Jiufen

A former gold-mining settlement stacked against a steep hillside above the northeastern coast, Jiufen is reached by a long staircase of red-lanterned teahouse lanes that descend through layers of tiled roofs toward the Pacific. The main alley — Jishan Street — and the elevated Shuqi Road, with its traditional teahouses occupying multi-storey wooden buildings cantilevered over the hillside, are the visual centrepieces of the old town.