Jiufen, Taiwan: A Tea Lovers Paradise

Jiufen is a small town in Taiwan that is noted for it's many tea houses. It is also noted for being the site of the filming of a major movie as well as old, quaint Japanese style houses and roads.

To get to this mountain abode, take a short train ride from Taipei to Riufang and a bus from there to Jiufen. The bus stop is directly across from the train station in front of the Welcome grocery store. If you get confused, the people working the visitors center inside of the train station are very helpful.

Once you reach the town, you have multiple options for things to do. The main street is called Jishan and is right by the bus drop off-you can not miss it. A variety of traditional Taiwanese crafts, foods, and souvenirs can be bought on this street. I personally bought a maobi (Chinese writing brush), a red Chinese lion puppet, handmade soap, and of course, tea.

If you continue down the main street (if you can, on the weekends it is very crowded) you can find a plethora of tea houses. One of the oldest is located towards the end of the alley and is called Jiufen tea house. In case your lost, the address is 142 Jishan Street. Although this tea house is a little pricy-I paid 800 NT/25 dollars for a pot of tea- it offers the most authentic tea house experience. The building is made in an old Japanese style and the tea house is supposed to be Jiufen's oldest. The helpful workers there can help you to choose what kind of tea you like and teach you how to prepare and drink it. Although the tea is pricy, the amount you get can make around five pots of tea and you can take home the leftover leaves. The Jiufen tea house also boasts of an art gallery and an area downstairs where they craft some exquisite tea pots.

If you are looking for something to eat, any stand on the alley can offer you an array of cakes, sausages, or fish balls. If you go past the Jiufen tea house, you will also find a delicious Italian style pizza place next to a small temple.

For movie buffs, Jiufen is also where the film, A City of Sadness, was filmed. They used Jiufen's picturesque old world alleyways to set the scene of a world during Japanese occupation. As you wander the streets of Jiufen, you can easily understand why a movie was made here. After the effects of modernization on the rest of Taiwan, Jiufen provides a refreshing contrast.