Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you want to get close, head up the side road just after the Golden Waterfall (on the
right as you head down). The road winds up to the top level and then drops down to the
village of Changren. There is a short flight of stairs across a parking lot to a lookout with
a perfect vantage point over the remains. You can't take a bad photograph here.
Nanya Peculiar Rocks
SCENIC AREA
(Nányǎ Hǎi'àn)
Just south of Jinguashi on Provincial Hwy 2 (KM81.5) is a quirky bit of
eroded coastline. The most famous formation is a swirling tower that genuinely looks
like a striped ice-cream cone.
The odd shapes and colours were formed by the sea and wind eroding sandstone rocks
that just happened to have rich iron and copper deposits in them. As the metals were ex-
posed to the air they oxidised leaving the outside of the stones striped with colourful
bands.
Drinking & Nightlife
Apart from shopping, strolling and snacking, the main attraction in Jiufen is spending a
few hours in a antique-laden traditional teahouse sipping fine
pào chá
(tea). The price is
much the same everywhere: NT$400 to NT$900 for a 37.5g (one Chinese
liang
) packet
of leaves and NT$100 per person for the water fee
(chá shuǐfèi)
.
Jiufen Teahouse
TEAHOUSE
(Jiǔfèn Cháfǎng;
www.jioufen-teahouse.com.tw
; 142 Jishan St, Jiufen; 10am-10.30pm; )
This
100-year-old wood and brick building at the far end of Jishan St hosts what was re-
putedly the first teahouse in Jiufen. It's a solid choice for any traveller looking to step
back in time among heavy wooden furniture and other furnishings from the past. The tea
selection includes old pu'ers, roasted Oriental Beauty and a fruity Tieguanyin.
In the basement level of the teahouse there is a ceramic studio and exhibition area. The
quality of work is much higher than in the souvenir shops on the main street.
Shu-ku Tea Store
TEAHOUSE
(Shù Kū Qí Mù Lóu; Jiufen; 10am-10.30pm)
This darkly atmospheric two-storey teahouse
from the Japanese era has the look and feel of a frontier gambling den. In the low-slung
rooms you can still practically see the old miners squatting on the makeshift benches,
shuffling cards and warming their hands on a metal teapot.
