TRAVELLIVE 3 - 2018

travel
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THE NOSTALGIC CHARM of JIUFEN
Along with Shifen, the old village of Jiufen is one of the
most popular tourist destinations in Taipei, Taiwan. It takes
almost an hour to get to Jiufen from the city center, but the
village is always filled with people. What makes this village
so enticing to visitors, you might ask?
It was raining when I left the Zhongxiao Fuxing Subway Station to catch the bus
to Jiufen. I tried anxiously to find the correct bus number, but soon realized my
worry was unnecessary as a long line of people was already queueing up for bus
route 1062. The line was surprisingly orderly as people patiently waited for the
bus to arrive. If you do not travel with a card, simply deposit NT$80 for a one
way fare.
I decided to sit at the back of the line to enjoy the steamy dumplings I bought
before getting on the bus, were I watched the rain pour against the glass
window. The bus finally departed, and quickly took to the highway. Soon, the
city was no longer in sight, and lush mountains appeared before me. The bus
traveled for an hour on winding roads, and before we knew it, we had arrived in
Jiufen. Most of the people, including me, got off at this stop.
CHARMING LITTLE ALLEYWAYS
Taipei is often known for its rainy weather, and Jiufen, being some
80km from the city and situated among the mountains, has an
even higher amount of rainfall. It felt a little colder because of
the rain, but it was only drizzling. I put on my hat, and put the
umbrella away in my backpack, then headed to Jiufen, a must-see
destination for visitors in Taiwan.
The small cobblestone trail on the mountainside led us to the entrance of the
old village where shops on the two sides were decorated in beautiful colors.
We were told that the village is often packed with visitors, especially on the
weekends, but it was more crowded than what I had expected at 11am on a
rainy Tuesday morning with a flock of visitors already wandering about. No
wonder the bus runs in full service every 15 minutes from 6am to 7pm. You can
imagine the number of visitors who come daily to this charming little village.
Jiufen Village is located among special terrain with cobblestone alleyways that
slide along the mountainside overlooking the sea. On both sides of the road,
close to one another, are hundreds of food, specialty, souvenir, and handicraft
shops. The incredible number of shops entice customers to visit, regardless of
the crowds. The colorful shops displayed all kinds of interesting items, enough
to make you want to look at every little thing.
Text: Lam Linh - Photos: Lam Linh, Thu Qu˙nh
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