Taipei Free Travel Guide | Taipei 6-Day Tour (Part 2)

Taipei Day 4: Sunny turns to cloudy

First of all, please pay attention to the weather today. It is changing from sunny to cloudy. The only half-day sunny day is this morning. Before going to Taipei, I had never been able to grasp the dressing situation. After the whole trip, my experience is that when visiting Taipei in winter, a pair of jeans or fleece pants is enough for the lower body, and a fleece jacket for the upper body is best paired with a jacket. The locals wear a lot of them. , and the thin down jacket we wore when we set off from Tianjin can still be worn in Taipei.

We will leave our luggage at the hotel today, and we will set off to Yehliu and stay in Jiufen for the night. We didn’t charter a car throughout the whole journey in Taipei and relied on public transportation. Before departure, we asked the hotel front desk for the route map to Yehliu. We took the MRT one stop from the hotel to Zhongxiao Fuxing. Turn left at Exit 2 and take bus 1815 to Jinshan Youth Center. Get off at Yehliu Station. Buses run every 10 minutes and the total journey takes 2 hours. You can reach it by walking through Yehliu Fishing Port.

Yehliu Geopark is located in New Taipei City, with a rich local flavor. Due to sea erosion, weathering and crustal movement, the unique landscape on Taiwan's north coast has been created.

Tickets are still affordable, NT$80 per adult and half price for children. The Queen's Head is the symbol of Yehliu Geopark, and you have to queue up if you want to take a photo.

The entire park is divided into three areas. The first area and the second area are similar. They are both dominated by mushroom-shaped rocks and ginger stones. They are also where tourists gather. The Queen's Head is located in the second area. If there weren't so many tourists, I believe Yehliu would be more beautiful and more film-making.

Yehliu is also the first stop for migratory birds migrating south to Taiwan, and one of the last places to rest when returning north. Every year in March, April and October, it is a place not to be missed to watch passing birds.

Tourists are concentrated in the first two areas, while the third area is a sea erosion platform on the other side of Yeliu, which is narrower than the second area. One side of the platform is close to the cliff, and the bottom of the other side is surging waves. This is a place where tourist groups cannot visit. The area you have set foot in, so it will be quiet all of a sudden, walk along the trails and view the ecological conservation areas in the park.

From time to time, I saw large butterflies accompanying me. When I walked to the terminal pavilion and blew in the refreshing sea breeze, I finished the entire Yehliu Geopark.

Return to the tourist service center along the original route and consult the route map to Jiufen. I have to mention Taiwan’s services here. Whether it is the hotel or the tourist service center of the scenic spot, they are carefully prepared for tourists. As long as you go to consult, the service staff will find the relevant information copy page and mark it while explaining it. Return to where you got off, take bus 790 or 862 to Keelung and transfer to bus 788 to Jiufen or Jinguashi.

Jiufen chose a B&B and booked it through booking. The price was comparable to that of a hotel in Taipei and included breakfast. Taiwan's B&Bs have a long history of development and have become a major feature of Taiwan's tourism. This time I stayed at "Jiufen Xilaiyuan View B&B", which was mentioned in a Taiwanese travel guide. I didn't expect that the stay experience would be so extraordinary.

Taiwanese people love to eat nougat, but I have never been interested in sugar. The aunt at the B&B gave us nougat that she made by herself, and I put it in my pocket. Later, when the photographer praised the sweets made by the B&B aunt that they were delicious, I took them out and tasted them again. It really changed my impression of sweets. Because it was almost the Spring Festival, the locals would make some nougat by themselves. Eat it, it contains cranberries and macadamia nuts, all real ingredients.

Jiufen Mountain City is like a seed planted in my heart. Every time I see photos of Jiufen, I have the urge to go to Taiwan. Try not to stay in the old streets when you go to Jiufen, because the old streets and alleys are very narrow and it is really inconvenient to get in and out.

The B&B we chose is 5 minutes away from the old street. After exiting the B&B, turn right and walk along the mountain road for a short distance to the old intersection of the old street. All old streets have something in common: dense stalls and crowded crowds.

Please note that the old street here closes early, starting to close around 7 o'clock. Lai Apo Taro Balls is a century-old shop, and the local specialty is Alan Caozi Kueh. I ate too many sweet and sticky foods along the way.

Jiufen is surrounded by mountains and the sea, with cherry blossoms in spring, wild ginger in summer, miscanthus in autumn, and clouds in winter. Jiufen Mountain City also has another charming scenery, which is the night view of the mountain city. There are two locations for shooting night scenes, so we choose one. Walking along the old street to Songde Park, looking back, you can have a panoramic view of the entire mountain city.

What I have to say when visiting Jiufen is Amei Tea House, which is actually a popular place for Japanese tourists. It is all because of Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away". It is said that the prototype of Yubaba's hot spring house is this teahouse. So whenever night comes and the old streets are quiet, the teahouses are still bustling with activity and open until early in the morning.

Sitting in an outdoor teahouse with a pot of tea, watching Japanese tourists happily playing incomprehensible poker cards, and letting the old street slowly become quiet, this is the feeling I am looking for.

There are mostly young tourists here. I imagine that in the near future, my daughter will travel around the world with her best friends. It will definitely be beautiful!

I paid with the B&B owner’s business card and enjoyed a 10% discount. I also received a postcard as a gift and gave Xiaomi a bun, which was a refreshing Japanese style.

The rooms in Xilaiyuan B&B have viewing windows, but you can only watch the sunset from here. Since we came a little late and the sky turned cloudy in the afternoon, we missed the sunset. In addition to taking pictures of the sunset, if you are lucky, you can also take pictures of the sea of ​​clouds.

Taipei Day 5 Weather: Cloudy

The breakfast at the B&B is a bit surprising, and the fruit presentation is on par with a star-rated hotel. The fresh fruit tastes great, and the enjoyment starts with breakfast.

Today we have to complete the Pingxi Line small train line. It is very convenient to return to Ruifang Railway Station from Jiufen. There are many buses to Ruifang at the station after leaving the B&B.

The Pingxi Line was used to transport coal during the Japanese colonial period. It was later transformed into a sightseeing tour. It starts from Taipei Ruifang Station and ends at Jingtong Station. Purchase the "Pingxi-Shenzhen-Aao Double Branch Line One-Day Pass" to enjoy unlimited rides on the train on the same day.

There are still many stations along the Pingxi Line, so you must look for the highlights when visiting. The general choices are Houtong - Shifen - Pingxi - Jingtong. The train frequency is almost every hour, so when you get off the train, check the arrival time of the next train. This will help you plan your trip better, because if you miss it, you will have to wait an extra hour. As for the order in which to play, I personally recommend Jingtong as the last stop, because this line is really popular. The small train is comparable to the subway during morning and evening rush hours. After playing for a day, it is more comfortable to find a seat at the terminal station and return. .

First stop: Houtong

The purpose of going to Houtong is naturally cats. The Cat Village is located on the hillside behind the station. Because there are many cats in the local streets, with the efforts of residents, people and cats can live harmoniously and coexist. It was also rated as one of the top six in the world by CNN. Cat attractions.

There are many cute and lovable cat elements added to the entire cat village. You can see cute cats from the moment you get off the bus. They are very docile and can be petted by tourists.

The large black building on the right side of Houtong Station is an abandoned coal plant.

Second stop: ten points

Shifen Station is the most unique station on the Pingxi Line. The shops in Shifen Old Street are close to the railway, and the biggest feature of Shifen is the sky lanterns placed on the railway.

Because the train runs slowly, the management will remind you when it is about to arrive, so when you come to Shifen, what you see is on the railway, or family, friends, or couples are releasing sky lanterns, watching each sky lantern fly over the sky. The higher I get, the closer I feel to the realization of my wish. I am very happy.

Surprisingly, many Koreans put up sky lanterns here. Later I heard that a Korean travel program had reported on it. Over time, this place became a must-visit attraction for Koreans.

Another famous attraction at Shifen Station is Shifen Waterfall. I gave up because it required walking for a while. Later, I heard someone said that the waterfall is worth seeing, and I regretted it a little. When I went to Pingxi Station, I didn’t find anything worth visiting. Time should be reserved for Shifen Waterfall.

After eating delicious chicken wings with rice and buying handmade sky lantern crafts, we continued on our way. The first two stops were more time-saving, and we completed the trip within an hour.

Third stop: Pingxi

Why is Pingxi Station so popular? It should be the charm of the movie. However, after walking to Houtong and Shifen, I felt that Pingxi had no special features. You can also fly sky lanterns here, but it is far from the feeling of Shifen Station. The only thing worthy of praise is the black pork sausage at Laojiejiekou. I didn’t expect that grilled sausages in Taiwan also have to be cooked with garlic.

The fourth stop: Jingtong

When boarding the Pingxi Line train, many people come here for the sky lanterns and Shifen Waterfall. Many students also come here to look for scenes from the movie "Those Years". If you want to pursue the last breath of Coal Township, you must reach the end. Jingtong, deep into the end of Pingxi line.

Opposite the station is an abandoned coal washing mine. During the mining period, Jingtong was as prosperous as Taipei's Ximending. However, after the mining stopped, Jingtong declined day by day, and the population moved out. As far as the Japanese-style dormitory buildings were, there are only traces of decline. .

The door to the former dormitory is now locked

The former amusement park is in ruins

Another special feature of Qingtong is the bamboo tube for making wishes. Many places have wishes written like this.

I took the Pingxi Line train in one day and returned to Ruifang Railway Station. I bought a train ticket back to Taipei on the train. I thought I could have a romantic return to Taipei, and I was still thinking about the railway lunch box. I didn’t expect to return to Ruifang. The trains in Taipei were just like subway trains during the evening rush hour. They were crowded and there were no seats. We just stood there and came back.

Taipei's 101 is also a world-famous skyscraper. It was once the tallest skyscraper in the world. The completion of the Burj Khalifa and Shanghai Tower made Taipei 101 relegated to the third place in the world. Most of the houses in Taipei are low-rise. Among this large area of ​​houses, 101 stands out from the crowd. 101 has the fastest elevator in the world. It takes 38 seconds, accompanied by music, to reach the observation deck on the 89th floor. The cost is NT$500. Although it sounds so lively, we actually didn’t experience the express elevator of 101 in person, because if we want to see the beautiful scenery, we must not be in the beautiful scenery.

Taipei Xiangshan is only one MRT station away from the 101 Building. It is a particularly good viewing location in Taipei. Taipei locals often climb to the top of Xiangshan Mountain at dusk to watch the sunset. In fact, there are many Korean tourists who climb Elephant Mountain at night to enjoy the night view. From Taipei Train Station, transfer directly to Exit 2 of Xiangshan Station on the Tamsui-Xinyi Line MRT. It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the Xiangshan Trail.

Follow the trail up the mountain, and after reaching the Six Giant Rocks, walk a short distance to reach the specially set up shooting location in Xiangshan, where you will have an amazing night view of Taipei. The top of the mountain is 183 meters above sea level. Don’t be complacent because of this height. It’s quite strenuous to climb up because it’s steep, especially after a day of walking.

Taipei Day 6 Weather: Cloudy

We are already used to the cloudy weather throughout the journey. We have a flight at around 6pm, and we still have half a day to go. Most of the planned attractions have been visited, and we are in shopping mode. Taiwan's economy is not very prosperous, there are not many customers in Sogo Department Store, and the activities in the mall are not that attractive, so Eslite Bookstore is the best.

The two largest Eslite bookstores in Taipei are the Dunnan store and the Xinyi store. The Xinyi store is a flagship store with a strong cultural atmosphere. The Dunnan store is an old store and is open 24 hours a day. We are closer to the Dunnan store. Going to Eslite Bookstore is not only about reading books but also about meeting people. It is a place where young literary and artistic people gather. Xiaomi is a fan of Jiang Xun, so she looked for Jiang Xun's book. Jiang Xun's explanation of Dream of Red Mansions is indeed wonderful and easy to understand. She was lucky enough to come across a ballet comic book, and she couldn't put it down and picked it up decisively.

The trip ended successfully. We went to Liji to buy souvenirs. The most famous one is the mung bean moon cake, and there are also many varieties of egg yolk cake, sun cake, and pineapple cake. You have to queue up to get in to such a bakery. Queuing seems to be the norm throughout your trip to Taipei, but fortunately the waiting time is limited.

The essence of Taiwanese life is in Taipei, and the essence of Taipei is in the streets and alleys. There is no rush of footsteps in the Hong Kong subway. People are more willing to find a coffee shop and chat. This is the only place where even boys are so soft-spoken, so you have to learn to speak softly as the Romans do. As the largest city in Taiwan, Taipei has given us so many wonderful memories. Since we don’t have enough time to travel around the island, let’s go through Taiwan in batches. Tainan shouldn’t be too far!