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| Shifen Waterfall, New Taipei City Taiwan |
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| Pingxi, New Taipei City |
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| Jiufen Old Street, New Taipei City |
Day 4 March 10 2024 Sunday (Ruifang / Shifen / Pingxi / Jiufen, New Taipei City, Taiwan) - main focus is to visit Shifen, Pingxi & Jiufen by local trains from Ruifang, these 3 touristy places could be visited in 1 single day by taking local trains from Ruifang > Shifen / Pingxi & return; Ruifang by bus to Jiufen & return !
1) Group's breakfast (07.30) in a noodle stall in downtown Ruifang, opposite the train station, savoured a bowl of meat broth misua (thin vermicelli) + pork offal NT$55 (Rm8.25) prior to our Shifen visit.
Shifen, New Taipei City - the name Shifen was taken from the 10 original families who develop the area in Pingxi, a popular touristy place in Northern Taiwan, know for its sky lanterns, waterfalls & Old Street, my first visit !
1) Pingxi Line train ride (departing 08.02) from Ruifeng train station > Shifen train station (17km, 30 mins)
2) Arriving early in Shifen Train Station at 08.30, shops & food stalls not yet open for business ! Best time to visit is around 11.00 if you want to see some actions in this little quaint village town !
3) Shifen Old Street near the train station - the start of our leisure walk from the train station towards the Shifen Waterfall area (approx 1km), slight drizzling but this did not hamper our group's spirits & visit to the Shifen Scenic Area !
4) Numerous shops in Shifen Old Street promoting colorful sky lanterns & servicis to tourists
5) Tourists releasing sky lanterns (price varies from NT$200 = Rm30 to NT$300) into the sky to pray for blessings to their loved ones on Shifen Old Street !
6) Continued our walkabout from Shifen Old Street > Shifen Waterfall (900m, approx 20 mins), intermittent stops along the way due to drizzling & wet roads !
7) A Sky Lantern landmark at a traffic junction in Shifen Old Street
8) Fu Aun Temple, Shifen
9) The start of the Shifen Scenic Area > Shifen Waterfall Park - crossing a bridge over the Keelung River, scenic mountain scenery !
10) Siguantan Suspension Bridge (over the Keelung River) > Tourist Visitor Center, Shifen
11) Shifen Waterfall Park - beautiful landscape, local produce stall & souvenir shop etc
12) Arriving at the Shifen Waterfall Park - the largest waterfall in Taiwan ! The main highlight of this visit ! Excellent photo shooting from the Observation Deck !
13) Walking Trail > Tourist Service Center, Shifen - return journey via another walking trail !
14) Back to the Shifen Old Street - the bustling street is alive now with more visitors / tourists jamming the old narrow street near the train station area !
15) Time to say Bye Bye to Shifen - awaiting for a Pingxi Line train for a train ride to Pingxi station (3 stops) to explore Pingxi Old Street, a village town famed for sky lanterns !
Pingxi District - a rural district in New Taipei, Taiwan, the source of the Keelung River is in Jingtong, which is inside Pingxi District; Pingxi was an important coal mining town in the early 20th century, its population of 4,253 as of Feb 2023 is the smallest among the districts of New Taipei City !
1) Pingxi Train Station - on the Pingxi Line, built to transport coals in the old days, now the surrounding place is a popular tourist attraction !
2) Pingxi Old Street - my first visit to Pingxi & looking forward to see some actions on releasing of sky lanterns into the sky !
3) The History of Pingxi Sky Lantern - started in Qing dynasty as a defence tactic to convey messages to fellow villagers for self defence due to frequent harassments & confrontations from bandits ..... now a folk culture to convey blessings to family members especially on the 15th day of the Chinese Lunar New Year !
4) Sky lanterns with words of blessing about safe journey, health, romance & love, salary increases, well being etc) about to be released into the sky, may all their well wishes come true in 2024 !
5) Continued my free & easy walkabout with my wife along Pingxi Old Street.
6) Bomb shelters, Pingxi - pitched dark inside ! A curiosity visit !
7) Guangyinyan Rock Temple, Pingxi - a favourite place for locals to offer religious prayers ....
8) Eight Spirits Cave (Baxian Tunnel), Pingxi - built in 1983, adjacent to Guang Yin Rock Temple, a brief look inside, reported to be warm in winter & cooling in summer inside the tunnel, took a few pictures !
9) More sightseeing on our way back to the Pingxi Old Street !
11) Downtown Ruifang - noodle lunch (2 bowls of mihoon soup @ NT$45 = Rm6.75 & "tofu fa" NT$40 = Rm6 in Ruifang Food Court, nearby our hotel after the Shifen & Pingxi visit.
Jiufen, New Taipei City - a mountain town in northeastern Taiwan, east of Taipei, known for its narrow alleyways of its old town, packed with teahouses, street food shacks & souvenir shops, near the central Old Street, Shengping Theater, established in 1900s & since restored, close by the Gold Museum traces the town's history as a mining hub during the Japanese era gold rush.
2) A panoramic view of Jiufen from a viewing platform
3) The start (near 7-Eleven store) of my uphill narrow alley walk in Jiufen Old Street, drizzling at the time of our group's visit ! My last "adventure" walk to Jiufen Old Street was in Nov 2004 (joining a package tour)
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| Shengping Theater , Jiufen Old Street |
5) Before exiting (by a public bus back to Ruifang) Juifen Old Street & despite a rain, our group savoured a bowl of Taro balls / red bean dessert NT$60 (Rm9) as a treat for ourselves in remembrance of this Jiufen visit in 2024 - the same shop where my wife tasted this popular local dessert 20 years ago !
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