2023 Travel Records in Northern Taiwan

After finishing my trip to Tibet and Thailand, I returned to Taiwan again, preparing to transfer back to the United States from here. Because there were a few days of gaps in between, I arranged a short trip to northern Taiwan, mainly focusing on Jiufen, Pingxi and Taipei City. The pace was not fast, mainly visiting a few places I had not had the opportunity to go to in depth before. That day I flew back to Taoyuan International Airport from Thailand, and Amber drove to pick me up. We drove all the way to the northeast and arrived in Jiufen in the evening. The weather was slightly cool, and the lanterns on the old street were already lit. The night of Jiufen Mountain City was foggy, and the streets were quieter and less crowded during the day, making it more peaceful. In the morning, we had a simple breakfast in Jiufen and set off. The first stop was Amei Tea House, which was still bustling and one of the landmarks of the old street. We sat down and ordered tea and snacks. Looking out from the window, we could clearly overlook the layers of stacked roofs and the coastline under the gloomy weather. She talked about her life in the past few years after returning to Taiwan and the story of her breakups and reunions with her ex-boyfriend. After leaving the teahouse, Amber also recommended me to eat her favorite taro balls and fish soup. We stood on the observation deck, enjoying the food while looking at the scenery where the mountain city and the coastline meet. At that moment, the wind was light and the fog was rising. Everything was very quiet, but I was very satisfied. After leaving Jiufen, we drove to Shifen Station. The most distinctive activity here is to release sky lanterns on the railway. We also chose one, wrote down our wishes, and took a few photos according to the instructions of the store before releasing it. Although it was full of sightseeing, it was still quite interesting for the first time. Then we walked to Shifen Waterfall, which took less than an hour to go back and forth. The waterfall has a large amount of water, the trail is well planned, and there are many photo spots. Although the weather was not sunny, it did not rain, and the overall trip was very smooth. In the evening, we returned to Taipei and ended the day's trip. On the way back, the sunset dyed the mountains red, and soft music was playing in the car. It was not a gorgeous trip, but it was the most real and warmest journey in my memory. Thank you Amber for letting me see a different Taiwan and letting me know that I can encounter such a human touch in a corner of a foreign land. #台湾地方游 #九份