Lantern-lit teahouses above the sea
Jiufen boomed during a gold rush and then faded, before films brought visitors back to its steep, narrow lanes. Jishan Street is lined with stalls selling taro balls, fish balls and peanut ice-cream rolls, and the lanterns of the A-Mei Tea House glow at dusk. The views stretch over the mountains and the Pacific. It gets crowded, so stay the night or go early. Nearby Jinguashi has a gold museum, and the Pingxi line's Shifen village is famous for sky lanterns.