Jiufen Laojie’s stepped lanes above Neu-Taipeh
Published on 08/16/2026 at 14:18 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Jiufen Laojie in Neu-Taipeh is a hill street woven into the slopes of Ruifang District, with narrow lanes, stairways and shopfronts packed tightly together. Its identity comes from the late nineteenth century, when gold mining turned Jiufen into a settlement of consequence, and the streets kept that compressed hillside form.
Jiufen Laojie and the hill town below
The place belongs to the former mining town of Jiufen, in New Taipei City’s Ruifang District. The Taiwan Tourism Administration describes Jiufen as a gold-mining centre, and local travel material still links the area with the name “Golden Mountain City”.gold-mining centreGolden Mountain City
Jiufen’s name is tied to the area’s older village history, and the street pattern remains closely linked to the hillside terrain. The lanes climb, bend and narrow as they follow the slope, and the built form is compact rather than spread out.hillside terrain
The mining era in the street pattern
Jiufen grew during the gold rush period of the late Qing dynasty and then under Japanese colonial rule from 1895 to 1945. That history gives the street its layered character: old shopfronts, stepped passages and dense frontages rather than a broad civic boulevard.late Qing dynastyJapanese colonial rule
The street lies in the same former gold district that gave the town its prominence. Mineral wealth shaped the settlement, and the surviving lanes keep the steep, close-packed arrangement that developed around that economy.
Stone steps, tea houses and lane-side shops
What meets the eye is a working street scene made from stone steps, small facades and tightly arranged premises. Tea houses, food stalls and local shops line the route, and the pedestrian passages stitch the place together along the slope.stone stepsfood stalls
The street is also linked to the wider landscape of north-eastern Taiwan, with the hills rising behind it and the coast within the same district. That setting gives the place a strong sense of enclosure without removing its relation to the surrounding landscape.
Visiting Jiufen Laojie: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Jiufen Laojie is in Ruifang District, New Taipei City, in north-eastern Taiwan. It is reached through the mountain town rather than by a single straight urban avenue.
- The route is stepped and uneven in places. The street follows the hillside, so the terrain is part of the visit.
- The official language is Mandarin Chinese and the currency is the New Taiwan dollar.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Jiufen Laojie
Where is Jiufen Laojie?
Jiufen Laojie is in Ruifang District, New Taipei City, on the slopes above the town of Jiufen. It belongs to the former gold-mining area in north-eastern Taiwan.
What does a visit involve?
The place is a steep, lane-based street with steps, small shops and tea houses. The hillside setting is part of the layout throughout the route.
What makes Jiufen Laojie distinctive?
Its compact street pattern reflects the gold-mining past and the period of Japanese colonial rule. The result is a tightly built hillside street rather than a broad modern promenade.
