Pingxi: Best Taipei Day Trip
Getting to the Pingxi Line
The Pingxi Line has nine stations running from Ruifang to Jingtong. There are a few ways to get to the Pingxi Line. The most straightforward route is a local train from Taipei Station to Ruifang Station, which only takes 35-40 minutes. Trains can be booked in advance easily, which guarantees a seat during the busy seasons (and trust us, it gets very busy in the summer!). You can also take the 965 tourist shuttle bus from Beimen Station. While the bus is slightly faster, they fill up quickly with tourists as this bus also goes to Juifen nearby, making it packed in the summer.
Once youโre at Ruifang, you can buy a one-day ticket to hop on and off the line all day. Our tickets were only 100TWD (3USD), making this a super affordable day trip. While there are 9 stops, including Ruifang, many of them are very small with not a lot to see or do. The main stops are Houtong, Shifen, and to a lesser extent, Pingxi. All of the villages are quite small and only require a few hours to thoroughly explore, so we really donโt recommend taking more than one day. Unless you really want to slow it down, and stay the night in the peaceful valley.
Houtong Cat village
The very first stop after leaving Ruifang is Houtong Cat Village. As the name would imply, this village is famous for its many street cats. Like most of the line, this town used to be a coal mine, so alongside the many cat-themed attractions, there are several mine experiences and museums as well. We recommend planning 1-2 hours to explore the park, grab a bite to eat, say hi to some cats, and enjoy a drink at a cafe. Houtong is split in two by the railway, and you can cross to the other side using the bridge. At the top, if you look down the bridge, you can see the shape of cat ears, which is a cute detail; they really take their cat theme seriously here.
A-Sia Noodle Shop
We left Taipei as early as possible, so by the time we arrived in Houtong, we were ravenous. Luckily for us, one of the only shops that was open so early is also one of the highest-rated restaurants on the entire line, A-Sia Noodle Shop. This little shop is located right outside the station, serving up a variety of noodle and meat bowls. The owner was incredibly outgoing and high-energy, and welcomed us in with a big smile. He insisted on taking photos of us and being in as many pics and vids as possible.
We chose to get the yellow noodles and flat rice noodles, which cost only 60TWD (2USD). Yemisi and I have long held that Taiwanese food is some of the best for breakfast, and that definitely held true here. The noodles are super flavorful with a satisfying chewy texture. It was filling and the perfect way to kick-start our day. I can always tell when noodles are higher quality, and I can see why his shop is so highly rated.
Houtong Ecological Park
The instant we left the station, we started seeing cats everywhere. Most businesses have a cat or two working inside, and several more were strewn about the plaza. Houtong Ecological Park is a plaza sitting on the river where many of the cats come to congregate. This was a particularly beautiful area, with a great view over the river of the old coal mine bridge with the mountains in the background.
There is also a museum here showcasing original coal mining equipment. This is where we started to really feel the peace of the countryside. So far from any highways or large cities, the Pingxi Line is really isolated and beautiful. We spent a while just walking around, enjoying the nature and petting our new fluffy friends.
้ณฅใไบๅฎ ๏ฝ่ๅฎ ๅๅกๅปณ (Birdies Second House)
When you cross the cat bridge to the other side of the village, you can climb up the hill to a row of cafes and souvenir shops. We had initially planned to go to a cafe that had the best-looking coffee, but it was unfortunately closed. With no other options, we visited ้ณฅใไบๅฎ ๏ฝ่ๅฎ ๅๅกๅปณ which roughly translates to โBirdies Second House | Old Cafeโ.
This turned out to be a happy accident, as this is one of the most aesthetic cafes in Houtong. It is a traditionally decorated cafe, with a strong anime sort of vibe and several cats working hard. I got a hot tea, and Yemisi got a sparkling blue curacao and lemon drink. We had all day on the Pingxi Line, so we took our time and soaked in the atmosphere as we sipped our delightful little drinks.
ๆไธๆฏ (Drink a Drink)
One thing I was hoping to try at the cafe we picked is the popular โcat beerโ sold at the cafe street. This street is located at the top of the village with 5-6 cat cafes overlooking the valley. Since it was slow season, the only one that was open was ๆไธๆฏ, which roughly translates to โDrink a Drinkโ. Of course, there are several sweet babies working at the cafe. Thankfully they were selling the cat beer, and Yemisi got a citrus drink.
I would try to tell you what the cat beer tasted like, but while I enjoy beer, I know next to nothing about tasting it. It is brewed by North Taiwan Brewing, and Iโm told it is a Belgian wheat beer, which surely means something. What I can say is that at this point, it was already getting quite warm, and I was glad to have a refreshing brew. I can only imagine how much more refreshing it would be in the summer, and being surrounded by little workers definitely helped as well.
Shifen
The largest stop on the line by far is Shifen. If you only have time for one station, Shifen should be the one. This village has the largest old street, with lots of tasty street food, cafes, and souvenir shops. Of course, the most famous thing to do in Shifen is releasing a lantern. Even more, the village is home to the largest waterfall in the country. The difference between Shifen and Houtong was night and day. We basically had the cat village to ourselves, but many tour companies drive buses straight to Shifen, so the streets were lively and crowded. If you plan on doing all the major activities, Shifen should take around 3 hours to thoroughly explore.
Shifen Waterfall
To avoid the crowds as long as possible, we headed out of the village to get to Shifen Waterfall. Itโs about a 30-minute walk from the station, but itโs well worth the journey. You can walk along the road, but we really enjoyed the hiking trail that goes over several bridges following the river. The area around Shifen Waterfall is very developed, with even more street food, shops, and restaurants. There is a viewing platform from this main area, but I highly recommend going a bit further to the other side for a much better view.
Iโm not sure what I was expecting, but Shifen Waterfall definitely shocked me. This is a very large waterfall, and quite wide as well. They call it โthe little Niagaraโ due to its horseshoe shape, which I can see. Itโs nowhere near the size of Niagara, but we were both impressed. The main crowd was on a higher platform, but we decided to go lower. We had the whole platform to ourselves, and a perfect view of the falls. Shifen Waterfall is definitely a good reason to make the trip out to the Pingxi Line; you can easily spend an hour in the area.ย
Releasing Lanterns
When you arrive in Shifen, youโll start seeing lanterns floating through the sky from the train well before you reach the station. This is one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of Taiwan. Shifen Old Street is lined with shops selling lantern experiences, and hundreds of people light them every day. We visited around the Lunar New Year, where there is a world-famous lantern festival that takes place on two days in Shifen and Pingxi. Sadly, we werenโt there on either of the lantern days, but there were still plenty of opportunities to enjoy the atmosphere.
At the time we visited, most of the lanterns were made of plastic-coated paper, plastic bases, and metal wire. Obviously, they are not great for the environment as they land in the forested mountains outside the village only minutes after being released. Since we didnโt want to partake in pollution, we had planned on skipping the lanterns until we found ่ๅทงๅณ็ตฑๅคฉ็ๅทฅ่็คพ (Yiqiao Traditional Sky Lantern Shop).
่ๅทงๅณ็ตฑๅคฉ็ๅทฅ่็คพ (Yiqiao Traditional Sky Lantern Shop)
This lantern maker is a tiny shop at the edge of the old street, in an unassuming building. Outside, they were advertising biodegradable lanterns, which piqued our interest. The owner was very kind and let us into the shop and showed us a newspaper article about his business. His lanterns follow a more traditional method, using bamboo and paper pulp instead of plastic bases, and no plastic lining on the paper, as well as less metal for the frame. These lanterns are said to fly twice as high, allowing the paper to fully burn in the air, leaving only the metal, which allegedly breaks down quickly. Iโm honestly not sure how true these claims are, but they definitely did seem better than the other lanterns, so we gave it a shot.
The process of making the lanterns is simple. Each color represents a different type of wish you have for the new year. You write a few wishes relating to the color, light the lantern, and as it ascends, your wishes come true. It was actually quite fun to write our wishes, and we were giggling and joking the whole time. The shopkeeper was so kind and fun to talk to. It was a much more intimate experience than the other shops.
He led us to the train tracks with his wife, who helped us release our creation into the sky in a very aesthetic location. I was shocked at how quickly it happened. We only had a few seconds to get a crappy video as our lantern shot up! I can verify that our lantern flew much higher and further than anyone else, and did also appear to burn up fully after several minutes, although it was so high I could barely see it.
Shifen Old Street
Most of the stops on the Pingxi Line have an old street, but Shifenโs definitely stands out. Not only is it several times larger than the rest, but it is unique for having the train drive straight through the majority of it. Usually, people release their lanterns on the tracks, but before the train comes through, everyone quickly clears up. You may know about the famous Hanoi Train Street, and this gives very similar vibes. In addition to lanterns and trains, this is one of the best places to find some street food or pop into a local restaurant. We spent about an hour just walking back and forth, getting some snacks and souvenirs.
Pingxi
The last major stop that most people see is Pingxi, the namesake of the rail line. Pingxi has an old street where you can also light and release lanterns, if you would like a more intimate experience. During the lantern festival, this is one of the most packed places in Taiwan, but when we visited, it was almost empty. Although many businesses list their hours as closing at 5 pm, during slower times the streets tend to close early in the afternoon. Pingxi had one of the most aesthetic vibes on the entire line, with winding streets and beautiful buildings hanging over the river. I especially recommend visiting Pingxi to enjoy the quiet atmosphere and unique layout.
ๅนณๆบชๅฐๅธ่๏ฝ่ๆ็ๅ (Pingxi’s Little Greece)
Our last stop was for dinner at ๅนณๆบชๅฐๅธ่, translated as Pingxi’s Little Greece. This is the highest-rated restaurant on the entire line, so I really wanted to see what the hype was about. Since the town was so quiet, we had the restaurant all to ourselves. Yemisi and I both got seafood bowls with squid, shrimp, mussels, and thin noodles. Everything was absolutely delicious, although I personally donโt like very thin noodles. The owners of the restaurant were also very kind to us, asking why we were there and how we ended up in such a remote place. We were stuffed and left to explore the rest of the village just as the sun began to set.
Final Thoughts
Compared to Taipei, Pingxi is a different world. The quiet valleys and scenic old streets are something worth exploring if you have the chance. It felt like stepping into an older, simpler time. Even in the off season, the beauty of the valley and river make this an amazing way to soak in the mountainside of Taiwan. And being so close to Taipei, I really think Pingxi is the best Taipei day trip.
