Jiufen and the Pingxi Line from Taipei: Lantern Lanes, a Waterfall, and the Rain You Should Expect

A gold-rush hill town of stacked teahouses and a valley railway of lantern villages — one day, one transfer point, and an umbrella.

The short version

• Bus 1062 runs direct from Zhongxiao Fuxing to Jiufen in about 70 minutes; trains from Taipei to Ruifang plus a short bus do the same with more legroom. Rail times at railway.gov.tw.
• Jiufen Old Street is the covered market lane; the stairs of Shuqi Road below it are the postcard — red lanterns, stacked teahouses, the sea in the gap.
• Sit down for tea properly at one of the terraced houses: the pot, the view, and an hour are the actual attraction. A-gei taro balls and peanut ice-cream rolls handle the snacking.
• The Pingxi branch line runs from Ruifang up a river valley: Shifen for the waterfall and the lantern releases from the tracks, Pingxi and Jingtong for quieter platforms.
• Shifen Waterfall — the broad one in the photographs — is a 25-minute walk from Shifen station, free, on maintained paths.
• A day pass covers unlimited Pingxi-line hops; trains run about hourly, which sets the rhythm of that half.

Serious Day Tour Man saysIt rains in Jiufen more days than not, and the lanes after 15:00 are a single staircase of umbrellas. Go early or go late, carry rain cover regardless of the forecast, and decide at Ruifang — the transfer town — which half of the day comes first.About Serious Day Tour Man

Getting there

Everything routes through Ruifang: direct buses reach Jiufen’s hillside from Taipei in about 70 minutes, while trains reach Ruifang in 40-odd minutes, where the Jiufen bus and the Pingxi branch line diverge. The clean shape is Pingxi valley first — trains are roughly hourly, so the earlier you start the more villages fit — then the bus up to Jiufen for late afternoon into evening, when the lanterns come on and the coach crowds thin toward Taipei.

The day

Ride the branch line to Shifen: walk the shop-lined tracks, watch lanterns rise between trains, and take the riverside path to the waterfall. A further hop to Jingtong at the line’s end adds an old wooden station and mining relics for the completists. Back at Ruifang, the bus climbs to Jiufen — arrive by 16:30, walk the Old Street while the tour groups drain out, and be on Shuqi Road’s stairs with a teahouse seat claimed as the lanterns light. The ride home runs late enough that dinner in the lanes is safe.

When to go

The northeast coast is Taiwan’s rain corridor: October to December runs driest-ish, winter drizzles atmospherically, and summer adds heat and typhoon roulette to the umbrellas. There is no dry guarantee at any date — the alarm’s rain cover is annual equipment. Weekdays matter more than months; weekend afternoons are the crush at both ends of the day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Jiufen first or Pingxi first?
Pingxi valley in the morning, Jiufen for dusk — the lanterns and the emptying lanes both argue for it. Reverse only if an evening lantern release at Shifen is the priority.

Is Jiufen really the Spirited Away town?
The resemblance is real and the studio has said no. Enjoy the stacked-lantern aesthetic on its own terms; it needs no franchise.

Should I release a sky lantern?
It is the Pingxi tradition, sold and released from the tracks at Shifen with cleanup crews downstream. Decide your own comfort; watching costs nothing either way.

Can I do Jiufen alone as a half day?
Yes — bus out after lunch, tea and lanes into the evening, bus back. The Pingxi line is the add-on that turns it into a full day.

How bad are the crowds honestly?
Mid-afternoon weekend Jiufen is shuffle-speed in a covered lane. The early-late strategy in the alarm is the whole difference between a crowd story and a good day.