Jiufen – How to Visit the Spirited Away Village of Taiwan (2026)!

Before I even started planning my trip to Taiwan, I knew I wanted to visit Jiufen.

This charming mountain village by the ocean, lined with twinkling lanterns, looked like something plucked from the pages of a fairytale.

Indeed, this whimsical place is so enchanting that it is believed to have been an inspiration for the popular anime Spirited Away.

Jiufen is a very easy day trip from Taipei and one you shouldn’t miss on your travels.

Although it is magical, there are some important things to know before you visit. Such as crowd levels, wet weather and endless bottlenecks.

Here is an honest guide to experiencing Jiufen, the Spirited Away village of Taiwan.

Did Jiufen inspire Spirited Away? 

A reason why Jiufen has become so popular over the years is that many believe Jiufen inspired the anime Spirited Away.

It’s a heartwarming feature created by Studio Ghibli, and is easily one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most popular movies.

As soon as you enter Jiufen, you can see why people would think it’s an inspiration for the onsen town with the whimsical teahouses and lanterns.

However, there is no confirmed connection between the two. Miyazaki denied it, stating that the movie wasn’t inspired by any particular place.

But don’t let that stop you from visiting or embracing some whimsy. Jiufen really does feel like you’re in Spirited Away, as it’s utterly charming.

The village certainly embraces the theme, and you’ll find Spirited Away souvenirs and artwork all over the place. 

How to visit Jiufen in Taiwan

Jiufen is a mountain village in northeastern Taiwan in the Ruifang District of New Taipei City.

It’s around 30 miles (50 kilometres away) from the city centre, and so can easily be visited as part of a day trip from Taipei.

The journey will take around an hour by public transport or 30-40 minutes by taxi, depending on traffic: 

• By public transport: you can take a train from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang Station and then a bus the rest of the way. Bus numbers 827 or 788 will drop you off right outside Jiufen Old Street.

• Tourist shuttle: There is a tourist shuttle (bus number 965) that runs from Biqao Station. It stops at popular tourist areas like Ximen Station. 

• By taxi: You can book a private taxi to take you there. Uber works well in Taiwan, and a journey will cost you around £25-30 one way.

Why not book a guided tour? 

If you would rather take the effort out of planning a trip to Jiufen, many guided tours run from Taipei. 

These make a stop at Yehliu Geopark, Shifen Waterfall and Juifen Old Street. 

It’s a long day out, but well worth the effort as it saves both time and money. Here are a few options:

When is the best time to go?

The word is now officially out about Jiufen, and it is no longer considered a secret or hidden gem in Taiwan.

In fact, it has become horrendously crowded, and the infrastructure of this tiny place is struggling to keep up with the demand. 

The small mountain roads to get here are often congested, the bus services are usually full, and the streets are consistently bottlenecked. 

I would always recommend visiting on a weekday as the weekend crowds can be intense.

Also, I would try to avoid visiting around or during any public holidays, as crowd levels will be tenfold. 

Jiufen also sees 200+ days of rain a year. So, make sure to be prepared with an umbrella and waterproofs.

It rained on my visit and, although the views of the ocean weren’t so clear, I thought it added to the charm. 

Is one day in Jiufen enough?

Most tourists visit Jiufen as part of a day trip, which includes Shifen Waterfall and Yehliu Geopark. For most visitors, one day is enough. 

However, if you visit during the day or early evening when the lights switch on, you may find that it’s very crowded and packed with tour groups. 

If you have the time and budget, I would highly recommend booking an overnight stay here for a more peaceful experience. 

After the tour groups leave and before the village wakes up, Jiufen is a ghost town. This time is perfect to really feel the magic without being jostled.

Where to stay in Jiufen

As I knew I wanted to experience Jiufen without hordes of tourists, I decided to stay overnight.

It ended up being the best decision, as not only did I get to experience the village without the crowds, but I also got to explore more of the nearby area.

I stayed at Something Easy Inn, a beautiful property with a balcony overlooking the coast.

It was a huge double room with a large bathroom, a tea area, and amenities. 

There were also free snacks and drinks at all hours, and the opportunity to send a postcard home. 

It was also very cold and rainy on my visit to Jiufen, so I was happy that the room was nice and toasty. 

Things to do in Jiufen

Jiufen is a small village, but there is a surprising number of attractions to enjoy.

From magical teahouses, shopping streets, temples and museums. Here are all the magical things to do in Jiufen. 

1. Visit A-Mei Teahouse 

One of the most recognisable places in Jiufen has to be the A-Mei Teahouse.

It’s a delightful building in the centre of the old village that is decorated with pretty lanterns and artwork.

This is the place that inspired the rumour that Jiufen was inspired by Spirited Away, as it looks similar to the bathhouse in the onsen town. 

Whatever you choose to believe, it’s still enchanting and makes a magical photo opportunity both day and night. 

The whole street and staircase around it are lined with lanterns, and you can even learn a little of the gold mining history while you explore. 

2. Experience a traditional tea ceremony 

Beyond a photo op, the A-Mei Teahouse is the perfect place to experience a tea ceremony.

You can sit down ‘in the clouds’ on vintage wooden tables with sweeping panoramic views overlooking the village, mountains and the ocean.

The traditional tea preparation comes with a teapot that is warmed by pouring hot water over a special stone tray. 

The tea is then left to steep and, when ready, you can pour it into traditional cups. 

As part of the ceremony, you can buy some traditional snacks to pair with your tea, including Dongding Tea Plum, sesame crackers and mochi. 

I loved the entire experience, and I even got a postcard to remember my visit at the end. 

To avoid a long queue, I would visit this teahouse early in the morning, as it can get crowded with long wait times throughout the day. 

3. Jiufen Old Theatre

At the bottom of the stairs leading to A-Mei Teahouse, you’ll find Jiufen Old Theatre (Shengping Theatre). 

It’s a historic cinema that was built in 1934 during the gold rush era and was one of the first theatres to be built in northern Taiwan. 

You can enter for free and explore several filmmaking exhibits with old ticket booths, projectors and vintage movie posters. 

The auditorium has lots of seating, and they often play snippets of old Taiwanese movies.

4. Jiufen Old Street 

Jiufen Old Street is a long lane filled with stalls that leads you into the heart of the village. 

It’s far from old, but you’ll soon discover that anywhere called ‘old street’ in Taiwan just means a tourist market with food stalls and souvenir shops. 

Indeed, this lively street is packed full of places to buy cheap souvenirs, bags of tea and boxes of local snacks. 

While you’re here, you can also try some fresh, delicious street food. Along the street, you’ll find culinary delights such as:

1. Sweet Taro Balls
2. Xiao Long Bao (meat dumplings)
3. Lu Ru Fan (braised pork rice)
4. Taiwanese Sausage
5. Peanut Ice Cream Roll

5. Jiufen Shengming Temple

High above the labyrinth of steep and crowded tourist streets, you’ll find the peaceful Shengming Temple. 

This temple was on the way to my accommodation, so that’s how I stumbled upon this tranquil oasis. 

As it’s perched high on a hill, you can get some wonderful views from here of the Taiwan Strait and Keelung Mountain. 

It’s a Taoist sanctuary that was built around 1880 and has the most gorgeous carvings of dragons and mythical creatures. 

6. Jiufen Ghost Lore Museum

If you want to feel a different type of ‘spirited away’, then I would definitely check out the Ghost Lore Museum.

It’s a fascinating exhibit that explores rituals, ghosts and demons around Taiwan and wider Asia. 

There are only a few rooms inside the exhibition, but it makes a great activity to pass the time on a rainy day.

7. Visit Jioufen Teahouse

If you would rather not deal with the crowds around A-Mei Teahouse, I highly recommend visiting Jioufen Teahouse instead.

It has over a hundred years of history, making it Jiufen’s oldest teahouse, and it’s like a labyrinth with many rooms to discover. 

It is a little more expensive to experience a tea ceremony there, but they use premium teas, and the atmosphere is unmatched. 

Even if you don’t have tea there, the shop is worth browsing as it’s owned by the artist Hung Chi-Sheng. 

They have a lovely art gallery, pottery kiln and boutique in the showroom on the bottom floor. It’s a great way to escape the crowds. 

8. Explore Jiufen at night 

Although Jiufen is magical to explore during the day, the village completely transforms at night time.

If you visit around dusk, you can watch the lanterns switch on and see the streets come alive. 

This was easily my favourite time of day in Jiufen, and visiting the A-Mei Teahouse at dusk really did feel like I was in Spirited Away. 

The later you stay, the less crowded it gets as most shops close around 7 pm. Most of my photos were taken around 9 pm with no one else in them.

The lights will turn off around 9.30 pm / 10 pm. Or, they did in the spring. It may be earlier in winter.

9. Buy Spirited Away merchandise 

Although Juifen being the inspiration for Spirited Away has been debunked, it hasn’t stopped the village from embracing the fandom.

Indeed, you’ll find nods to Spirited Away all over Jiufen and even shops selling a plethora of Studio Ghibli merchandise. 

Kaonashi (No-Face) is my favourite character, and I loved the fact that there were so many things to buy of them.

I saw huge plushies, bag charms, piggy banks, pens, pouches, magnets, and so much more. 

I decided to buy a plush keychain for my bag and loved taking photos of it as I wandered around the village. 

Honestly, I could have spent a fortune in some of these shops in Jiufen. The merchandise was all so whimsical. 

10. Visit Jinguashi

Jiufen is not an overly large place, and you can easily exhaust all the attractions in a mere few hours.

If you have time or are staying in the area for a couple of days, I highly recommend taking the bus to nearby Jinguashi. 

It’s not as commercialised as Jiufen and sees a fraction of the crowds. Highlights include:

1. Tea Pot Mountain Trail 
2. Qitang Old Street
3. Rainbow Steps
4. Gold Museum

If you’re a fan of Miyazaki, they also have a very cute Ghibli-themed 7-Eleven near the Gold museum with a Totoro and CatBus display.

Although it wasn’t official and looked kind of cursed, it was still adorable to me.

You can also venture a bit further out and take the bus to the beautiful Golden Waterfall and the remains of the 13 Levels on the coast.

Is Jiufen worth visiting? 

Most definitely. Despite the endless crowds and rain, Jiufen was easily one of my favourite places that I visited in Taiwan.

Though it has been disproven, I still felt like I was in Spirited Away with all the teahouses and lanterns, especially at nighttime. 

Even if you’re not a fan of the anime, you have to add Jiufen to your Taiwan bucket list. 

This charming mountain village is a place that leaves a lasting impression on you. I’d go back in a heartbeat.

My top tips for visiting

• Jiufen has become extremely crowded in recent years. Visit early in the morning or later in the evening for fewer crowds. 

• Try to avoid weekends as the busy streets here can be intense. Also, don’t visit around or during any public holidays.

• I would recommend staying overnight for the best experience, as you can avoid the majority of day trippers that way.

• The queues for the small shuttle buses can be lengthy, so consider an Uber (even if it’s only to the train station). 

• Make sure to wear comfy shoes, as there are many steep hills and steps in the village.

• It also rains a lot in Jiufen, so come prepared with an umbrella and a rain jacket. 

Things to do near Jiufen

After you’ve finished visiting Jiufen, there are plenty of things to do in the nearby area.

Yehliu Geopark is one of the most breathtaking attractions in Taiwan, with a wealth of interesting rock formations by the sea shaped by nature over time.

The peninsula covers 1,700 metres beside Datun Mountain, and the most famous feature to see is the Queen’s Head. 

Or, you could decide to explore some amazing attractions on the Pingxi Railway Line, which starts from Ruifang Station. 

Highlights include Houtong Cat Village, Shifen, Pingxi and Jingtong. You can even get a Pingxi line pass with unlimited rides for the day to save money. 

Read more of my Taiwan guides

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How to Visit Houtong Cat Village Taiwan

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How to Visit Xitou Monster Village in Taiwan

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Save Jiufen Spirited Away village for later