Last month I flew to Taipei to spend a weekend with my parents. I hadn’t been since they had martial law. So, a long time. I knew with my parents, it would be a foodie trip. And I was ready.

I flew in from Singapore on Scoot and met my parents at the hotel. They had landed ahead of me. I was also excited because they brought me a care package from Canada. I had ordered some essential oils. It turned out to be handy as my dad was under the weather. So, one of the first things we did was to shop for a diffuser for him. For most of the weekend, my dad stayed in the hotel room, which is actually a happy vacation for him. On the last day of our trip, he was well enough and we went to eat, and brought food back for my mom who had the bug next.

Jiufen 九份

Jiufen is a mountaintop town, less than an hour by taxi east of Taipei. My mom and I shared a taxi with four people, who turned out to be Singaporeans. I had a little chuckle when we found out. We were originally going to take the bus and then the taxi driver tooted for two more passengers. That was us.

(The bus can take one to two hours and a taxi was less than one hour.)

This picturesque old town is a popular destination for both daytrips and short stays. From the photos, Jiufen looks spectacular at night when it gets lit up. So that’s one reason to stay overnight. Another is you don’t have to deal with the mobs of people navigating the same narrow alleyways and steps and waiting for a table to eat or have tea.

We were only going for the day. There’s more to it than just eating; eating was what we were here for. And some window shopping.

By the time we arrived early afternoon, it was already crowded, with people disembarking and heading up to the town. Many people were also lingering by the road, taking in the view. It was quite beautiful. I took a quick picture and hurried to follow my mom to Jiufen Old Street. This led into narrow alleyways, where eateries, teahouses, and all kinds of interesting (and junky) souvenir shops awaited.

Our first stop was for a warm bowl of delicious taro balls topped with sweet tofu. We had another bowl hours later, before we left Jiufen.

Perhaps the most popular tourist place is Amei Teahouse 阿妹茶樓, which is linked to cult classic Spirited Away (despite the creator saying Jiufen was not the inspiration). We did not stop here.

We did stop many times along the way. There was a lot to see – people making various local desserts and snacks, beautiful calligraphy pens, crystals, fabrics, teas…We visited a teashop, modern yet traditional and such an interesting interior decor and aesthetic. Also, we spent a lot of time at an antique store, where my mom and the shopkeeper delighted in the cultural practice of negotiating and haggling.

Brief History of Juifen

In many ways, this town resembles Japan, with Japanese inns from the past era, and even Taipei has a Japanese feel. After losing the first Sino-Japanese war, China ceded Taiwan and the Japanese occupied and ruled the island for fifty years. Jiufen was also a POW camp to hold Allied soldiers.

The name Jiufen 九份 goes back to the Qing Dynasty (1636-1911) when nine families lived in the village. Each family requested a portion of the shipments arriving in town. So 九份 which means “nine portions”. The town’s name was first 九份仔.

While gold production is believed to have existed in Taiwan as early as the 1400s, the gold rush that led to Jiufen being a gold town was in the 1890s. After the second world war, gold production continued to decline until the mine closed in 1971, which led to this little mountain town’s decline into obscurity. That is until the 1990s when tourism took hold. The 1989 movie A City of Sadness was set in Jiufen which turned national and international eyes onto it

Taipei Biennale

I was a docent at the Singapore Art Museum and I was enjoying the contemporary artwork in its collection and on tour. The Biennale there has been provocative and it was exhibited throughout the city. So when I saw that the Taipei Biennale was on, I decided to go when my mom was having a rest back at the hotel.

Going to the Taipei Fine Art Museum was my only solo experience this trip. I took the taxi and walked around the area. I didn’t actually know the theme of the Biennale, thinking it would be interesting regardless. And it was. It was also disturbing so I only did a brief walk through. There were some exhibitions that I did pause to read about.

2012 Taipei Biennale, Modern Monsters / Death and Life of Fiction, was at Taipei Fine Art Museum.

Taipei is such an interesting city and it is a popular destination for many Chinese foodies. There are also landmarks to visit, such as museums, temples, gardens, and Taipei 101 Observatory which offers a 360 degree view of the city. There is also copious amounts and types of food in Taipei. The original Din Tai Fung is here. You do have to go early. My mom and I went around 11AM and the line was already very long. We found a Japanese restaurant nearby and had a delicious lunch. Without going to DTF, we may not have bumped into this one.

And outside of Taipei? Not too far is the fishing village of Yeliu. The coastal rock formations here is worth the trip out.