Taiwan Day 2
Jiufen and Keelung — Day 2 of a 3-Day Trip in Taiwan
We were headed to Jiufen for the day. Jiufen is a seaside mountainous town about an hour bus ride from Taipei. It is popular due to its resemblance to the town in Studio Ghibli’s movie Spirited Away.
Day 2 — Jiufen and Keelung City
Before heading out to Jiufen, we stopped at Yong He Soy Milk King for breakfast. There was a short line when we arrived, but it moved quickly. We ordered cold soy bean milk, xiao long bao, and a green onion fried egg. The meal also came with a loaf of bread. We mixed soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil on the side to dip the xiao long bao. The total cost of the meal came out to less than $10 CAD for the three of us.
Next stop — Jiufen! After the hour long bus ride, we arrived in Jiufen. The main attraction is Jiufen Old Street, a narrow alleyway lined with food stalls, tea shops, and souvenir stores. The pathway is normally packed with people, so it is difficult to stop and appreciate the stalls. We ended up just following along with the flow of people.
Eventually, the pathway does open up and visitors are rewarded with amazing views.
We walked through the streets of Jiufen admiring the traditional architecture. There are tons of options for restaurants and afternoon tea.
We were still full from our breakfast, but were tired from walking all morning. We stopped for an afternoon beer at a teahouse.
After our break, we headed back down to catch the bus and passed by the Buddhist Temple, Xiahai Chenghuang.
We had another stop before heading back to Taipei — Keelung. Keelung is a port city along the northeast coast of Taiwan. We headed to the night market. Despite being called a night market, the Keelung Night Market is actually open 24 hours a day. One of the food stalls we stopped at specialized in oyster omelettes.
After satisfying our hunger, we walked along the Keelung Harbour and watched the sun set. The ‘Keelung’ sign on the mountain lit up in the evening, changing colours every few minutes. We headed back to Taipei once it was dark.
Complete Day 2 Itinerary
*Travel times may vary and do not include walking distances to and from train stations. Check Google Maps for most accurate travel details.
8:00am: Head to Yong He Soy Milk King (4 minute train ride from Nanjing Fuxing Station to Daan Station).
9:00am: Head to Jiufen in the Ruifang District (2 minute train from Daan Station to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, transfer for a 55 minute bus ride from Zhongxiao Fuxing Station to Jiufen Old Street).
11:00am: Explore Jiufen. Visit Jiufen Old Street, Jiufen Teahouse, and Xiahai Chenghuang Temple.
1:00pm: Stop for lunch at one of the Jiufen restaurants (or eat street food).
3:00pm: Head to Keelung Night Market (an hour and 15 minute bus ride from Jiufen Old Street to Yier Rd. Intersection).
5:00pm: Wander Keelung. Enjoy street food at the Keelung Night Market. Find a seat at Keelung Harbour and watch the sunset.
7:00pm: Head back to Taipei for the evening (53 minute bus ride from Keelung Station to MRT Songjiang Nanjing Station).
Links:
Taiwan Day 1: https://medium.com/@tran.ctt/taiwan-day-1-44e1f6ed201b
Taiwan Day 3: https://medium.com/@tran.ctt/taiwan-day-3-e6993a81b82c
