The “Fast-Track Travel Program” continues in Jinguashi, Shuinandong and Jiufen. These are three places in Taiwan with a golden history. With only a few days before the first batch of Filipino interns goes back home, I need to tour them around in these places in the fastest way possible.
I brought along the biggest number of friends Travel Buddies I ever had and Filipinos comprise the bulk of the group. Bryan, Francis, Ciara, Jonalyn, Kristine, Gian and Myrron (my first ever official Travel Buddy) joined the exciting trip in New Taipei City. Beautiful French ladies Clara and Anissa came along while the rest of Southeast Asia was represented by Jason (Indonesian) and Austin (Singaporean). 11 Travel Buddies and 1 Travel King. Who would have thought that I will hold a bag of gold for this travel adventure?
Public buses abound from Ruifang Train Station and one of them is Bus 1062. Jonalyn, Bryan and Kristine sat along the west side of the bus and they were mesmerized when they saw the blue color of the East China Sea. The Gold Ecological Park boasts a number of attractions like a famous Disneyland. Japanese mining companies used to rule the area and with the closing of the mines they leave behind traces of what is life in the area during Taiwan's gold mining period.
There is the 4-tiered Japanese house which serves before as a dormitory of Japanese employees of a mining company. Climb along the stone stairs and have a nice view of Jinguashi. The Jinguashi Shinto Shrine will surprise you at the top. The Japanese used to worship the god of metals in this religious site to get more precious stones. Only its pillars, torii gate and stone lanterns have withstand the test time. Go down to see the Gold Museum which houses one of the largest gold bar in the world. Touch it and feel it. 220 kg of solid gold. Wow!
A gold panning activity DIY for 100 NTD completed the Jinguashi tour. But it was only start of the travel adventure! Water from the golden waterfall flows toward the East China in Shuinandong forming the Yin Yang Sea. The blue sea and the golden water mix in perfect harmony. On top of the hills is the 13-level Shuinandong Smelter. During the Japanese times all the gold-containing stones gathered from mining are brought to this place to extract the precious metals. Shuinandong's rocky seashore provided a playground for my friends which ended in a funny rescue operation for Jonalyn and Ciara. After having in the sea, we took a bus at the Shuinandong bus stop for our next destination, Jiufen.
A long time ago nine families used to live in the area of Jiufen. Resources are shared and divided into nine proportions making the name of the town as Jiufen. Nowadays, the place is teeming with food stalls not to mention to Japanese tourists that invaded area. It was said that Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away was inspired by this town. The large number of Japanese tourist here adds fuel to the rumor that the famous Japanese animation director once visited the place and got ideas by walking along the street full of food. Have you watched Spirited Away? Visit Jiufen and see for yourself.
Watching the sunset was the price of visiting Jiufen and we all had a nice day. Golden experiences in Jinguashi, sea-side stroll in Shuinandong and a food trip in Jiufen. Whoah! It was fast and furious like a real gold rush.
Sakura Series - Taiwan
2025 Forecast
Taipei 101 first flowers
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Taipei Flower Test Center
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Broadwood Park
Sunshine Sports Park kawazu sakura
Wuling Farm (武陵農場)
SYS kawazu sakura
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
CKS Memorial Hall
Shibafen Yoshino Sakura
Hope River
Dongfang Temple
Tianyuan Palace
Neicou Stream Trail
Orange Garden Cafe
Yangming Park Visitor Information Center
Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop
Huashan Road
Qianshan Park
Zhongshan Hall Entrance
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura
Neihu Creek Trail
Shulin Land Office
Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest
Lung Yen Sakura Forest
Yangming Park cherry stream
Yangming Park fountain
CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura
Wugu District Tianyi Road
CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura
Loving Farm
Yong Long Farm
Zhongbaling Sakura Road
Sun Link Sea
Tai'an Police Station
Cherry Hill Slope
Hsinchu Park
Taipei 101
Kāng Gào Kēng Creek
New Garden City
Broadwood Park
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Alishan Ranger Station
Alishan House
Alishan Police Station
Alishan Forest Railway
Alishan Station
Alishan Entrance
Alishan Gou Hotel
Alishan Magnolia Garden
Wulai tour
Wun Chang Elementary School
Bishanyan
Sanzhi Sansei Trail
Sakura Series - Taiwan
Nei Cuo Stream
Orange Garden Cafe
Sansei Trail
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Yangming Park Cherry Stream
Yangming Park Fountain
Flower Test Center
Broadwood Park
New Garden City
Yinghua Park
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Yangmingshan Visitor Center
Taipei 101
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Sakura Series - Japan
Kamonyama Park
Near the Nippon Maru Memorial Park
Shinko Park
Minato-mirai 21 area
Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus
Onda River
Tenryuji
Byodoin
Kiyomizudera
Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple
Hōryū-ji Temple
Nara Park attractions
Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus
Sumida River
Tsuruma Park
Gion
Maple Series
Taipei Aowanda
Shimen Dam
Alishan
Aowanda
Shanlinxi
Taoyuan Valley Garden
Fushoushan Farm
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| Yehliu to Jiufen? Yehliu to Shifen? Cheaper than yellow taxis |
The "Taipei kong mahal" (My beloved Taipei)
Always in my heart
MRT birdman
Valentine's Day
Tulips Festival
2018 Taipei Lantern Festival
City of Azaleas
Linji Huguo Temple
Nanjichang Night Market
Gudetama Chef restaurant
Dalongdong Bao'an Temple
Shilin hollyhocks
Ningxia Night Market
Ximending graffiti
Discovery Center of Taipei
Chunghwa Postal Museum
Double-Decker Bus
Shilin Cold Balls
Jingimoo
GomanMango
mud volcanic ice
Fire and Ice Dumpling
Opium Fen-Yuan
Ichiran Ramen
Liu Shandong Beef Noodles
hydrangea flowers
National Palace Museum
Other attractions in Taipei
Taipei on a budget
Japanese buildings
Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles
Presidential Office Building
Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain
CKS and SYS Hall
City tour
Beitou ramen
MRT Monopoly Game
Winter city tour
Zhicheng Park
Shilin Plum Blossom
Art museums
Shopping in Taipei
Summer desserts
Qingtiangang
Qixingshan hiking
2015 Calla lily
2016 Calla lily
Beitou tour
Beitou-Zhuzihu tour
NTU
Confucius Temple
2015 Dadaocheng Festival
Puppet Museum
Fantasy Ice World
2016 Bread Show
Strawberry picking
2015 Rose Garden
Modern Toilet
Shilin Night Market
NASA Exhibit
Raohe Night Market
Longshan Temple
2013 Taipei Zoo
Maokong Gondola
Lupin flowers
Taipei 101 day visit
Taipei 101 night visit
Tiger Mountain
Din Tai Fung
Taipei Story House
2014 Flower Show
Chrysanthemum Show
Miramar Ferris wheel
Miniatures Museum
Archery
1600 Pandas
Wulaoguo hot pot
Upside Down House
2016 101 Fireworks
New Taipei
Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel
Shifen Waterfall
2017 Sand Sculpture
Dragon Caves
New Taipei tour
2016 Kite Festival
Pingxi Crags
Bitou Cape
2016 Sand Sculpture
2015 Christmasland
Juming - Jinshan
Houtong - Pingxi
Sandiaoling Waterfall
Jiufen foodtrip
Guanyinshan hike
Yehliu Ocean World
2014 Kite Festival
Pingxi Rail tour
Jinguashi tour
Vigor Kobo Pineapple
British Consulate
Yehliu Geopark
2014 Sand Sculpture
Paragliding
2014 Christmasland
2014 Pingxi Lantern
firefly watching
Yingge Ceramics Street
Jiufen tour
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