Taipei, Part 3: Stone, Gold, Water, Iron

A one-day tour to Taiwan's northeast coast: Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen Old Town, Shifen Waterfall, and Shifen Old Street

One of the most iconic views of Jiufen Old Town. (© 2025 Karen Cristello)

I'm so glad I booked a tour to see sights on the northeast coast. I'd looked into taking public transportation, but this saved me sooooo much time and hassle. Plus I got commentary from a knowledgeable guide. There was a Japanese woman on the bus and our guide also spoke Japanese, so it was even more fun to practice my (poor) conversational skills.

Mother Nature's Sculptures

Clockwise from top left: Yehliu Geopark, showing mushroom formations from thousands of years of erosion; a fossilized sea urchin, which on that day I learned is what sand dollars are! (Sand dollars used to be plentiful on the Oregon coast); ice cream cone; whale's tail. (© 2025 Karen Cristello)

Our first stop was Yehliu Geopark. It's a unique geological landscape on a cape in northern Taiwan. It's famous for its dramatic rock formations, which have been shaped by 4,000+ years of sea erosion and weathering. The most iconic formation is the Queen's Head, a tall, thin rock that resembles Queen Elizabeth I's profile, though it's slowly eroding and expected to disappear in the coming years. Other notable formations include a whale's tail, a fairy's shoe, an ice cream cone, and many, many mushrooms. It's amazing to see how erosion can create these cool, relatable "sculptures," but also sad that they are so transient in time. As are we!

Clockwise from top left: The Queen's head, the back of a woman's head with a ponytail; Lin Tianzhen "righteous" bronze statue; a sandal. (© 2025 Karen Cristello)

One cool story our guide told us was about a fisherman, Lin Tianzhen, who lost his life saving a student from the dangerous surf in 1964. There's a statue of him to commemorate his heroism.

Mining and Movies

Jiufen Old Town is a historic gold-mining town in Taiwan's Ruifang District, now famous for its narrow, winding streets and stunning mountain views. Built into the side of a hill, the town's charming atmosphere is dotted with red lanterns, traditional teahouses, and small snack and craft shops. Its nostalgic (though touristy) vibe and unique architecture are often said to have inspired the setting for the Studio Ghibli animated film Spirited Away, though Hayao Miyazaki has said it wasn't. That's OK; I loved that movie and imagined myself being on set anyway (along with Kiki, Jiji, and Totoro, LOL).

Clockwise from top left: Jiufen Old Town was built on the side of a mountain so had lots of stairs; this gift shop's sign was in the style of a train station stop; there were lots of twisty streets — so easy to get lost! I loved all the red lanterns everywhere; apple soda and a tasty scallion omelette for lunch; I don't know what this is called — it's sweet potato in paper-thin layers of pastry — at first I thought it was too dry, then I really liked it; and chickens for your choosing. (©2025 Karen Cristello)`

Jiufen is also known for the Shengping Theater (interesting history!), which was the first theater in northern Taiwan, established in 1916 and primarily featuring Taiwanese opera. I loved seeing the old photos and projector and imagining what it would have been like to live back then.

Shengping Theater, clockwise from top left: The snack counter; the seating area; an old projector; and our guide at the ticket counter. (©2025 Karen Cristello)`

The award-winning 1989 movie “A City of Sadness” (watch here), directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien, was shot here, too. The town's unique historical background and the melancholic and emotional atmosphere attracted global attention. The success of the movie also revitalized Jiufen’s tourism, making it the most popular destination in northeastern Taiwan.

"Little Niagara"

Shifen Waterfall, Taiwan. (© 2025 Karen Cristello)

Shifen Waterfall in the Pingxi District is one of Taiwan's most popular natural attractions. Nicknamed the Little Niagara of Taiwan due to its horseshoe shape and powerful flow, the waterfall is a lovely sight, with water cascading over a wide rock face into a deep, clear pool below. The surrounding area is lush and green (which I think made the humidity worse), with lots of viewing platforms at different levels so I could get a good look at the falls from various angles... Though I have to admit, I wasn't very impressed, size-wise. It was kinda like seeing the Mona Lisa in real life. But it was still pretty, and I loved the suspension bridge and statues along the way. I was soooo overheated here, I was really glad to get back onto the air-conditioned bus!

Clockwise from top left: Mining trolleys behind a guardian lion; me at "Little Niagara"; lots o' horses and other sculptures; a 128-meter-long suspension bridge; an old stone bridge; and the falls from the side. (© 2025 Karen Cristello)

Iron Horses and Dreams

Lanterns alight. (© 2025 Karen Cristello)

Shifen Old Street is known for the railroad tracks that run directly through the center of the market. This creates an exciting but chaotic scene as pedestrians, vendors, and tourists mingle on the tracks, moving aside only when a train is approaching — thankfully, they go slow! The street is particularly famous for its tradition of releasing sky lanterns. You can purchase a large paper lantern, write your wishes on it, light the flame, and release it into the sky, which symbolizes your hopes and dreams ascending to the heavens.

Clockwise from top left: A mural before the bridge to Jiufen Old Town; tourists writing their wishes on lanterns; the supercalifragilistic cilantro peanut-crunch ice cream burrito; and this lantern was one of my faves. (© 2025 Karen Cristello)

All that is a sweet idea, and they do look cool floating in the sky. However, I and three others from our bus didn't want to participate because of environmental concerns. That was the only downside of the tour: Our guide seemed offended and kept telling us we should participate in their culture and reassuring us that people pick them up after they fall. I totally get that, but on the bus ride into town, I saw many expired lanterns and their metal frames sitting in the creek, caught in trees, etc. And I'm sure some land in the ocean. So, ethically, I just could not bring myself to do it.

My ice cream burrito in the making! (© 2025 Karen Cristello)

On a positive note, while others were making their lanterns, I had time for an ice cream "burrito," which I'd been wanting to try since the Shilin Night Market. OMG, it was sooooo incredibly good! Shaved caramelized peanuts, cilantro, and vanilla ice cream, all wrapped up in rice paper. I have to learn how to replicate it at home!

Goodbye, Taiwan; I'll Be Back!

And that was the end of my three whirlwind days in Taipei. I'd love to visit again, but I'd also like to check out Kaohsiung and everywhere in between. Taiwan is naturally beautiful, culturally interesting, and culinarily delicious to boot!

Have you been to Taiwan? What do you suggest for my next trip?