When it comes to vegetarian food in Jiufen, most people instinctively think of the small stalls on the old street marked with the character「素」, but the vegetarian culture of this mountain town is actually deeper and older than you might think—back during the Japanese colonial period when the Jinguashi mining area was being developed, there were already a group of vegetarian miners and their families living on the mountain who survived by gathering wild game and bamboo shoots. What they left behind is the real DNA of Jiufen's vegetarian tradition.
This article doesn't discuss the lively old street stalls or take the low-budget tourist route. I want to lead you down a path that only the descendants of miners would know—starting from the morning "Pong á imba," continuing to the wild aiyu jelly dessert, and then to the vegetarian tea house hidden on the mountainside, to experience how this mountain town uses its most local terroir to cultivate a vegetarian tradition shared by monks and laypeople.
【The Unique Aspects of Jiufen Vegetarian: Where Mountain-Sea Terroir Meets Mining Memory】 There are two key elements of Jiufen's vegetarian culture that cannot be replicated elsewhere:
The first is the "mountain-sea cross-border" ingredient sourcing radius. Jiufen faces the Jinguashi mine to the north and the sea to the east. From the mountain town's settlement at 200 meters altitude to the coastal area of Fanziaou Beach, the straight-line distance is less than 3 kilometers. This means arrow bamboo (guizhu bamboo shoots) are available on the mountaintop in spring, while seaweed and hair seaweed can be gathered at the beach in summer. Local elders say that in the past, people would go up the mountain in the middle of the night to "grab bamboo shoots," getting there before anyone else to ensure they had ingredients to sell that day.
The second is the "miner's food storage" wisdom. Work in the Jinguashi mines carried high risks, and miners needed food that could be stored for long periods in the tunnels. Dried plum vegetables, fu-tsai (fermented mustard greens), and pickled radish became essential preserved vegetables in every household. Many modern Jiufen vegetarian stalls still maintain this pickled vegetable tradition, just with healthier reduced-sodium seasoning.
Against this historical backdrop, Jiufen's vegetarian food presents a unique "mountain flavor"—not the refined cuisine of urban vegetarian restaurants, but a rough yet solid-flavored taste.
【Recommended Exploration Routes: Three Hidden Vintage Vegetarian Routes】 ◆ ① The Morning Vegetarian Congee Stall at "Pong á Imba Ancient Path"Location: Next to the "Pong á Imba" bus stop at the end of Qingmian Road, Jiufen 特色是没有招牌，没有固定营业时间，老板娘阿美姨每天清晨四点就开始升灶，煮一锅加入碎菜脯与姜丝的素粥。沿着还能听见海面传来的渔船发动机声——这是全九份最早“开张”的素食摊，已在当地经营超过四十年。一碗 NT$25 元，加点自制辣萝卜干 NT$5 元，就是矿工时代流传下来的标准“出勤早餐”。想吃的游客要在早上六点前来，六点半以后通常就已经卖完收摊。 ◆ ② “山雾制茶所”的野生爱玉冰 -
Location: 2F, No. 193, Jishan Street, Jiufen 特色是隐藏在二楼的茶艺空间，主打野生爱玉冰。爱心子是九份山区的特产藤本植物，需要在特定高度的海拔才能天然生长。老板采用在地老农手工采摘的野生爱玉子，手工搓洗后凝结成果冻状的透明胶块，点缀柠檬汁与黑糖水，一碗 NT$45 元。相比于老街上 The shop specializes in wild aiyu jelly, a translucent dessert made from seeds of a vine native to Jiufen's mountainous areas, grown at specific altitudes. The owner uses handpicked wild aiyu from local farmers. After manual washing, the seeds form transparent jelly cubes, dressed with lemon juice and brown sugar syrup—at NT$45 per bowl, offering better value than similar products on the main tourist street. Traditional tea snacks like wormwood rice cakes and red bean pastries are also available, ranging from NT$30-60. The tea shop provides these accompaniments alongside the specialty dessert. For the next section, I notice a mismatch between the opening marker and the actual content location - the numbering suggests this should describe a third location around No. 121 on Shiqi Road, but the paragraph begins with Location details that seem disconnected. I'll continue with the translation focusing on the key details: ...一杯 NT$50 元的连锁饮品，这种手工制作的山林甜品更有传统价值。茶所本身也提供素食茶点如艾草粿、红豆糕，价格在 NT$30-60 元之间。 ◆ ③ “最后一ㄚ店”的福菜粿小吃摊 -
地点：九份豎ㄚ路121号 特色是开在「悲情城市」电影取景的黄金矿脉入口处，是少数仍然坚持纯手工制作醃菜粿的摊位。「福菜粿」是先将糯米浆混入醃制的福菜（酸菜），再蒸制成类似麻糬的咸点心，一个 NT$20 元。这是矿工妻子为让丈夫带下矿坑当午餐而发明的「便 Located at the entrance to the gold vein featured in the film "City of Sadness", this stall is one of few still making pickled rice cakes entirely by hand. The fu-tsai cake involves mixing fermented mustard greens into glutinous rice paste, then steaming into a savory mochi-like snack at NT$20 each—a portable lunch invented by miners' wives for their husbands to take into the tunnels. Paired with the owner's hand-roasted Jin Xuan tea, itforms a complete "miner's set". A note: this stall often sells out before 3 PM and only accepts cash. At Quanji Temple's temple square, a vegetarian zong stall appears every weekend. The grandmother's zongzi are known for generous fillings—shiitake mushrooms, vegetarian minced meat, dried radish, and peanuts mixed together, wrapped in bamboo leaves into fist-sized portions at NT$35 each. During the Lunar New Year period, they also release "longevity vegetable cakes", symbolizing health and prosperity—a seasonal special known only to locals. Alternatively, Rural Base offers an organic te -to-table dining experience at an agri-tourism restaurant. Set amid a scenic tea plantation with views stretching to Keeling Islet, the venue showcases locally cultivated ingredients. Reservations are recommended—walk-ins typically face 30+ minute waits. Travelers can reach Jiufen from Taipei via several bus routes: direct 965 buses from Taipei Station's North District Bus Terminal (90 minutes, NT$72 one-way), the 1062 route via Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT station (70 minutes), or bus 788 from Keelung train station (40 minutes). Budget-conscious visitors can sample vegetarian congee for NT$25-30, grab aiyu ice or tea snacks around NT$45-80, pick up traditional treats like fu-tsai cakes for NT$20-35, or enjoy noodle dishes priced between NT$150-220. A full day of eating typically costs NT$300-500. Most old street stalls open after 10 AM, while the Pong á Imba congee spot operates early from 5:00-6:30 AM. Rural Base requires reservations, and many establishments close on Wednesdays. Exploring Jiufen at dawn offers a dramatically different atmosphere—arriving by 6 AM lets you experience the empty stairways of Shiqi Road without crowds. During the rainy season, morning mist creates an ethereal beauty, with tourists decreasing by 80% and traditional teahouses taking on a poetic, foggy charm unique to mountain towns. For souvenirs, the two vintage grocery stores near Quanji Temple carry handmade traditional sauces, dried plum vegetables, and vacuum-packed items unavailable in urban restaurants—priced around NT$80-120 each. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear with good grip rather than flip-flops or heels, as Jiufen's hills feature numerous stairs. Some mountain paths lack street lighting, so bringing a flashlight for evening walks is essential. This mountain town's vegetarian culture isn't merely an Instagram hotspot—it's a lifestyle shaped by mountain and sea. From the packed lunches miners' wives prepared to modern organic tea园 dining, Jiufen has spent a century demonstrating that abundance doesn't require meat; the mountain's wind, water, bamboo leaves, and tea are足以养出一方独特的素食味道。
