Jiufen Laojie and the stepped lanes of gold-town Taiwan
Published on 09/15/2026 at 19:39 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Jiufen Laojie in Neu-Taipeh belongs to Jiufen, a former gold-mining town in Ruifang District. Its stepped lanes, narrow fronts and hillside terraces still show the compressed shape of a settlement that grew in the gold-mining era.
Stepped lanes above Ruifang District
The place sits in the hills of north-eastern Taiwan, with the town rising above the coast rather than spreading across a flat grid. The street network runs in stair-like fragments, and the lane edges hold shops, teahouses and small food stalls.
Jiufen was linked to gold mining in the late Qing dynasty and then under Japanese colonial rule from 1895 to 1945. The name and the town’s historic form remain tied to that mining past, which gave the district a dense, closely packed layout.late Qing dynasty
From mining settlement to street of teahouses
The lanes are part of a larger former mining town rather than an isolated monument. Wooden façades, tiled roofs and tightly spaced buildings line the route, and the street keeps a commercial function with food, tea and souvenirs.
Hou Hsiao-hsien’s film A City of Sadness placed Jiufen in wider cultural memory, and the town’s historic centre became closely associated with that image of hillside lanes. The connection sits beside the older mining story, giving Jiufen Laojie two linked identities: industrial settlement and film location.Hou Hsiao-hsien’s film
Memory in the fabric of the old street
The street’s appeal lies in the way its built fabric still carries the town’s older scale. Narrow pedestrian passages, stacked shopfronts and a steep hillside setting give it a compact urban character that differs from the broader streets below.
Jiufen’s gold rush history began in the 1890s and shaped the district through the Japanese period. That background explains the mix of old lanes and later commercial life, with the former mining centre retaining its name and spatial grain.gold rush history
Visiting Jiufen Laojie: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Jiufen Laojie lies in Ruifang District, New Taipei City, on the hills above the north-east coast of Taiwan. Rail access is via the local network into the Ruifang area, followed by onward transport into Jiufen.
- The street is steep and broken by steps. Some lanes are narrow and uneven, so the terrain is more demanding than a flat market street.
- The official language is Mandarin Chinese and the currency is the New Taiwan dollar.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Jiufen Laojie
Where is Jiufen Laojie?
Jiufen Laojie is in Jiufen, Ruifang District, New Taipei City, in north-eastern Taiwan. It forms the historic core of the former mining town.
What does a visit involve?
The street rises through stepped lanes with dense shopfronts and teahouses. The setting is urban and hilly, not open or spacious.
What makes it distinctive?
Its layered identity combines a gold-mining past, a compact hillside layout and later cultural fame through film. The result is a street where history is visible in the form of the place itself.
