Brief Historical Background of Shifen:

The town of Shifen, which was originally named for the ten families that lived there in the Qing Dynasty, needed ten portions of goods (Shi 十 = ten Fen 分/份 = portion).
Shifen Train Station was completed in 1918 and is the biggest train station on the Pingxi Railway line. During its heyday, it had the largest coal mining operation and the largest population in Pingxi District of New Taipei. 
After the coal industry died down in the 1970s, tourism has taken its place as the major industry in the area.

The practice of lighting off sky lanterns in Taiwan began in Shifen, when, during the Qing Dynasty, local villagers would flee into the mountains during raids from bandits. Once the bandits had left, the remaining villagers sent sky lanterns into the air to let the fleeing villagers know that it was safe to come down from the mountains.
The people of Shifen send off sky lanterns as a symbol of peace and celebrate every year during the Lantern Festival (元宵節), a Chinese holiday.
Setting off sky lanterns as a tourist attraction began in the 1990’s and you can find people lighting off lanterns every day from Shifen. 
The hundreds of sky lanterns set off every day, create an environmental problem with lantern trash piling around the forests and mountains of Pingxi District. The local people and volunteers help to clean up, but because of the tourism allure associated with lighting off the sky lanterns, it seems that this practice is not going away anytime soon.

Shifen Waterfall is 20 meters high and 40 meters wide (66 x 130 ft.), and is the widest waterfall in Taiwan. It is located near the town of Shifen, which was originally named for the ten families that lived there in the Qing Dynasty, who needed ten portions of goods (Shi = ten Fen = portion).
The waterfall lies on the Keelung River which runs through Pingxi and Ruifang, creating a cluster of waterfalls. The rocks here easily erode, making for odd shapes in the riverbed. The waterfall is also known as Taiwan’s “Niagra Falls.”
Before 2010, some government officials illegally charged tickets to see the waterfall. However, since then the waterfall has been made into a park free of any entrance fee. 
You will also notice that there is a small 1 foot dam on top of the falls. This unnatural feature is according to Taiwan researcher Mike Fagan, “…not a dam, it’s a broad-crested weir [that] allows the northern WRA office to calculate flow volume rates.” Now you know. 

Hours:

Shifen Station: The first train reaches Sandiaoling daily at 5:25 AM and the last train leaves Jingtong at 8:33 PM.
Shifen Waterfall: Winter ( October to May): 9 AM -4:30 PM (last people admitted, park open till 5:00 PM)
Summer (June to September) 9 AM -5:30 PM (last people admitted, park open till 6:00 PM)

Price:

80 NT per person for a one day pass. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here. You can purchase a discount easy card to use on Pingxi Railway Line on Klook here or KKday here. ​You can also book a travel pass on Klook here. 
Shifen Waterfall Price: Free

Basic Taipei Travel Tips:

• There is no need to tip in Taiwan. It is not part of the culture here.
• Taiwan uses the New Taiwan Dollar, and many transactions such as for street food still require cash. For more information, check out our guide to the New Taiwan Dollar here.
• Get yourself a SIM card or portable WiFi such as from Klook here so you can stay connected and don’t get lost in the city.
• The electrical voltage is 110V.
• Get yourself an Easy Card, so you can travel easily on the MRT, Train, HSR, Youbike, and even shop at convenience stores. You can also book a Taiwan travel pass on Klook here. 
• For more travel tips, check out our foreigner survival guide here. 

When should you go to Shifen?

Any time of year is great. However, waterfalls are most enjoyable during the hot summer, and you may want to come for the Lantern Festival when hundreds of sky lanterns are set off at once.
To avoid crowds and packed trains, do not go on weekends or holidays. 

Tours of Shifen:

There are many tour itineraries that you can enjoy in Shifen that will take you to multiple destinations and arrange transportation. For more information, you can check out Tripadvisor here, KKday here or Klook here, which are both great tour websites that can connect you with the right tour and tour guide for you. 
Here are some of the most popular tours of Pingxi:

1. Yehliu, Jiufen & Pingxi Day Tour from Taipei
2. Pingxi Shifen Half Day Guided Tour with Sky Lantern Experience
3. Shifen Old Street & Jinguashi Golden Waterfall & Houtong Cat Village & Jiufen Old Street
4. Experience Pingxi Sky Lantern and Shifen Waterfall from Taipei
5. Day tour to Pingxi, Shifen and Jingtong​

Activities in Shifen:

Don’t forget that there are many activities available around Pingxi such as Rock Climbing, Hiking, kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, SUP / paddle boarding, water biking, Diving, River Tracing / Canyoneering, ATVing, Horse Riding, Cooking Class, photo shoot, Jingtong Sky Lantern Police Station, Shifen Sky Lantern Experience, Waterfall Zipline, Waterfall Diving, and more on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. 

Where to Stay :

We recommend Fullon Hotel which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). 
We have stayed at and recommend ​Gold Mountain Ranch, which is a horse ranch and glamping destination in Jinshan. ​You can book a night at Gold Mountain Ranch on Klook here.  You can also check out our full blog on the ranch here. 
We have also stayed at and recommend Hai Xia Your Home which is right in front of Fulong Beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). 
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

How to get to Shifen:

By Train: Take the TRA to Ruifang Station, buy the Pingxi Railway line one day pass, and then switch to the Pingxi Railway line. Get off at Shifen Station.  
Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here. You can purchase a discount easy card to use on Pingxi Railway Line on Klook here or KKday here. ​You can also book a travel pass on Klook here. 
By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 2 east toward Pinglin, then get off the main highway once you reach Shifen. You can drive right or left to reach all of the stations on the Pingxi Railway line. But please know there is limited car parking around Shifen. 
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or  KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.  
Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
By Taxi: You can take short rides for about 150 NT, or hire a Taxi for a day for around 150 USD on Klook here.
By Bus: You can also book tickets to travel to Shifen via inter-city bus on Klook here. You can also book a Taipei Sightseeing: Hop On, Hop Off Open Top Bus on TripAdvisor here. 
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan’s many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here. 
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. 

Map:

Please refer to the map below for places of interest around Shifen:

Drone Footage:

360 Panorama

Check out our 360 pano of Shifen Old Street above or via this link: https://www.facebook.com/Foreignersintaiwanblog/posts/pfbid02tD4LrCtkhvptxS7GXqQBM98iwefPqbLz3drRBZrbXjkjVt1VeG8w7XKs6y2Vdo4vl

Check out our 360 pano of Shifen Waterfall below or via this link: https://www.facebook.com/Foreignersintaiwanblog/posts/pfbid02XYuz6jhKZbetMcjZEWdqFhN2Zr7APebASDLT2KTPE3i9wEWkK6ScgZ2wkT3HeNgSl

​Our Journey:

I have been to Shifen Old Street about five times. Every time I pass by, I cannot help but notice the tons of lantern garbage in the trees and mountains next to the train station. I know that lighting off these lanterns is terrible for the environment, sending flaming paper and metal into the forest, so I have never let off a sky lantern. 

Shifen Station is the biggest station on the Pingxi Line and the one where most tourists get off. 

The town itself now is small and sits on both sides of the Keelung River.

Jing An Suspension Bridge 靜安吊橋

Near the train station you will find the Jing An Suspension Bridge (靜安吊橋), which will take you across the river.  This is a suspension bridge across the river, lets you cross to the other side of the town. There is nothing really to see across the river in my experience, but there are some nice views from the bridge.

Once you get closer to Shifen Old Street, you will be sure to notice tens of lanterns in the air, being set off all day long. I can see the allure of setting off lanterns, writing your hopes and dreams on them, and then setting them into the air like on Tangled, but we don’t live in a fairytale world. When we light off lanterns they have real consequences like falling into a pristine river or forest.  

The old street itself is really just on both sides of the train tracks. As you walk further and further down the tracks the shops disappear. Be careful of oncoming trains!

Sky Lanterns 天燈

Be careful where you walk, there could be falling burning debris from sky lanterns when you least expect it. 

You can book a Shifen Sky Lantern Experience on Klook here. 

The real old street starts a few hundred yards down the tracks to where there is only one set of tracks. 

More lanterns are being sent up into the sky. 

Nearly every shop on Shifen Old Street sells some form of lanterns. Usually this involves selling you the paper on which you then write/paint/draw your message, then wrap it around a metal frame and light a torch under it. 

Once these things go up in the air, there’s no telling where they will land or how far they will float. One time I saw one float out as far as the border of Nangang in Taipei City. And who knows what tree they will fall on or what bush they will set on fire, although luckily Pingxi is wet enough that wildfires are not really an issue. 

Food at the Old Street 老街的美食

If Sky Lanterns are not your thing (it’s okay, I’m not too fond of them either), the at least you’ll be sure to find some good food on the old street, like this sausage stand pictured above. This time we went, we tried a random traditional Taiwanese noodle and rice shop. 

We had some rice noodles, which happen to be the thickest rice noodles (米粉湯) I’ve ever had. 

The old and cheap braised pork rice (滷肉飯).

Souvenirs 紀念品

All along the street, you will find souvenirs of lanterns and Taiwan themes that you can take home to your relatives. 

​Shifen Waterfall:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shifen Falls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Images

You can see more of our photos of Shifen Waterfall here or Shifen Old Street here.

​You can book a tour to Shifen on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. ​

Don’t forget that there are many activities available around Pingxi such as Rock Climbing, Hiking, kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, SUP / paddle boarding, water biking, Diving, River Tracing / Canyoneering, ATVing, Horse Riding, Cooking Class, photo shoot, Jingtong Sky Lantern Police Station, Shifen Sky Lantern Experience, Waterfall Zipline, Waterfall Diving, and more on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. 

Check out our guide to Pingxi here.

Check out our guide to Taipei’s Waterfalls here.

Check out our Taipei hiking and trails guide here.             

Check out our guide to the best day trips from Taipei here.                          

Check out our full guide to Taiwan’s Northern Coast here.

Be sure to check out our full guide to Taipei here.   
Also, be sure to check out our full guide to Taipei here.