Jiufen is a small village nestled atop the mountains of northern Taiwan. Named for the nine families that initially occupied the village during the Qing Dynasty, Jiufen eventually rose to prominence as an important mining town and continued to thrive as such under Japanese occupation during the second world war. After the gold “dried up”, however, Jiufen fell into decline through the 70’s and 80’s. This changed, however, when several popular movies filmed or drew inspiration from the village. One of these movies was Hayao Miyazaki’s hugely successful and widely loved animated movie “Spirited Away”.

In terms of atmosphere, culture, and history, Jiufen doesn’t disappoint. It’s nearly impossible to have a bad visit, with the rich geologic and cultural remnants of the area’s gold rush, a deeply nostalgic mix of Japanese and Chinese architectural beauty, and of course, enough food to pig out on!