A night in Jiufen
Why staying overnight in Taiwan’s lantern village was the best decision we made
Just an hour’s drive from Taipei lies Jiufen, a village that looks like something out of a Spirited Away movie. Located high in the hills, its winding streets are lined with glowing red lanterns. Once they light up at night, the narrow alleys turn almost mystical, leading to beautiful traditional teahouses.
While many people visit Jiufen as a day trip, we decided to stay overnight, and I’m so glad we did! We arrived around noon, just as the streets were starting to fill with visitors. By the time we checked into our home for the night and went out to find lunch, the small alleys were already packed, and one restaurant we tried already had a long line. Knowing we had plenty of time, we decided to wander higher up into the hills, away from the crowds.
As we climbed, the views opened up. Small houses dotted the lush green slopes below us, with the blue ocean stretching out in the background. There was an option to continue on a proper hike into the neighbouring mountains, but we decided instead to look for a light lunch.
A bit further along, we stumbled upon Twilight café, which felt calm and relaxed compared to the busy main streets. Their tea and coffee menu was interesting, and we were very happy with our order of sea salt cream black tea latte and hot brew black coffee.
Just a short walk down from the café, we found a Taoist temple. Everything felt peaceful there, with only a few people quietly going about their daily prayer rituals. The soft afternoon light gave the whole area a warm golden glow.
On our way back down, the streets were still busy with day visitors, so we decided to take a short break before dinner. Along the way I gave in and tried the famous A Gan Y taro ball dessert soup: an interesting combination of sweet potato and taro balls, red beans, and a warm sweet broth.
For dinner, we found a small family-run restaurant just down the street from our hotel. At the entrance we were greeted by a super friendly fluffy dog who made sure to check on guests throughout the entire dining experience. The food was fantastic, I would especially recommend their Thai-spiced fish.
After dinner, the sun had set and the day visitors were slowly leaving. It was finally time to explore the lantern-lit streets.
Walking around at night felt completely different, with only a handful of people wandering the glowing alleyways. We got to enjoy views of the famous teahouse almost entirely to ourselves.
There was something almost fairytale-like about Jiufen after dark, and I could understand why it earned its reputation as the Spirited Away village. As the lanterns began switching off around 21:00, it was time to head back for some well-deserved rest.
The next morning I took the opportunity to explore Jiufen one more time, just before the village woke up. I was rewarded with quiet, empty streets, with not even the vendors out yet. It was probably the most peaceful moment of our stay.
After my walk, I enjoyed breakfast on our hotel’s small terrace overlooking the village. We stayed in a cozy place Windsor’s Han-Guan B&B with direct access to one of Jiufen’s alleys, which made early morning wandering especially easy.
After breakfast, it was time to pack up and continue on to our next Taiwan adventure.
For more from Taiwan, you can also read my post about my first impressions from the island.
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Jiufen looks stunning. I totally understand why people immediately think of Spirited Away. But why is it only considered a day trip to most? I’d want to stay over night so I could see the lanterns in full display! ✨
The lanterns look so beautiful at night! 🌟