Jiufen’s Stairways of Lantern Light – A mountain town where dreams hang from eaves.

Jiufen clings to the mountains like a dream of red and gold. Narrow alleys twist through tea houses and tiled roofs. Lanterns glow against the fog, each flame a tiny universe. The air smells of caramelized peanuts, rain, and nostalgia. You climb the stone stairs slowly, passing windows steamed with warmth. Inside, teapots hiss and stories unfold. Elderly shopkeepers smile through clouds of aroma—sweet taro, oolong, ginger. From the top terrace, you look out at the Pacific. The sea is a sheet of mercury; mist coils through the valleys. Somewhere, a bell rings softly. As night deepens, Jiufen becomes otherworldly—half memory, half myth. The lanterns sway; the fog thickens. For a moment, it feels as if gravity itself has slowed, letting dreams hover between mountain and sea.