Shifen has everything that you could want: a colorful train, a giant waterfall, lots of souvenirs and the chance to paint an light your own lantern. Daphne and I went during lantern festival in March and were in the perfect mood for all of the above.
The train in itself is an attraction as the brightly colored cars roll right through the center of town. Being a tiny ex-mining town, the railroad is actually main street. An easy 20 minute walk outside of the village will take you to the massive Shifen Waterfall. This gorgeous sight can be torturing on a warm beautiful day; it beckons onlookers into its cool clear waters.
We then decided that it was time to meander back to town for the main event: making and sending my lantern into the sky. First we picked out a color, then started painting it with calligraphy brushes. The pictures and Chinese words depict things that we hope for the next year. Most of mine were about adventure and safe travels. Since the zodaic had recently changed from the year of the snake to the year of the horse I also painted some horses. Then we stepped into the train tracks, lit the inside of the lantern and let it lift into the sky to joint the dozens of other colorful lanterns floating lazily through the sky.
After some delicious snacks and a bit of shopping, we hopped back on the train and continued on to the town of Juifen. Being a beautiful day on a long weekend it was packed with people, but that would be because it has a charm completely it's own. It is a town built on the side of a mountain overlooking the sea and looks like a scene from a post card. Climbing a considerable amount of stairs is inevitable, but again it adds to the charm. After any amount of ascension you would turn around to see a narrow ally of stars lined with lanterns with the beachside peeking from behind. Then we decided to eat some dinner (seafood, of course) while enjoying the scenery. Since its on a steep mountainside everywhere has a beautiful view.
The night market was a nightmare to navigate. It is a long narrow loop of a pathway with no turning off point. It wouldn't have been so difficult if it hadn't have been packed from wall to wall with hundreds of tourists. However, it did have some of the most interesting souvenirs. In addition to the normal bobble heads, figurines, and key chains there were Chinese puppets, masks, and jeweled shell ashtrays with different animals on them.
Both places were well worth the train ride!
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