Is Jiufen worth going ? Let’s find out! Here’s a Jiufen Travel Guide of what to try, eat and buy in this so-called Spirited Away place in Taiwan. This was said to be the inspiration behind the aforementioned Ghibli movie, and I’m ecstatic to explore it finally!
Jiufen Travel: Must-See and Must-Try
Here’s an overview of what Jiufen has to offer — this map is available at the 7-11 area. We happened to stop by 7-11 because we were craving an onigiri, and we can’t help but buy one!!
I really wish this could be available soon in our country with the same quality and affordability too. It’s such a comfort food, IMO. And I can eat this any day!
From Yehliu Geopark and Ruifang, we went to Jiufen next to buy pasalubong or souvenirs to bring home. That was the ultimate goal at the time, and have some sight-seeing as well for our day tour in Jiufen.
Jiufen Taiwan Old Street: Exuding Culture and Tradition
Just look how picturesque the place is! No wonder this has become the inspiration for that Spirited Away movie. It just resonates so much of the place’s culture and tradition. You can buy a lot of food souvenirs like mochi, pineapple cake, seaweed, and more (which I will be sharing in my Taiwan Pasalubong blog post soon!) Also, I like how clean the place is and how amicable the people are. You get to be heralded by a LOT of promos and free tasting too! *yay*
Taiwan Sausages
If you get to watch my Vlog about Jiufen, you will see that they offer a lot of sausages of various sizes, yet with the same flavor. I like how this one has an acquired taste for me. You can watch the video below:
Peanut Ice Cream Rolls
This has got to be one of your MUST-TRY here in Jiufen!! It’s their Ah Zhu Peanut Ice Cream Rolls and they’re a heaven-sent! I promise you won’t regret eating even 5 of this in one sitting. Haha.
I like how systematic the shop is with the customers’ orders. They have ready-to-give changes in their cashier area too which you can get as instructed ASAP. They put on gloves during plating, and put it out when handling money. Long lines ain’t a problem because they’re really quick.
Lovely texture, lovely taste. I just loved peanuts even more with this Ah Zhu Peanut Ice Cream Roll! It costs 40NTD per serving. NEVER MISS THIS ONE OUT! 🙂
Nougats
They’re chewy, sweet, and really addicting! They offer some free tasting too, so better try what you like before buying! 😉 Nougat Brother has a lot of flavors to offer: strawberry, black sesame, mango, pineapple… but for me, nothing beats the unadulterated original nougat.
Grilled Sea Snails
This one caught my attention because it’s rare for me to see grilled sea snails. Heck, this was my first time. Haha. I haven’t been to a lot of places yet, and I’m not really fond of exotic food yet (as this is said to be “exotic“).. so I just included this for those who are adventurous enough to try this! Haha. This one costs 5 for 100NTD if my memory serves me right. 😉
Brown Sugar Boba Milk Tea
I didn’t know this was Xing Fu Tang initially during our Taiwan travel in Jiufen. All I knew was we got curious of why this store had a line longer than the rest of the milk tea shops during our tour. Plus, they seem to have the F4 inside their store (Kidding, haha, but the 4 good guys inside the store seem to be really friendly and quite accommodating to tourists like us who are not good with language but just good with pointing this and that to their menu, LOL)
The brown sugar with boba milk tea costs around 40-50NTD. Yes, pretty much cheaper than their Philippine counterpart of a few bills. Typical milk tea taste, but really good brown sugar during that time since that was my first ever brown sugar milk tea in Taiwan.
Stroll Around for Sights and Music
Strolling around Jiufen, you will see a lot of relaxing views, and even hear relaxing music to the ears. This one is grandpa playing his electric guitar who kept us entertained for almost 20 minutes with his music playing.
Here’s a snippet of GrandPa!
Outside where grandPa plays, you will see some souvenir ideas again. Other than these wallets, you will see more bag designs and room decors that are pretty much made from authentic and/or synthetic leather. Other kiosks at the area sell magnets and jaded accessories as well.
I love how this picture turned out! It looks so home-y with the sun rays, shadows, and all. Hoping to come back again for the 2nd time and explore more of Jiufen that I may have missed! Like more of the embedded cultrue and traditions of the place, tea ceremonies, etc. See you on our next post!
Are you planning to visit or have already gone to Jiufen Taiwan? I’d love to know your experiences too! Comment down below, and let me know if I have to try other things in Jiufen that I may have missed! xoxo
