When most tourists think of Jiufen, they picture crowded old streets, taro balls, and night views. But did you know? At dawn around 5:30 AM, before the first tourists arrive, this mountain town becomes a cycling paradise—with no motorbike noise, no tourist crowds, just mountain breeze and bird songs accompanying you as you ride slowly through.
Jiufen's old streets themselves are narrow, winding stone steps—cycling in would be pure suffering. But the industrial roads and ridge trails surrounding it hide secret routes that even locals know. My recommended way is to set out at dawn, starting from Ruifang or Houtong, slowly cycling up to Jiufen along the branch of the Dahan Trail, enjoying that luxurious feeling of "having the entire mountain town to yourself."
If you're in good shape, I'd recommend the route starting from Houtong. Houtong was once an important coal mining settlement and is now famous for its Cat Village, but many don't know that its industrial roads lead all the way to Sandiao Ridge. The ridge trail is in good condition with a gentle slope—it takes about an hour to reach the mid-mountain area of Jiufen. Along the way, you'll pass abandoned mine entrances and railway bridge piers from the Japanese colonial era. Stop at the viewing platform when you're tired—that view overlooking the Yin-Yang Sea bay is definitely worth waking up early for.
If you're traveling with kids or elderly, I'd suggest the flat cycling path through Ruifang city instead. Start from Ruifang Station, cycle along the bike path by the Keelung River to Guashan Bridge—the route is almost entirely flat with well-maintained road surface. You'll pass the Ruifang Branch of the New Taipei City Library—that building itself is a renovated old rice mill from the Japanese era, with charming red brick walls. After reaching Guashan Bridge, you can turn into the "periphery" of Jiufen Old Street—the parking area on Dingding Street. From there, it's about a 5-minute walk to the core old street area, but at least you won't have to climb those exhausting stone steps.
The third route I want to recommend is the "Romantic Highway" that many local drivers know but tourists rarely visit. This is the industrial road leading from Jiufen to Jinguashi, officially named "Romantic Highway," though locals call it the direction to "Buyan Ting." Turn in from the Fu Zhu Restaurant entrance at the bottom of Jiufen Old Street—about 15 minutes of cycling takes you to a viewing platform called "Buyan Ting." The highlight here is the triangular view of Keelung Mountain, Teapot Mountain, and the Yin-Yang Sea all at once. When the sea of clouds rolls in during winter, the entire coastline looks like it's been splashed with milk. And this road has almost no traffic—the road surface is narrow but well-maintained, making it a secret base that many cycling enthusiasts keep to themselves.
As for costs, there's no admission fee to Jiufen itself, but if you want to visit specific attractions like the Gold Museum, the ticket is NT$80. If you cycle to the Yin-Yang Sea at Shuinandong in Jinguashi, the parking lot there has free bike racks—the entire area is free of charge. For bike rentals, there are several rental shops near Ruifang Station: regular bikes cost about NT$200-300 per day, e-bikes (bikes with electric assist) cost about NT$500-700 per day. It's recommended to book in advance by phone, especially on weekends and holidays.
The best time is between 5:30 AM and 7:30 AM—this is when the old street shops are just starting to open, the mountain mist hasn't yet dispersed, and the cool air is very comfortable. After 8:00 AM, tourists will start arriving, and the cycling experience greatly diminishes. Another good time slot is between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM—you can watch the sunset dye the entire mountain orange-red, but the downside is that darkness comes quickly, so watch out for road conditions.
Finally, a few reminders: Many of the mountain roads around Jiufen have no street lights, making night cycling dangerous—never take that risk. Mountain weather changes quickly—even in summer, it's recommended to bring a light jacket. Most importantly—never cycle into Jiufen Old Street. The stone steps and pedestrians there make it impossible to get through, and local residents already have strong opinions about this behavior. park your bike at a parking lot in Ruifang or on the outskirts of the old street, and walk into the old street—that's the basic respect for local culture.
