there parking lots at all of these places of interests? 🙂 Thank you!

All those places have parking lots, but you’ll need to walk a ways from them (for example Shifen parking lot to watertfall is about a 15 min walk). Jiufen Old Street you’ll see parking lots on either side of the road for pay as you are driving up to the village. Golden Waterfall has a small parking lot at the side of the road and you can see the waterfall right beside the road. Yehliu has a very large parking lot.

Hi Nick, first of all, thank you for all the information you’ve been sharing about Taiwan (especially travelling with a child). We are planning to visit Taiwan in July (taking into consideraion the weather and temperature). From Taipei, we are planning to visit Fulong beach for a day and then head on to Jiufen to spend a night ( to be able to witness the lights). In the following day, we are planning to visit Heping Island in Keelung and other toursit spots there before going back to Taipei. Do you think it’s possible? Also, we are travelling on a budget and plan to use public transportation. Are there buses from Fulong beach to Jiufen? Appreciate your help. Thank you.

Hi there, it’s certainly possible, but just heads up that it will be super hot during the daytime, especially going to Fulong during the mid-day. Make sure to bring lots of protection from the sun. For Fulong to Jiufen, you can ride the train from Fulong Station to Ruifang station, then take the bus or taxi from there to Jiufen (10 minutes). For Jiufen to Heping island, there are several ways you could go (you can use GoogleMaps for the directions), but one good one is bus 788 from Jiufen to Keelung (50 min), then ride the Keelung tourist shuttle 99 to Heping Island.

We are planning to travelling to Yehliu Geopark, Heping Island, Jiufen and Shifen. Would you recommend to travel by public transport if we would like to be back by Taipei during evening time?

That would be quite tight, and need to spend a lot of time on buses. You need 1 hour bus from Taipei to Yehliu, then 1 to 1.5 hours of bus to Heping Island (including change buses in Kenting), another 1.5 to 2 hrs from Heping Island to Jiufen including bus, train, and bus transfer, then bus and train transfer from Jiufen to Shifen, and finally 2 trains back to Taipei. It’s really a lot! I would suggest you hire a driver, break this into two day trips, or remove 1 or 2 stops from your schedule if you want to be back by early evening.

Hi Nick, my family is planning to visit Yehliu Geopark, Shifen Waterfall, Shifen Old Street and Jiufen Old Street. May I know what’s the recommended way to get from Yehliu Geopark to Shifen? Thanks in advance! 🙂

Unfortunately there’s no really simple and direct route between these two places. It will probably take you about two hours, and you’ll most likely have to take a bus, another bus, and then a train. There are a variety of possible bus/train combinations, so it will depend on exactly what time you are going. You can use GoogleMaps to tell you the exact bus/train route, times, and bus stop locations at the time you are going. It is quite reliable.

Thanks for all the information you’ve been kindly sharing everyone thus far. It has been really informative and helpful!

We were planning to head down from Jiufen to Keelung Night Market via Bus 788, per your recommendation.

Might you know what are the bus timing schedules for this route? Or if you might be aware of the last bus on a weekday?

Thank you so much in advance!

I never really check bus times in Taiwan. The buses tend to come fairy frequently, and sometimes don’t stick to their exact schedule, so I just wait and they usually come pretty quickly. But if you want to try, simply use GoogleMaps for this information. I’ve never tried it, but some people say the Bus+ app is even better. This page will tell you exactly where the bus is now, but the stops are in Mandarin only. https://ebus.gov.taipei/EBus/VsSimpleMap?routeid=0400078800 You would need to first click “towards Keelung” (往基隆) at the top. Jiufen Old Street stop is 九份老街. From this image, you can see the bus is coming every 15-20 min at peak times and 25 to 30 min non peak times, last bus departing Jinguashi (10 min before Jiufen) around 10 PM. https://www.google.com/search?q=%E4%B9%9D%E4%BB%BD%E5%9F%BA%E9%9A%86788%E5%85%AC%E8%BB%8A&rlz=1C5CHFA_enCA988CA988&sxsrf=APwXEdccZTtw_3yQ9XtEOo6mEOyWF0FJzA:1685024804558&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjD_abH1pD_AhVKGzQIHYvbCWsQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1331&bih=664&dpr=2#imgrc=6FBnTPsqxPKxxM

Hello, Nick 🙂 is it possible to start a journey via Pingxi Branch Rail Line from Jingtong Station and finish in Ruifang? We’d like to visit Shifen, then Jiufen and Keelung in the evening but don’t like the idea of going from Ruifang and backwards. I’m just wondering if it’s possible to start at the last stop 🙂

Yes, you can certainly do that! Would you just take the bus to Jingtong to begin?

Hi Nick, Thanks for sharing all the information!! I am going to Taiwan this end of month. Can i use Easy card to pay for bus 756 (DaNan Rd Intersection to Beimen Station) and bus 965 (frm Beimen to Jiufen Old Street)?? And can you recommend where can i buy some Taiwan snack for souvenir like pineapple tart around Shilin area? Thank you so much in advance!!

Yes, you can use EasyCard for these buses. The easiest way to buy souvenir snacks is at the airport before leaving. I’m afraid I don’t know any specific pineapple cake shops or bakeries in Shilin, but you can find many in central Taipei, just search 鳳梨酥 on GoogleMaps. There are also several articles on Google recommending the best ones.

Hi Nick, Thank you for sharing your wealth of information on taiwan! I am planning to visit jiu fen and shifen (for the sky lanterns, not so much for waterfalls) and maybe Jinguashi Gold Ecological Park and keelung night market this december with old folks and 2 young kids (2 and 4 yo) total 6 pax. Which method of travelling do you recommend and do you think i should do it over 2 separate days?

This is an extremely popular day trip that also every visitor to Taiwan does, or at least some variation of it. You could do it in one day, but it will be a long day, and maybe tiring for your old folks and kids. If you hired a drive for the day, that would be more useful. Budget one hour for driving to Jiufen, 2 hours to visit there (including lots of walking and stairs, and it’s usually quite crowded there), 15 minutes driving to Gold Ecological Park, 2 hours to visit there, 1 hour to drive to Shifen, 1 hour to visit it, 30 min to drive to Keelung, 1.5 hours to visit it, then 1 hour drive back to Taipei. So that means your day could be around 12 hours in total. If you started at 7 AM, you wouldn’t get back to your hotel until around 7 PM. And that’s by driving. If you want to use public transportation, then it would take even longer and be more tiring. Therefore, if possible, you will probably want to split this into two days, or maybe remove one of the stops.

Thank you for the detailed infor above.

From Shifen to Jiu Fen, once I get out of the station, I will need to hop on bus 965 or 1062 to Jiu Fen Old Street?

From Shifen, you will first take the train to Ruifang Station. From there, cross the street, turn left, and walk about 1 block to the bus stop. Then you can take 965, 1062, or others to Jiufen Old Street.

hi the shuttle bus link dont work

Thanks, I fixed it!

hi nick, thank you so much for your post! is it possible / easy to get taxis around eg. from yehliu to shifen or from shifen to jiufen? do you know how much on average it costs?

There are usually no taxis waiting around at Yehliu or Shifen, because they are a little far from any big cities. There are usually some at Jiufen Old Street entrance though.

Hi Nick, just seeking clarification. I can drop off at Shifen station if i want to go to the place for release of sky lantern?

Yes, that is correct. You can also release sky lanterns at Pingxi Station and Jingtong Station, but Shifen Station is the most popular.

Hi Nick, Thanks for sharing wonderful information about Taiwan. hope you can advise on the following as can’t seem to find on Google: 1) for a party of 6pax in.. teens, is it hard to get on buses from Taipei/Ruifang to Jiu Fen? Any bus that is less crowded so we can all board together on same bus since travelling with kids/teens

2) What about from JiuFen to Taipei or Ruifang? Am worried we can’t get on buses together and we don’t want to split up our group of 6 with teens and understand that no standing allowed on Taiwan buses , if am not wrong?

3) Any idea what is the off peak season for buses for both To Jiu fen and from You fen to Taipei/Ruifang (noted that you said shops open from 10am )

4) is it possible to get an Uber from Jiu Fen to Taipei or Ruifang ? If so, any idea of estimated cost? Thanks a lot!

Hi Nick Thanks for sharing so much information. Just wondering if you know if a party of 6 (including teens) will be able to get on buses from Taipei/Ruifang to Jiu fen and from Jiu Fen to Taipei/Ruifang bus? Also, which are the less crowded timings? Thanks!

Yes, you just have to join the line and get on the next bus. Even at the busiest times, the wait won’t be too long. To avoid the worst crowds, visit Jiufen around 10 AM to noon (most shops open around 10, so it won’t be interesting if you go before that), or around 5 to 9 PM, when the crowds start to go home and the lanterns turn on.

Hi Nick, are luggage allowed on either Bus 965/1062? If I am going to Ximending, Bus 965 is the better choice?

I don’t remember that these buses had luggage storage space below. So it’s possible you would need to carry the luggage on board and hold it. If this is too difficult, you can consider to take the train followed by taxi from Ruifang.

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World of Waterfalls

Explore The World One Waterfall At A Time

Shifen Waterfall (十分大瀑布 [Shífēn Dà Pùbù])

Pingxi district / sandiaoling valley / keelung / taipei, xinbei (new taipei city), taiwan, about shifen waterfall (十分大瀑布 [shífēn dà pùbù]), waterfaller safety & common sense: don't ruin it for everyone else.

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The Shifen Waterfall (十分大瀑布 [Shífēn Dà Pùbù]) was mostly likely Taiwan’s most famous waterfall as it was seemingly very reachable from the major population centers (namely Taipei and Keelung).

It was a major waterfall permanently falling some 20m high and 40m wide on the Keelung River (基隆河 [Jīlóng Hé]).

In fact, it was said to be the widest waterfall in Taiwan .

Thus, it had a bit of a horseshoe shape at its crest (common in most broad waterfalls), which even earned it the nickname the “Little Niagara of Taiwan”.

That said, I tend to think of the shape of Shifen Waterfall as being closer Cumberland Falls (i.e. the “Niagara of the South”) without the Autumn colors.

As you can see from photo above, the timing of our first visit (in November 2016) couldn’t have been better as we were treated to a bright bold rainbow refracting the sun’s rays in the waterfall’s mist right before its drop.

With this being the last waterfall in Taiwan that we visited in our trip in Autumn 2016, it whetted my appetite for more waterfalling experiences in the republic despite our waterfall fatigue.

That said, we came back almost 7 years later in July 2023, where we showed up at roughly the same time in the morning, but the rainbows didn’t arc across the falls in the same way due to the sun’s different position in Summer.

The Recent History of the Shifen Waterfall

Like the real Niagara Falls , there was a bit of a history with the Shifen Waterfall.

In the past, the area was privately owned and the owners would fleece visitors to see it while building kitschy infrastructures completely irrelevant to the natural experience.

This was not unlike how Niagara Falls in its early days was developed and even exploited.

And while its more famous North American brethren still had a Las Vegas meets Mother Nature kind of feel to it (despite its undeniable grandeur), at least the smaller Shifen Waterfall retained much of its naturesque scenery.

I believe the Taipei government managed to assume control of the area (apparently this happened not too long ago) and they went in this direction.

So now, we were able to experience the falls with a very well-built trail featuring plenty of lookouts to view it from all sorts of angles.

Perhaps the only down side was the area had limited hours from 9am to 4:30pm (as of our November 2016 visit) meaning that there would be no way to beat the rush.

Indeed, we had to share this place with hundreds of other people despite our early arrival at 8am on that first visit (we showed up closer to 9am on our second visit).

Experiencing the Shifen Waterfall – The Shortest Way

There are actually three ways that I’m aware of to experience the Shifen Waterfall.

The first (and shortest) way was to start from a small car park near the Yanjingdong Waterfall (眼鏡洞瀑布 [Yǎnjìngdòng Pùbù]; Eyeglasses Waterfall).

By the way, this waterfall was interesting in that it caused an underlying ridge over which the water flowed, which gave it the appearance of flowing over an elephant’s trunk.

Normally water finds its way around such formations, but this one actually stayed on the trunk before joining up with the Keelung River, and this effect can be easily seen when this waterfall has lower flow.

Anyways, this approach descended from a small food stall area into a small garden, where it then joined up with a trail that went onto a long suspension bridge above the aforementioned Yanjingdong Waterfall.

Once across this bridge (which parallels the Pingxi Railway), the path then continues east into a larger food and drink stand area.

The controlled part of the Shifen Waterfall begins right near the brink of the Shifen Falls.

Therefore, the refreshments area as well as the Yanjingdong Falls were not as limited by opening and closing times, which the controlled area strictly observes.

Of course, the best part of viewing the Shifen Waterfall continues another 300m further to the east, where there are multi-level lookouts with a direct look at the entire width of the falls with the chance of catching a morning rainbow.

After having your fill of these views, there are steps leading back up to the brink of the falls to complete a small loop.

From there, you can return to the car park, which would mean roughly 1.2km round-trip of gentle walking when all is said and done.

Experiencing the Shifen Waterfall – The Long Loop

From the way the trail seemed to be routed, it looked like the authorities really wanted you to spend your time doing this loop in a counterclockwise manner, which would build up to the Shifen Waterfall towards the end.

This method starts at one of a handful of car parks, which all the signs lead you towards, with the furthest car park located across from a restroom facility (and often road barricades prevent you from driving any further past the car park).

This car park can be self-served, especially if you have money stored in a 悠遊卡 (Yōuyóu kǎ) or Easycard.

Anyways, from this point, you could walk east along the road for about 1.3km or so to the actual gate and entrance to the Shifen Waterfall Park (i.e. the “controlled area”).

From there, you’d then continue another 500m or so descending towards the lookout area described above.

After having your fill of the falls, you could then walk towards the Yanjingdong Waterfall (basically part of the shortest way route described above).

Once at the waterfall, you’d then descend the suspension bridge leading to another trail that follows the Keelung River before crossing another long bridge eventually returning to the restroom facility and originating car park.

This last stretch from the Shifen Falls back to the car park was roughly 1.2km.

For the record, on our November 2016 visit, we actually did a combination of the shortest method with the long loop as we did the whole loop backwards even though we didn’t have to do it that way.

Experiencing the Shifen Waterfall – The In-Between Out-and-Back Option

Finally, the last method also involves starting and ending at the same car park described in the Long Loop Method above.

However, instead of hiking the entire loop, you only have to do an out-and-back hike to take in the Yanjingdong Waterfall and the best parts of the Shifen Waterfall before turning back.

This was the way we did it on our July 2023 visit.

According to my GPS trip logs, this out-and-back route was 2.4km round-trip, which sits right in between the shortest method and the long loop (and hence why I call this the “in-between out-and-back option”).

Interestingly, during our July 2023 visit, I remembered overhearing on the long suspension bridge over the Keelung River a tour guide telling her large Chinese tour group that this route I’m describing here is the way foreigners tend to take.

While most tour bus groups do the short way, this in-between out-and-back method is roughly double that short way in distance.

This is probably what caused the tour guide to make her remark (especially since the parking signs point you in this way).

Nevertheless, in all of our visits to the Shifen Waterfall (regardless of route), we devoted between 1-2 hours away from the car.

Authorities

The Shifen Waterfall resides in the Pingxi District near the cities of Taipei and Keelung in Xinbei (New Taipei City), Taiwan. It may be administered by the Pingxi District Government. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting this website .

Although we took a more scenic route from Taipei City along the Hwy 106 towards the Shifen Waterfall, we’ll describe a more straightforward and faster driving route in this section.

Later, we’ll describe the approach from Keelung , which was the biggest neighboring city to the Shifen Waterfall.

Driving from Taipei to the Shifen Waterfall

So from the junction of the National Expressway 3 and the National Expressway 1 (east of Taipei City ), we would keep going east towards Keelung along National Expressway 1.

However, we would then exit the National Expressway 1 to go onto the exit 2-八堵 (characters pronounced “bādǔ”) towards the Tai-2丁線 (characters pronounced “dīngxiàn”) towards Ruifang or 瑞芳 [Ruìfāng].

This exit was near the interchange for the Tai-62 Expressway.

Next, we’d turn right onto Shuiyan Road (also labeled as Tai-2丙 where the character was pronounced “bǐng”).

We would then take the Tai-2丙 Highway south for about 10km before turning right onto an access road to the Highway 106 (called 平雙產業道路 [Píngshuāng Chǎnyè Dào Lù]).

After another 400m, we’d then turn right onto Hwy 106 and follow it for 600m before reaching a fork.

Keeping right at the fork would lead another 300m to one of the main car parks (toll required) right across the street from the visitor center.

However, keeping left at the fork to remain on the Hwy 106 would lead another 600m to the signed turnoff and car park for the Yanjingdong Waterfall and “exit” for the Shifen Waterfall Loop Trail on the right.

Overall, this 32km drive would take about 30-45 minutes depending on traffic.

Driving from Keelung to the Shifen Waterfall

If we were coming from Keelung , we could take the Tai-5 before exiting at the Tai-2丁 (the character is pronounced “dīng”).

We’d then follow the Tai-2丁 as it became the Tai-2丙.

Next, we’d continue on the Tai-2丙 as in the directions given above and follow those directions the rest of the way to the Shifen Waterfall.

Overall, this 15km drive would take about 30 minutes depending on traffic.

The Possibility of taking Mass Transit to the Shifen Waterfall

Finally, given that we saw a railway passed by the Shifen Waterfall area, we’re aware that there’s the Pingxi Railway line (平溪線 [Píngxī Xiàn]) that can be boarded from Taipei and taken to the Old Street in Shifen Town (十分老街 [Shífēn Lǎojiē]).

From there, it would be about a kilometer walk to get to the Shifen Waterfall complex.

Then, we could walk the 2.4km loop to fully experience the falls without needing a car (something not necessarily desirable when staying in Taipei ).

This might be something we’ll do the next time we’re in the area though we can’t divulge any more details on it until we’ve actually done this.

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Right to left sweep from the ascent up to the swinging bridge with a look at Yanjingdong Waterfall

Checking out the falls from a couple of different mid-level lookouts

Long video checking out the falls from many different positions

Video showing how busy it got by the brink of the falls

Sweep showing the Shifen Waterfall with rainbow from a few different spots around the steps and the viewing shelter

Sweep starting from an elevated top down look over the falls' brink and profile before making my way down to the very brink of the falls. In the background was a recording on loudspeaker that played just when the park opened

Checking out the Yanjingdong (Eyeglasses) Waterfall from beneath the bridges while we were waiting for Shifen Waterfall to open

Short sweep showing some other small but wide waterfall well upstream of the main Shifen Waterfall

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Shifen Waterfall Transportation Guide: 7 Ways to Easily Reach Taiwan's Version of Niagara Falls!

Transportation options to shifen waterfall 1. self-driving, transportation options to shifen waterfall 2. high-speed rail / train, transportation options to shifen waterfall 3. bus, transportation options to shifen waterfall 4. mrt, transportation options to shifen waterfall 5. shuttle bus, transportation options to shifen waterfall 6. charter service.

• Search for ""Shifen Waterfall"" card, what questions do PTT users want to know?

Choose tripool charter service for a convenient trip to Shifen Waterfall!

The Shifen Waterfall, located in Pingxi District, New Taipei City, is a very famous waterfall attraction in Taiwan. It is also one of the must-visit spots for many people who go on a day trip to Jiufen and Pingxi.

The Shifen Waterfall has a drop of about 40 meters and is currently the largest curtain-style waterfall in Taiwan. When the water falls, it is majestic, earning it the nickname ""Taiwan's version of Niagara Falls""! There is also a natural cave below the rushing waterfall, where visitors can walk into the cave to admire the waterfall. It has always been a dream destination for many tourists.

There are several transportation options from Taipei to Shifen Waterfall. You can choose to drive by yourself, take the high-speed rail, train, bus, or arrange for a private car transfer.

If you are driving to Shifen Waterfall from Taipei, you can take

National Highway No. 1

Get off at Badu Interchange → Take Provincial Highway No. 62 towards Ruifang → Get off at Ruifang Interchange → Take Provincial Highway No. 2D → Take City Road No. 106 to reach Shifen Waterfall.

National Highway No. 3

Get off at Nangang System Interchange - National Highway No. 5 - Get off at Shiding Interchange - City Road No. 106B - City Road No. 106, to reach Shifen Waterfall.

How to get from Taipei to Shifen Waterfall

If you are from Taipei or other western counties, you can take the high-speed rail or train to Shifen Waterfall. After arriving at Taipei Station:

Transfer to Taiwan Railways to Ruifang or Badu Station → Transfer to Taiwan Railways to Shifen Station.

Transfer to Taipei Metro to Muzha Station → Transfer to Taipei Bus 795 (towards Pingxi) to Shifen Visitor Center.

Passengers from Taipei can also take the Taiwan Railways train from Songshan Station to Shifen Station.

How to get to Shifen Waterfall from other cities and counties

If you are traveling from the eastern counties and heading north, you can also get off at Houtong, Sandiaoling, or Ruifang and transfer to Shifen Station to reach your destination.

Timetables: High-Speed Rail Timetable and Fare Inquiry     Taiwan Railways Train Timetable     Taipei Metro Fare and Timetable

If you want to take a bus to Shifen Waterfall, you can choose to take the Taipei Metro to Muzha Station → transfer to Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Route 795 (Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Muzha-Pingxi Line) and get off at Shifen Visitor Center to reach Shifen Waterfall.

Timetables: Taipei MRT Fare and Timetable     Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Route 795 (Weekend/Holiday) Fare and Timetable

You can take the Taipei MRT Wenhu Line to Muzha MRT Station, then transfer to Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Route 795 (Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Muzha-Pingxi Line) to Shifen Visitor Center, which will take you to Shifen Waterfall.

Timetable: Taipei MRT Fare and Timetable

Currently, there is no official shuttle bus service for Shifen Waterfall.

Of course, if you want to avoid all the hassle of transfers, you can choose a charter service to get to Shifen Waterfall.

Tripool offers charter service from Taipei, with a travel time of about 50 minutes, using Taipei Main Station ⇔ Shifen Waterfall as an example:

Personalized door-to-door transportation service starts at just 1119 NTD. The more people, the better the value! Choosing the 9-seater vehicle (limited to 8 passengers) starts at only 1859 NTD, which means each person's transportation cost is only 233 NTD. Not only is it cheaper, but also more convenient!

https://www.tripool.app/en

Search for ""Shifen Waterfall"" card, what questions do PTT users want to know?

Q: what are the opening hours of shifen waterfall.

A: It is open all year round (except for 1 day during Lunar New Year)

Summer Time (June to September) 09:00-18:00, last entry at 17:30

Winter Time (October to May) 09:00-17:00, last entry at 16:30

Q: Do I need a ticket for Shifen Waterfall?

A: No, you don't! Currently, Shifen Waterfall is free of charge.

With tripool charter service, you can depart from Taipei and reach Shifen Waterfall in about 50 minutes. Compared to other transportation methods that require transfers, chartering a car is the most convenient option. Especially for family trips with elderly or children, or group trips with a larger number of people, being able to go directly to Shifen Waterfall without transfers can save you time and the hassle of gathering everyone together!

Choose a vehicle according to the number of people

Personalized pick-up service

Option to purchase child seats

Tripool has thought of everything you need. All you have to do is quickly book the ""Taiwanese version of Niagara Falls"" tour on the Tripool official website and join us in experiencing the stunning beauty of nature. https://www.tripool.app/en

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Tourist Shuttle Bus from Taipei to Shifen with 6 DIY Tour Itineraries + Travel Packages GIVEAWAY!

*Scroll to the end of the post for the winners' list!

*If you are one of the 18 winners, please email me at [email protected] for details on prize collection. Thanks!

If you are planning a trip to Taiwan this or next year, read on because there's now an easier way to get around - PLUS, you may just win a travel package too! 😁

The last time we visited Taipei, Taiwan was in 2008 and I've got the photo to prove it. 

This was taken more than 15 years ago - and Ale wasn't even born then!😱

Since then, a lot have changed but some of the attractions within Taipei and New Taipei City remain popular with tourists... like Jiufen, Yehliu Geopark, Wulai Hot Springs, Pingxi, Shifen and many more!

But truth is, if you are not self-driving, it can get a little tricky to get to the outlying areas in New Taipei City. Visitors, especially families with kids, usually hire a private driver or join a day tour. So it is not really straightforward to move around on your own.

BUT GREAT NEWS! Did you know there is now a Tourist Shuttle Bus service that takes you from Taipei all the way to Shifen? Plus, it makes stops along the way at major tourist attractions too!

Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 795 (台灣好行795) lets tourists conveniently board at the bus stop at Muzha MRT Station (Exit 2) and they will be able to hop on and off the bus at various stops like Jingtong Keng, Pingxi Old Street, Tianzi, Qinghe or Shifenliao (Old Street).

How convenient is that???

Some of the highlights that Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 795 stops at include:

A2 Shenkeng Old Street

Shenkeng Old Street boasts a hundred-year-old tofu culture and is famous for “The Tofu Town” and the distribution center of Tamsui-Kavaian South Trails.

A3-1 Wenshan Coal Mine

Located at Zhong Min village of Shiding district, Wenshan Coal Mine was a famous coal mine field of Greater Wenshan area. From Wenshan Coal Mine along Shi Ba Zhong stream, you can walk about 300 meters and arrive at Sun Gertain Eco Farm B&B and Fireflies’ Bookhouse.

A5 Jingtong Keng

Head to “Jingtong Sky Lantern Pavilion”, where a 9-metre tall Sky Lantern-shaped awaits. Made of glass and using 200 thousand LED lamps, travellers write down their wishes on cards and watch them appear on the sky lantern during the 7-min sky lantern show.

A6 Pingxi Old Street

Featured in the movie, "Your Are the Apple of My Eye" (那些年，我們一起追的女孩), Pingxi Old Street exudes old charm, complete with the stone-covered roads. You will also find the oldest mailbox in Taiwan here!

A9 Shifenliao

During the Pingxi mining period in the past.Shifen was the earliest and the largest village. Not only is Shifen Old Street popular with tourists, it is also popular with those who are looking to release sky lanterns.

A10 Shifen Visitor Center

The most famous attraction here has to be “Shifen Waterfall Park”, otherwise known as the Taiwan version of Niagara waterfalls.

And the most convenient thing about visiting all of these attractions is you just have to hop onto the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 795!

To further enhance your experience, the  New Taipei City Government Tourism Bureau  has introuduced 'TK Trails' which consists of 6 package tour itineraries titled [ 穿越淡蘭—悠遊深石平] .

The various tour itineraries will take travellers to explore different cultures and enjoy a leisurely discovery of the towns of Shenkeng, Shiding, and Pingxi in partnership of 39 local partners.

Of the six tour itineraries, I highly recommend the following two:

Danlan Tea Road Travel Package ― Crossing the Southern Route of TK Trails

穿越淡兰南路｜百年茶道行旅

Explore the ecology of Shiding and cross the Southern Route of TK Trails with a 200-year-old Tea Road History!

Tour Recommendation

▌ Starting from Muzha Station of Taipei Metro (✽ Recommended departure time: 8:00-10:00 am)

 • Take Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 795 to depart.

▌ In the morning, go to A3 Shuangxi Station, walk 5 minutes to Danlan Suspension Bridge (✽ Recommended stay time: 3 hours)

 • Experience TK Trails Shiding section and explore the tea culture of Danlan South Route through the context of tea ceremony, leisurely wander through the Shiding mountains, forests, and streams, and go to Shiding Old Street. 

• Experience Sock Fish DIY at HA SOCK Sock Doll Shop ( Reservation required: 0906-988266).

 • Stroll through Shiding Old Street and taste local snacks.

▌ In the afternoon, go to A3-1 Wenshan Coal Mine Station – Sungertain Eco Farm (✽ Recommended stay time: 3 hours) 

• Visit the Firefly Bookhouse and care about rural companion reading, environmental education, and ESG sustainable development.

 • Walk barefoot on the grass and enjoy the foot SPA with healing herbs.

 • Enjoy dinner with Ganoderma Medicinal Cuisine of "Danlan Family Feast."

▌ Take Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 795 to return.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

To participate, all you have to do is the following: 1. COMMENT in the corresponding FACEBOOK POST HERE with " Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 795 +1" .

2. BONUS CHANCE #1: TAG 2 of your friends in the comment for one bonus chance!

3. BONUS CHANCE #2:  SHARE the Facebook post for one bonus chance!  *Giveaway ends on 17 May 2023, 2359 hours. GOOD LUCK!  😊 Useful Information WEBSITE

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Winchester business at center of county-wide debate

WINCHESTER, Ky. (WKYT) - A small business in Winchester is the center of a county-wide debate. The shop is called The Crystal Coven, and some argue that its name and products promote witchcraft.

The Winchester-Clark County Tourism Commission says they’ve received backlash after promoting an event hosted by The Crystal Coven in their monthly newsletter.

“People who object to this believe that the tourism department should not be promoting any business that sells witchcraft materials,” said Clark County District 4 Magistrate Mark Miller.

Shannon Tipton, owner of the Crystal Coven, says she does not promote or sell witchcraft materials.

“I don’t claim a religion. I’m a metaphysical shop. I am registered as a business, not a church,” said Tipton.

Tipton says she’s being attacked by some members of the community. “Spewing the hatred and the misinformation about me and my business has impacted sales, and so if they can’t force me out by closing my door, they’ll force my sales because my patrons are now afraid to come in,” said Tipton.

The majority of public comments were made in support of Tipton.

“You don’t want to come, don’t come. It’s simple as that. I don’t want to go to church. You don’t see me up there protests in your churches, do you?” said an unidentified person in attendance.

“It’s almost laughable that we have to sit in this room and debate,” said another unidentified person in attendance.

Three people at the meeting spoke against the commission’s promotion of The Crystal Coven.

“I am here saying there should be lines on what we use our tax dollars to advertise and support,” said Steve Humble.

Some argued that a commission funded by the city and county should not promote Tipton’s store.

“It is spiritual in nature, and it is not a government-funded commission, such as tourism, to promote spirituality, such as Christianity,” said Clark County District 4 Magistrate Mark Miller.

“I don’t claim a religion. I’m a metaphysical shop. I am registered as a business. Not a church,” said Shannon Tipton, the owner of Crystal Coven, in response to claims that her business promotes religion.

Outside of the meeting, the sidewalk was filled with people there to support Tipton and her business.

“This is the modern-day equivalent of burning someone at the stake,” said Loona Wolf.

“The fact that she’s getting harassed over something like this, it’s just heartbreaking,” said Lauren Woodring.

The Winchester-Clark County Tourism Commission says it’s not their job to judge whether or not an event is Christian.

The public portion of Tuesday’s meeting was mostly public comment. No definitive answer was reached as to what the commission can and can not promote.

Copyright 2024 WKYT. All rights reserved.

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Crane on truck topples at Convention Center; no injuries reported

The crane was being used in the $600 million Las Vegas Convention Center renovation project at the facility’s North Hall.

A truck-mounted crane being used in the $600 million renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center toppled over Wednesday morning.

There were no injuries and damage was minimal, a representative for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said Wednesday afternoon. There was no damage estimate.

A third-party contractor owned the crane being used for renovations to the building’s North Hall. The crane was damaged and a nearby storage container was dented in the accident.

Nevada’s Occupational Safety and Health Office routinely does not investigate non-injury accidents, but a representative of the agency could not be reached Wednesday.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at [email protected] or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.

The Biden administration issued final rules Wednesday to require airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for things like delayed flights and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation.

Brightline West and federal, state and local officials broke ground on the long-discussed high-speed rail system linking Las Vegas and Southern California.

The platform says it’s promoting the rise of “day guesting” – where guests can use a hotel’s amenities like pools, spas and fitness centers without booking a room.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is expected to attend the ceremony for the Las Vegas-to-Southern California high-speed train system.

A Las Vegas casino is bringing a Disneyland staple to the skies above downtown. Here’s when it will begin.

Ahead of plans from Clark County to redevelop the Chinatown area local businesses say traffic and parking should be at the top of the list for issues to be addressed.

Plans include a complete renovation of the casino-resort and further development of 35 unused acres behind it.

Value-driven weddings and streamlined services have given the destination its reputation for more than 70 years.

Hilton has acquired a controlling interest of the operators of this hotel, but the deal excluded the Vegas location.

Under an agreement announced by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, state attorney general offices will be able to investigate complaints about airline service.

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April 17, 2024 | SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-51

MISSION DETAILS:

• Launch Provider: SpaceX
• Rocket Type: Falcon 9 | Block 5
• Launch Pad: Launch Complex 39A
• Description: Global broadband communications
• Booster(s): Droneship

SpaceX's Starlink is the constellation of networked satellites aimed to provide internet services to those who are not yet connected, and to provide reliable and affordable internet across the globe.

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