Taiwan, Jiufen - Mountain Town rich in Magic

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Every now and then, each of us will visit a place where we feel a certain connection. Never mind that we have never visited the place before but that sense of attachment seems to magically link ourselves to the place despite the first visit.

In only my second visit to Taiwan, I decided to visit the small town of Jiufen. The town is located deep within the mountains in the north of the island where the industry of gold mining has long since seen its heydays and what remained today is a town thriving on tourism.

My favourite anime film of all time, Spirited Away (by Studio Ghibli) is said to be loosely based on the old teahouse, alleyways and old lanes of Jiufen. From photos by other travelers prior to my visit, I certainly do concur that some of the scenes from the anime film bore uncanny resemblances to places in Jiufen.

At night when the famous red lanterns lining the alleyways of Jiufen are all lit up, that fairy tale feel where magic and myth gravitate toward each other certainly collude to fire my imaginations where I can't helped but felt myself being spirited away by the wonders of this old mountain town.

Until I get around to penning an article on my visit to Jiufen and the 2 rainy nights I spent here in November 2016, I simply can't wait to share the following picture I took of the famous A-Mei Teahouse with all of you. This photograph was taken after the sun had set and nightfall had arrived to embrace Jiufen with its charms.

A-Mei Teahouse, Jiufen, Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan (2016)

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