Solo score 4 out of 5: Very comfortableMultiple sources agree · checked 2026-10
Jiufen Old Street
九份老街（基山街・豎崎路） · show this name to taxi drivers
A former gold-mining town on a steep hillside above the sea. Narrow Jishan Street is packed with snack and souvenir shops, and the Shuqi Road staircase is hung with red lanterns and lined with teahouses. It's an easy day trip alone: you graze one snack at a time and sit down for tea whenever you like.
At a glance for one
Admission
Free
Walking the streets and visiting Shengping Theater are free. Shops and teahouses charge separately.
Hours
Open 24 hours
The streets are always open, but most shops open around 10:00 and many close around 20:00. Shengping Theater is open 09:30-17:00 on weekdays and 09:30-18:00 on weekends, and closes on the first Monday of each month and on Lunar New Year's Eve and Day 1.
Time needed
2-3 hours
Booking
Not needed
Crowds
Avoid busy times
Minimum
None
Details can change. Check on site before you rely on hours, prices or payment.
How to visit, step by step
- Get off at the Jiufen Old Street bus stop and walk a short way uphill to the Jishan Street entrance beside a 7-Eleven. Taxis drop off at the police station near the bottom of Shuqi Road instead
- Walk Jishan Street first. It is narrow and crowded but mostly flat, with covered stretches and snack shops on both sides
- Turn down Shuqi Road, a long, steep staircase lined with teahouses and lanterns. Take it slowly, especially when it is wet
- Near the bottom, step into Shengping Theater (No. 137 Qingbian Road), a 1930s cinema that is free to visit
- Crowds peak from midday to late afternoon. Keep your bag in front of you in lines and when you stop for photos
- Lanterns light up around sunset and stay on until about 21:00. Buses back to Taipei run until about 20:30 and the lines get long, so check the timetable and leave time
- If you have luggage, leave it at the baggage storage at Ruifang Station. Jiufen is all stairs and crowds
Don't miss: Snack your way along Jishan Street, then sit down for tea on Shuqi Road as the lanterns come on.
Best time to go alone: A weekday morning before about 11:00, or stay until the lanterns light up when the day-trip crowds thin around dinnertime. Weekends and November to March are the busiest.
Before you go
Four easy day trips into New Taipei by public transport, alone. Jiufen and Jinguashi, Shifen and the Pingxi Line, Tamsui and Bali, and the North Coast, with how to get there, what to eat on your own and when to head back.
Read: Day trips from Taipei on your own →Getting there
Getting there: From Taipei: bus 1062 from Zhongxiao Fuxing Station (Exit 2) or bus 965 from Beimen or Ximen to the Jiufen Old Street stop, about 1-1.5 hours. Or take a train to Ruifang and a bus of about 15 minutes. Check the timetable before you go back.
Jishan St., Ruifang Dist., New Taipei City (Jiufen Old Street entrance)
新北市瑞芳區基山街（九份老街入口）
Open in Google Maps新北市瑞芳區基山街（九份老街入口）
Phrase cards for this place
Tap one to show it full-screen to the staff.
Sources & checks
Multiple sources agree · 2026-10
- Official visitor information (gep.ntpc.gov.tw)
- United Daily News (udn.com)
- News report (cna.com.tw)
- Blog (taiwanobsessed.com)
No sponsorship disclosed in the sources we checked.
More solo-friendly places nearby
Braised pork rice
Solo score 4 out of 5: Very comfortableMultiple sources agree
Jiufen Jie Jiao Traditional Diner
九份街角傳統小吃Small tables
Ice cream
Solo score 4 out of 5: Very comfortableMultiple sources agree
A-Zhu Peanut Ice Cream Roll
阿珠雪在燒Standing only
Cafe
Solo score 4 out of 5: Very comfortableMultiple sources agree
HIMA Cafe
HIMA CAFE 暇・咖啡Small tables