When it comes to vegetarian food in Jiufen, most people's immediate reaction is the taro balls and tofu pudding on the old street. But if you're willing to wake up an hour early, you'll discover another face of this mountain town—at six in the morning at Ruifang Train Station, the platform already has devotees carrying eco-friendly containers, waiting for the first bus up the mountain. They're not following the Spirited Away tourist crowds, but heading to the simple vegetarian canteen on the mountain to "eat breakfast斋".
Jiufen's Buddhist vegetarian culture isn't entirely concentrated in the temples. What makes this mountain town unique is that it's a "mobile practice grounds" — early mining settlements, later artist communities, then spiritual practitioners, forming a low-profile vegetarian network among the hillside alleys. You won't see prominent vegetarian restaurant signs in the old street's core; instead, they're hidden at staircase corners, on the second floor of tea shops, or even during bed-and-breakfast breakfast hours.
The logic behind these "hidden vegetarian spots" differs from the "temple entrance economy" you see in Kaohsiung's Lingya 1st Road or Tainan. Jiufen doesn't have large temples driving fixed gathering spots; its vegetarian culture is more like a "mountain road network" — masters live in mountain-side retreat houses, followers walk up from the valley, and after three to five kilometers of mountain trails, it's刚好 time to eat. Since there are no restaurants along the way, the masters cook for themselves, creating the ecosystem of mountain vegetarian canteens.
Speaking of mountain vegetarian food, Jiufen's unique "morning斋 culture" cannot be missed. In the past, miners would start work early, and every household would cook rice porridge at dawn with pickled melon. This tradition continues today, except the contents have changed. Today's morning斋 usually consists of rice porridge or soy milk, paired with steamed buns, pickled melon, and a dish of peanuts — simple and plain, but刚好 fits the practice rhythm of "not eating after noon". If you can arrive at the mountain before seven o'clock and witness such a scene, you'll understand why some say "Jiufen's vegetarian food isn't about taste, it's about rhythm".
Next, I'll share some mountain town vegetarian corners I've visited. None of these are the kind tourist crowds would walk into, but it's precisely this insistence on not trying to hard sell that makes the food feel more genuine.
First is "Mountain Town Canteen" (located at the end of Jishan Street near the police station). This is my most frequent breakfast spot. The owner is a local long-term resident who wakes up at 4:30 AM every day to simmer rice porridge, using locally grown penglai rice from Ruifang. The porridge is thick but not mushy, paired with her own pickled melon and sweet soybean paste — extra easy on the stomach. Right, you read correctly; there's no menu here. Whatever vegetables the boss buys that day determines what soup she makes. Sometimes it's bok choy miso soup, sometimes it's cabbage fish ball soup, starting at NT$40 per bowl. She says, those who make morning斋 shouldn't be too particular — eat what's available.
Second is "Forget-Worry Tea House's Second Floor" (midway up the Zengqi steps). Strictly speaking, this isn't a restaurant, but they serve vegetarian sets. What's truly impressive isn't the sophistication of the dishes themselves, but the owner's question before serving: "Are you here to practice, or to play?" Based on your answer, she adjusts the portion and seasoning — practitioners get 80% full arrangements, while tourists are advised to eat more since they'll be exploring the old street afterward. This "personalized service" is impossible at standardized chain restaurants. Set prices range around NT$120-180, including a cup of Alishan high-mountain oolong tea.
Third is the "Tofu Pudding Stall Next to Shengping Theater" (actually located on Qingbian Road). This shop's tofu pudding is traditional salt-coagulated tofu pudding, not the soft tofu pudding made with additional coagulants — the texture is firmer but has bean fragrance. In summer, it's topped with brown sugar water and peanut powder; in winter, hot tofu pudding with ginger juice is offered. Though not a purely vegetarian shop, the boss proactively asks if you're vegetarian, and if so, she'll swap the toppings with almond milk instead of honey — because bee collection may sometimes involve animal exploitation. This attentive detail is rarely encountered at other night market stalls. One bowl for NT$35 — coin change price but five-star intention.
Fourth is "A-Mei Tea House's Afternoon Tea Set" (the most famous one). Though primarily a photo-op spot, their tea set actually includes vegetarian options. The real highlight isn't the food itself, but the mountain view from the second-floor window — gray sky, red lanterns at the end of the stairs, paired with a pot of Alishan high-mountain oolong tea — that's the real Jiufen. Prices here are on the higher side, sets around NT$250-350, but if you're coming for that view, it's worth it.
The last one is more special — it's the "Organic Vegetable Stall at the Mountain Foot" (near Ruifang Train Station). This isn't a restaurant, but a rural direct sales stall that only appears on Friday and Saturday mornings. Elderly farmers from nearby townships bring up vegetables they've grown — not many varieties, but all seasonal, grade-A produce. Prices are NT$30-50 per bunch, more than half cheaper than organic stores. Many locals and long-term renting practitioners will buy vegetables here and then walk directly to the mountain's simple kitchen to "add dishes". If you know how to utilize this stall, it's like having your own mountain self-service buffet.
None of these spots require advance reservations, and none have fixed business hours. Most operate on a "depends on the boss's mood" or "whenever the door is open" basis. This is precisely what makes Jiufen's vegetarian food most interesting — it's not an industry, but a lifestyle manifestation.
Finally, some practical information. To reach Jiufen, the most convenient way is taking a Taiwan Railway local train from Taipei Station to Ruifang (about NT$76, approximately 45 minutes), then transferring from across Ruifang Station to buses 788, 827, or Keelung Bus (fare NT$15, about 20 minutes). If you're fit enough, you can also walk directly from Ruifang, which takes about 40 minutes to reach the mid-mountain — many practitioners actually prefer this method, treating it as "warm-up before ascending the mountain".
As for the best visiting season, personally I recommend spring and autumn, especially October to November, when the entire mountain town is enveloped in mist. Walking on the stone steps gives you a feeling of traversing the world of Spirited Away. However, winter in Jiufen actually has more mountain town character — just remember to bring a rain jacket, as this period has the most rainfall throughout the year.
For accommodation, there are no chain-level vegetarian restaurants or hotels on the mountain. If needed, you can choose a bed-and-breakfast within walking distance of Ruifang Station (prices around NT$800-1500), then take the first bus up the mountain the next morning to eat breakfast斋 — this is the complete "mountain town practice rhythm".
Travel tip: The biggest difference between Jiufen's vegetarian food and flatland cuisine is that it doesn't pursue the satisfaction of "all-you-can-eat", but rather the "just-right" feeling of an empty stomach. Portions here are typically small because the mountain road exercise automatically regulates your appetite — walk a few flights of stairs, and your appetite naturally opens. If you try to eat a cup of noodles on the flatland before heading up, you'll regret it. Those foods that look small become delicacies after walking a section of mountain road. This is the most wonderful thing about Jiufen's vegetarian food: it's not merely food — it's a reconciling agent between a moving body and a quiet mind.
Next time you visit Jiufen, stop just queuing for taro balls with the crowd. Try setting your alarm two hours earlier and heading up the mountain to see what the mountain town looks like at six thirty in the morning. At that time, you won't encounter tourists — you'll meet a group of people who truly know how to live in this mountain town.
