Shifen, Taiwan: The Lanterns, Old Street, and Waterfall Park

TRAVEL GUIDE: VISIT SHIFEN, TAIWAN

Shifen, Taiwan, is perhaps best known for its famous waterfall, and also its flying sky lanterns.  

Even without those draws, Shifen’s lively Old Street is worth visiting on a day trip (or half-day trip) from Taipei.

You can get to Shifen by car or by public transportation.  The trip is really easy, even if you don’t speak the language and have never been to Taiwan before!

Uber or Taxi from Taipei to Shifen

The drive to Shifen is about 22 miles, and it takes about 40 minutes in normal traffic.

An Uber or taxi from Taipei to Shifen will cost $35 to $40.  

The Train from Taipei to Shifen

Taking the train to Shifen is much more adventurous … and cost-effective.  If you plan it right (using Google Maps) you can make it from Taipei to Shifen in about an hour and 40 minutes.

From Taipei, head to the Ruifang Train Station (pronounced ray-fung).

From the Songshan Station in Taipei, it’s about 45 minutes to Ruifang, and a $1.30 fare.  Literally… a dollar and 30 cents!  

The ticket vending machines are easy to use, and they accept Visa or Mastercard.

And, yes: You’re still expected to wear a mask on public transportation in Taiwan.

From Ruifang, you’ll have to change trains to head toward Shifen Station.

The second leg of the trip to Shifen will be 25 minutes, at a cost of *less* than a dollar!  

This train runs less frequently, so check the schedule on Google Maps to help you avoid sitting around waiting longer than necessary.

If you’re not into public transportation and don’t want to drive yourself, you can always take a tour from Taipei. These are some of the best options:

➡️ Click Here: Tour of Shifen & Jiufen from Taipei

➡️ Click Here: Private Tour of Shifen & Jiufen

➡️ Click Here: Shifen Tour from Taipei

➡️ Click Here: Private Tour of Shifen from Taipei

➡️ Click Here: Full Day Tour of Northern Taiwan

➡️ Click Here: Private Charter from Taipei

➡️ Click Here: Tour Shifen & Jiufen from Keelung Cruise Port

I’ve heard people describe Shifen’s waterfall as “The Niagara Falls of Taiwan.”  It’s not nearly as spectacular, but the hike to get there is still very pretty and worthwhile.

The waterfall is part of the Keelung River.  It’s almost 70 feet high and 130 feet wide.  Shifen is the widest waterfall in Taiwan.

To find the waterfall, you’ll walk through Shifen’s Old Street area and toward a visitor center.  You’ll cross the first of two suspension bridges behind the complex.  

It’s a paved concrete walkway for most of the journey to the waterfall.

Shortly after the second suspension bridge, you’ll hear the waterfall and come to a series of shops and food vendors.  You can buy local crafts, souvenirs, and food.  

There are also riverside tables setup if you’d like to bring food for a picnic.

The walk to Shifen’s Waterfall is good for seniors and children since it’s pretty flat.  

There’s even a swingset or playground of sorts along the way for kids, and a koi pond for them to enjoy.   

At the waterfall itself, you’ll find an observation deck which is accessible to all. Plus you can walk down to a few lower-level platforms for a better view.

The stone steps do get very slippery, so take it easy going up and down!

More Info on Visiting Shifen’s Waterfall

• There’s no cost to go visit the waterfall.
• This is a “No Drone Zone.”
• The waterfall is open for visitors from 9:00am to 4:30pm
• Taxis are available near the Shifen Train Station if you’d rather not walk all the way to the first suspension bridge.
• It’s less than a kilometer from the train station to the visitor center.
• It’s less than a kilometer from the visitor center to the waterfall.

The Old Street starts at the front door of Shifen’s Train Station.

The buildings and shops along the Old Street originally went up along the rail line, which was used by miners to transport coal.

In fact, the big lanterns that draw tourists here today were used as a signaling system for the miners.

Aside from the lantern, you’ll find restaurants and cafes, plus souvenir shops on Old Street.

As the train pulls into Shifen Station, bright red lanterns flying above will catch your eye.

It’s become a famous tradition in Shifen to write your wishes on big paper lanterns, and ignite a fuel source under them to send them flying above town.

You’ll see a lot of families come here to do this together:

While most of the lanterns are red, people seeking fortune in other parts of their lives (marriage, health, career, etc.) can add different color-coded sides to their lanterns.

• RED: Health and Peace
• BLUE: Career and Promotion
• YELLOW: Money and Wealth
• ORANGE: Love and Marriage
• GREEN: Vigor and Success
• WHITE: Future and Brightness
• MAGENTA: Attraction and Popularity
• PINK: Happiness.

The cost is 200 TWD for a single-colored lantern, or 250 TWD for a multi-colored lantern.  That equates to $7 or $8 (USD).

The people working in the series of sky lantern shops will provide brushes and black ink for you to decorate your paper lanterns with your desires.  

After each side is painted, someone from the store will walk out onto the train tracks with you to ignite some sort of fuel or flammable gel.  It warms the air inside and sends the lantern flying.

Controversy over Shifen’s Lanterns

I immediately wondered about the environmental impact of launching dozens of flaming lanterns into the sky each day.

On our hike to the Shifen Waterfall, I spotted debris from old lanterns in the river and surrounding landscape.

Environmentalists and hikers, as it turns out, have long complained about the practice.

There’s also the danger of lanterns sailing into power lines. We witnessed it happen!  The lantern burst into flames and came crashing down onto the tracks, where an incoming train ran it over.  Chaos!

Let’s tackle a few of the frequently asked questions people tend to have about Shifen!

When’s the best time to visit Shifen?

I’d say the answer to this is the same as it is for much of Taiwan:
Anytime but the summer!  

July and August are really too hot and too humid to be able to enjoy yourself outside.

Fall and spring are nice and mild, but it can reach 90 even in March so bring a lot of water with you!

In terms of the best time of day to visit, I’d get there early-ish … around 10:00am.  The crowds will be smaller as you walk to the waterfall.  Then, by the time you get back to the Old Street, all of the stores and restaurants will be open.

How much time do you need in Shifen?

If you’re trying to be efficient and pack as much as possible into your trip to Taiwan, I’d say a half-day is needed for Shifen.

Three or four hours will give you enough time to explore Old Street, walk to the waterfall, and come back to have a snack before jumping on a train to your next destination.

Are there hotels in Shifen?

There are a few bed and breakfasts in Shifen. As for hotel options, you’ll have to stay a few miles from town.

You can use this interactive map to check out the hotel and rental options in the Shifen area:

What Else is There to do Near Shifen?

I’d recommend visiting the northern coast of Taiwan since you’re already in the region.

A taxi or Uber driver will take you to the marina at the Shan’ao Fishing Port or Fanziao Park.  It’s neat to check out the huge fishing vessels (which appear to go out at night searching for squid, based on the lanterns hanging around them).

When you’re done here, an Uber or taxi driver will pick you up for the ride back to Riufang Train Station.

Do a Combined Shifen / Jiufen Day Trip

You can combine Shifen and Jiufen into a big day trip from Taipei.  They’re similar, in that they’re both old mining towns, but different in terms of what there is to do and see.

In Jiufen, you’ll find red-lantern-lined alleys along the town’s Old Street, full of shops selling local foods and crafts. Jiufen’s streets are mostly closed to vehicles, so it’s very pedestrian-friendly.

A few decades ago, Jiufen was largely abandoned! The gold mining operation which started in the late 1890s closed down in the 1970s. A movie producer is credited with reviving interest in the town in the 1980s, after using it as the setting for the film “A City of Sadness.”

It won big in film festivals, and sparked a renaissance in Jiufen, which led to business owners setting up shop and filling the Old Street’s empty storefronts once again.

How do you get from Shifen to Jiufen?

It’s easy to get from Shifen to Jiufen (or vice versa).

Start by taking the train back to the Ruifang Station.  From Ruifang you have two options:

• Walk to the bus stop, and take the 965 or 788 bus to Jiufen
• Take an Uber or taxi to Jiufen.

The bus will take 20 minutes and cost $1 (USD).  An Uber or taxi to Jiufen will cost bout $7 (USD) and take 10 minutes.

I loved our half-day in Shifen!  

The waterfall is very pretty, though I wish we had better access to it and wish the trail was more rugged and natural.  But that’s what you’ll find at many of Taiwan’s ‘hiking’ sites.  It’s less of a hike, and more of a walk on a paved surface to a waterfall or scenic viewpoint.

You’ll find: Shifen is a crowd-pleaser for people visiting from other parts of Taiwan and other parts of the world!