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Jiufen is essentially a hill town which had gone through a fascinating past. Jiufen had been a quiet village nestled between the Pacific coast and the hills until the presence of gold in the area became known to the world outside. After the first mine was dug in 1890, the place became a bustling centre of gold seekers and traders. The little village soon grew into a prosperous town with tremendous prospects. However, the mining activities gradually waned away after the Second World War and the town receded into insignificance. Jiufen once again came into prominence as the award winning film ‘A City of Sadness’ by Hou Hsiao-hsien's was shot here. The locales shown in the film once again evoked a nostalgic remembrance in the people and the town soon started drawing in tourists to experience the quaint charm of the abandoned mine which had once witnessed a mad gold rush. Attractions in Jiufen: Jiufen is now one of the busiest tourist destinations of Taiwan. The Pacific shores offer a fantastic view and the distant hills add to enchantment of the tourists in the historic town. As people from all across the island started flocking in, the town developed hundreds of cafes, restaurants and shopping centers for its tourists. The Jinshan Street which runs along the hills is lined with shops selling additional artifacts and local cuisines. The walk in the street is a wonderful experience with its colorful rows of shops and the coastline below. The tea houses of Jiufen deserve a special and are immensely popular among its tourists. How to Reach Jiufen: Jiufen can be reached by buses from Keelung and Taipei. The bus route also connects it to the Rueifang Station on the TRA Yilan Line.
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