As our boy loves train transport, we wanted to experience visiting different railway station with him. That was why we thought of doing this Pingxi Line Tour in Taipei where we would alight at each station and get on again to the next, exploring the surrounding areas.
We started the day early to catch the TRA Train Number 214 (莒光號) which departed 8.50am from Taipei Railway Station. As we had only bought the tickets the day before, ours were un-numbered, which meant we had to stand throughout the journey unless there were empty seats (not very likely since the seats were already sold out, thus left with these un-numbered tickets). The train was soon packed after we had boarded, probably because it was a Saturday.
There were some construction going on and we need to walk down a flight of stairs through a tunnel to the ground floor where there was a waiting area with chairs, a 7-Eleven convenience store, restrooms, tourist visitor center and ticket booths.
Buy Ticket for Next Day to Jiufen
We bought the train tickets for the same Train Number(according to timing) for the next day at the ticket booth there. We also bought the one-day Pingxi pass which gives us unlimited rides on the Pingxi Line on the same day. After buying the tickets, we headed to the station for Pingxi Line by crossing through a tunnel again and going up to the platform.
The train on the Pingxi Line soon arrived at 10.04am and we had a hard time getting up the train, since there was a big crowd boarding it. We ended up standing and feeling squeezed on board the train. Fortunately our first destination, Houtong, was just a station away so we did not have to remain on the train for long.
1. Houtong Station
Houtong‘s main attractions are the cats living there. There were artworks of cats on the walls of the overhead bridge we had to cross to get to the town, lanterns with cat designs hanging overhead, shop selling all kinds of cats-related items at the station’s main lobby, and many cats wandering around.
It was a small and simple town and if not for the resident cats there, it would just be another ordinary old town in Taipei. For cat lovers however, it was an enjoyable trip photographing and feeding the cats (if you have bought cat food for them). We took a few picture of the cats and let Dar touched a few of them before leading him to a washroom to wash his hands (They are still strays even though they look very clean).
Dar was more interested in the trains than the cats. We were also quite fascinated with the various trains stopping and passing by and stood sometime there to look at them. We did not stay long at Houtong and left just in time for the arrival of the next train. We had a train schedule with us so we knew what time the train would be arriving (Taiwan trains are quite efficiently on time). We should have left the town area earlier so that we could spend more time at the shop located at the station’s lobby though. There seemed to be quite a few artistic souvenirs to look at.
2. Shifen Station
After 30 minutes of standing, we finally arrived at the Shifen Station (十分車站). Dar asked to go down onto the railway track and I allowed it since I knew the next train would not arrive until like one hour later. There were also many others who were on the tracks and taking photographs. He loved the experience of walking on the tracks and did not get bored with it. We then headed to the souvenir shop located in the station and found something which Dar really liked — a miniature of the HSR train! He loves bullet trains a lot. We bought one set, consisting of 4 carriages for Dar to play with.
We decided to buy a wooden post card and stamp from a postal shop owner so we could mail it back home as souvenir. We had a mind block initially on what to pen down on the post card, wrote just a few sentences and stamped plenty of the station chops before dropping it into the postage box. The postcard arrived exactly one week later when we were home. Many Taiwan’s top tourist spots have these convenient postal services for people to mail back memorable cards and notes.
Shifen ‘Old Town’ is so called because it had retained its original ambience and was not washed away by modernisation. Prior to our trip here, we had already told ourselves that we would buy those adorable sky lantern miniatures as memento for ourselves and family. Thus, we browsed through one shop with many selections and grabbed a few souvenirs. While exploring, we saw people writing their wishes on plastic lantern sheets and releasing them at the railway area – the “sky lantern”. In the end, we did not manage to do this activity due to a lack of time.
NOTE: Many areas in Taiwan have banned the release of sky lanterns due to fire risk. (from 2021)
- Designated areas: Releases are restricted to specific locations, such as between the Shifen Visitor Center and Shigong Bridge and within 200 meters of the Keelung River.
- Time Banned: Releases are banned from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m..
- Other Rules: Releasing lanterns on railway tracks is strictly forbidden and can result in fines. (NT$3,000 )
For lunch, it was a simple one at a small restaurant along the way. After lunch, we proceeded on to Shifen Waterfall which would be quite some distance away from Shifen Old Town.
3. Shifen Waterfall
After about a 15-minute walk, we reached the Shifen Tourist Center, a big place where we could rest our feet and go for a toilet break. There was also a hot and cold water dispenser within the building so we made sure to top up our water bottles. There was a cafe and drinks sold but we prefer drinking water.
At the back of the center, there was a suspension bridge, , which used to be part of the journey towards Shifen Waterfall. The other end is now blocked but still, it was a nice experience to be walking on the hanging bridge and admiring the water flowing down below.
We then headed out to the road at the front of the center and joined in the crowd of visitors who were heading towards the same direction as us. It was a up-slope walk with some parts quite steep so it was not exactly an easy time going up.
Wanting to get to the waterfall before Dar started complaining about his tiredness though, we paid the entrance fees of NT80 per adult. It was free entry for children under 110cm and elders aged over 70. Dar was below 110cm but he had to pay a small fee for insurance too.
The area seemed big with a small farm but since we were there for the waterfall, we quickly headed towards where the water was flowing and where the crowd was. There were two viewing areas, one lower and one on the upper level. We went to both and the upper platform had a better view of the waterfall. Dar was excited to see the waterfall from up close too so it was definitely worth the entrance fees
Saw a Level Crossing at Work
Instead of taking the same route back, we decided to be more adventurous and opted to walk on the narrow path beside the railway. We had read from blogs about walking beside the tracks and wanted to experience it too. The difference was that we had to push a stroller along. Dar was really tired by then and could not walk for too long. Just when we reached the bridge and was wondering how we were to cross it with its stony surface, we realised that was a small path on its right led to a smooth passage. We then got onto it and followed the path along a river/canal, all the time feeling worried that a train might pass by soon! It would be pretty scary with the speed of it. Fortunately, there was none.
Anyway, we soon reached our original route as we walked on, where a lever crossing was. Some bells started ringing and we realised that a train was passing by and the level crossing was coming down to stop the traffic.
We knew Dar would be very interested to see a real level crossing at work (he was always watching them on videos) so we quickly turned around and ran towards the cross junction (he was still awake in the stroller). We then saw the train zoomed past us and were glad that we had managed to catch the scene right in front of our eyes, since that was not something we could see back in Singapore.
Satisfied with the watch, we continued our journey back to Shifen Old Town. Looking at our watches and the Pingxi Line timetable, we knew we could still make it in time for the next train heading towards Pingxi Station. We thus started quickening our pace towards the Shifen Station, and boarded the train as it arrived…
4. Pingxi Station
Pingxi Old Town was another venue bustling with activities, with shops lined up beside the railway tracks and visitors releasing their sky lanterns on them. Most of the shop sold delicious snacks and had long queues. It was so crowded that we could only walk slowly through on the narrow pathway beside the railway tracks.
We ended up having to walk right beside the tracks, with just a little red blockage, while pushing Dar in a stroller because he was dozing off after one whole day.
Suddenly, a train came in from the opposite direction. Everybody started jumping off the track and running to the sides. With a loud warning horn, the train gushed right beside us with an extremely strong breeze of air. It was the closest we had been, to a moving train. Even Dar was shocked by the force of it and quickly sat up. What an experience!
After the train left, people continued to go onto the tracks even though there was an obvious sign there telling them not to. A lot of people were excited about walking on the railway track and many kept taking pictures. We also took a few pictures ourselves once the train was parked at the station and we safely knew there would not be one so soon.
As we walked, we noticed a shop selling grilled sausages. The aroma was so inviting that we decided to buy one to try. There was not really much for us to see as it was not too different from Shifen Old Town. Dar had fallen asleep so we could not release the sky lanterns as planned.
Long ago, the remote villages in Pingxi were prone to attacks from bandits. Sky lanterns were used to signal restored safety so that residents who took refuge elsewhere would know it was safe to return home. As a result, sky lanterns are also known as “safety lanterns” or “prayer lanterns.
We would have like to view the release of sky lanterns at night and even proceed on to Jingtong (the last stop on the Pingxi Line), a very nostalgic railway station but we had plans to go Taipei 101 with our limited days here touring Taiwan. Therefore, we had to give it a miss.
Also, it would be very crowded later if we want to go back together with the hoards of people coming from the first few stations. They always end up pooling in Pingxi area as a last stop.
We strolled Dar back slowly up the steep slope and waited patiently at the station for the train to arrive. They come every 1 hr and may not be exactly on time as in the schedule. One of the reasons why we had wanted to come to Pingxi Old Town was to avoid a crowded train ride on our way back to Ruifang, since Pingxi Station was further down the line than Shifen. Alas, the train was really too crowded on a weekend so Dar had no choice but to stand with us because nobody was willing to give up their seat. With that, we ended our Pingxi Railway Tour and had a fulfilling day.
Upon reaching Ruifang Station 40 minutes later, we decided not to take the train back to Taipei Railway Station, since it would most likely be a standing train ride throughout. We thus headed out of the train station where many taxis were waiting outside. There was a signboard indicating the taxi pricing to some of the popular destinations (taxis at Ruifang area do not run by meter) to prevent taxi drivers from overcharging.
Our next destination was Taipei 101 so we flagged a taxi and headed back into Taipei City Area.
>> Read Next Post : Taiwan: Observing the City in Taipei 101
>> Read Previous Post: Taiwan: To Taipei | Shilin Night Market
Travel Period : 30th Oct – 6th Nov 2012
Taiwan 2012: Day 5 Taipei Itinerary
- Taipei Railway Station to Ruifang (瑞芳) on PingXi 平溪 line
- Houtong (侯硐)
- Shifen (十分)
- Pingxi (平溪)
- Taipei 101
Read More on Taiwan Itinerary 2012: 8-day Taiwan Itinerary (Chiayi, Taipei, Hualien, Nantou)
Read our Summary Itinerary Post for Taiwan Nov 2018 Yilan | Taipei : 5-Day Taiwan Trip Itinerary: Nature and Fun
Travel.Snap.Stories 
Leave a comment