Jiufen Old Street

Jiufen is located in Ruifang Town, Taipei. The gold rush that began during the Guangxu period has earned Jiufen the titles of "Little Hong Kong" and "Gold Capital of Asia". After the gold mines were exhausted, Jiufen became one of the most popular tourist destinations in Taiwan, thanks to its unique landscape and architectural features.

Jiufen is located in Ruifang Town, Taipei City, where gold resources were discovered during the Guangxu period, leading to an influx of gold prospectors from all over the world, and the “gold rush” that created the prosperity of Jiufen, which was once named “Little Hong Kong” and “Gold Capital of Asia”. As the mineral resources declined and the crowds receded, Jiufen returned to its original state, leaving behind a large number of houses built on the hillside and a spider web of mines. However, thanks to these unique features, Jiufen soon became a major tourist attraction in Taiwan, especially after the release of Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film “Spirited Away”, when it was discovered that the architectural style of Jiufen closely resembled the scenes in the movie, and more and more tourists came to visit. Twice it has risen to prominence.

Jiufen Rises Again

It is said that in the early years of the Qing dynasty, only nine families were living here, no matter what they bought, they all needed nine portions (Chinese: Jiufen 九份), so people gave this place a name Jiufen. The discovery of sand gold in the Keelung River at the end of the 19th century, and the discovery of a large amount of gold resources in Jiufen in the upper reaches of the river in 1893, opened the golden age of Jiufen for half a century, when Jiufen was once known as the “Gold Capital of Asia”. During this period, gold prospectors from all over the world flocked to dig more than 80 large and small pits, Goldminers working day and night, gold can be counted by tons at its most when mined. The population of Jiufen in the gold rush period reached tens of thousands, and people built many Houses on the Hillside, which are now a major attraction of Jiufen. The growing number of residents and wealth led to increased demand, so Taiwan’s first theater Shengping Theater was introduced in Jiufen.

In the 1950s, the mineral resources of Jiufen were gradually depleted, and in 1971, mining was officially ended and the gold seekers returned home. After more than half a century of prosperity, Jiufen was once again silent, leaving behind only hillside dwellings, empty mines, and theaters that were no longer crowded. But no one would have thought that it was these unique features that would soon usher in the second rise of Jiufen.

In 1989, famous director Hou Hsiao-hsien’s film “A City of Sadness” was released in Taiwan, causing a great sensation and winning the Golden Lion Award at the 46th Venice International Film Festival. Jiufen Old Street has become a famous tourist attraction in Taiwan due to its Nostalgic Look.

Streets of Fairytales

Shuchi Road, Kishan Street, and Chingbian Road are some of the most important streets in Jiufen, and there are many shops on both sides of the street. Especially on Shuchi Road which has Big Difference in Height, there are many restaurants with lanterns on both sides of the road, Illuminated Teahouses make Jiufen a fairy tale world under the night sky.

Manywhere:
Don’t expect too much from the souvenirs sold on Jiufen Old Street.

In 2001, Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film “Spirited Away” became a worldwide hit. As the architecture of Jiufen resembles the Street Scene in the film, a large number of Japanese Tourists came here to catch a glimpse of the movie scene in real world.

Tags:

• #Food
• #Leisure

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