Jiufen Laojie: hillside alleys above the sea in Neu-Taipeh
Published on 09/08/2026 at 22:13 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Jiufen Laojie runs through the old settlement of Jiufen in Ruifang District, Neu-Taipeh, climbing the slope above Taiwan’s north-east coastline and the broad sweep of the Pacific Ocean. The lanes form the core of a former gold-mining town that gained new prominence in the late twentieth century as day-trippers from Taipei rediscovered its hillside streets, ocean views and traditional shops.Jiufen in Ruifang District
Hillside layout and the main streets of Jiufen Laojie
Jiufen Laojie is a network of narrow pedestrian lanes, the best known following the line of Jishan Street as it threads along the hillside. The route is formally recorded as being around 970 m (3,180 ft) long, a single continuous corridor of shops, food stalls and small guesthouses pressed into a covered passage that bends with the slope.970 m long market lane A second artery, Shuqi Road, drops down the hillside as a long flight of stone steps, cutting across Jishan Street and linking it to terraces further below.Jishan Street and Shuqi Road
The lanes sit on the mountainside above Ruifang and the Keelung coastal area, with views that open eastwards towards the sea and nearby headlands. Small alleyways branch off Jishan Street, leading to viewing platforms and side stairways that reveal the tight layering of houses on the slope.street along the hill The buildings along Jiufen Laojie combine rendered concrete fronts, tiled roofs and timber detailing, often rising two or three storeys to make use of the limited footprint on the hillside.
From gold-mining town to atmospheric market lanes
Jiufen developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a gold-mining settlement in the hills east of Taipei, part of a wider mining landscape in northern Taiwan.historic former gold mining town As mining declined in the second half of the twentieth century, the town’s terraced houses and lanes remained, and the area’s stepped streets later became a focus for the reuse of old shopfronts as tea houses, snack counters and souvenir shops. Jiufen Laojie retains traces of that earlier era in its building fabric, including masonry retaining walls, narrow staircases and simple façades.
The dense run of stalls, bakeries and tea rooms along Jishan Street grew in parallel with Jiufen’s reputation as a heritage day-trip destination from Taipei, supported by bus and rail connections to the Ruifang area.address in Ruifang District Some teahouses on Shuqi Road are housed in buildings that date from the town’s mining heyday, their balconies and verandas overlooking the stairway and the hills beyond.teahouses along Shuqi Road
Lanterns, teahouses and coastal views
One of the most striking features of Jiufen Laojie is the way its red lanterns line the façades and stairways, marking the entrances to tea houses, snack shops and small restaurants. On Shuqi Road the lanterns hang beside balconies, timber railings and projecting bay windows, creating a vivid contrast with the grey stone steps and the surrounding green slopes.address on Jishan Street Among the better known tea houses is A-Mei Teahouse on Shixia Lane, a multi-storey building that has become a visual landmark with its lanterns and tiered balconies tucked into the slope.A-Mei Teahouse on Shuqi Road
The hillside position gives Jiufen Laojie wide views towards the sea and the rugged coastline north-east of Taipei, especially from small viewing platforms and upper-level terraces along Jishan Street.stair-lined market lanes The mix of coastal scenery, lantern-lit stairways and crowded food stalls has linked the old street with Taiwan’s cinema culture, with several Taiwanese films and television productions using Jiufen as a backdrop, and later comparisons being drawn with animated cityscapes in Japanese film.
Visiting Jiufen Laojie: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Jiufen Laojie lies in Jiufen, Ruifang District, north-east of central Taipei, reached by regional buses from Taipei and local buses from Ruifang railway station that stop near the Jishan Street entrance.
- The terrain is steep and stepped, with long stairways such as Shuqi Road and side alleys climbing or descending the mountainside, so visiting Jiufen Laojie involves walking on uneven stone steps and sloping lanes.
- Jiufen stands above the north-east coast, and weather on the hillside can be humid with mist or low cloud; covered sections of Jishan Street protect parts of the market lane, while open stairways are fully exposed.
- The official language is 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 located?
Jiufen Laojie runs along Jishan Street and neighbouring lanes in Jiufen, a hillside town in Ruifang District, Neu-Taipeh, on Taiwan’s north-east coast.
What should visitors expect on a walk through Jiufen Laojie?
Visitors encounter a long, narrow market lane lined with food stalls, souvenir shops and teahouses, intersected by steep stairways such as Shuqi Road on the mountainside.
What makes Jiufen Laojie distinctive among Taiwan’s historic streets?
The combination of former gold-town architecture, lantern-lined stairways and wide views over the Pacific coast gives Jiufen Laojie a distinctive character among Taiwan’s hillside settlements.
