NOR THE A S T COA S T / PL ACES TO S TAY
San San Bu Homestay A not he r r e s tor a t ion pr oje c t by t he ow ne r of t he aforementioned café in Jinguashi, who evidently has a passion for preserving old buildings, the San San Bu Homestay is a hundred-year-old Japanese-style house tucked into the secretive alleys of Shuinandong. Built in 1922 as a dormitory for the Japan Mining Corporation, the house still retains its original wood-beamed structure and comes complete with a tatami room, old-fashioned kitchen, double bed, and wooden bathtub with a sea view. Nightly prices begin at NT$2,500 (for two people), and guests get the whole house to themselves – the perfect opportunity to contemplate the bay and the surrounding mountains, read a good book, and immerse oneself in a small bit of history. Note: If booked here, the owner suggests that you call him upon arrival in Shuinandong, so he can guide you to the somewhat obscure location.
HOW TO GET THERE Take bus No. 965 from MRT Banqiao Station (Exit 2) or bus No. 1062 from MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing Station (Exit 2). Both buses stop in Jiufen and Jinguashi, and the journey takes approximately one hour. Services are frequent. Alternatively, take an eastbound train from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang Station and transfer to a local bus heading to Jiufen/Jinguashi. To get to Shuinandong, take bus No. 856 (Gold Fulong Shuttle Bus) from near Ruifang Station, with stops at Jiufen and Jinguashi.
MORE INFO Visit the website of the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area: www.necoast-nsa.gov.tw.
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TR AVEL IN TAIWAN
Rose Villa
PANORAMA Rose Villa offers front seat views of the Yin Yang Sea and the Remains of the 13 Levels
With brilliant views of the Yin Yang Sea and the Remains of the 13 Levels, the Rose Villa offers double, quadruple, family, and 6~8 people rooms, as well as entire fully-equipped villas for even larger parties of up to 16. The check-in area, which doubles as a café, is located in an old house overlooking the bay that once was the home of an artist who painted postcards of the local scenery. It has now been converted into the style of an old Taiwanese grocery store, complete with retro sweets and vintage sliding-panel doors. Prices begin at NT$2,500 for a weekday stay in a double room with a sea view. SAN SAN BU ( 散散步 / 老宅 ) 0981-885-933 No. 325, Dongding Rd., Ruifang District, New Taipei City ( 新北市瑞芳區洞頂路 325 號 ) www.facebook.com/jinguashi/ ROSE VILLA ( 玫瑰山城柑仔店 ) (02) 2496-1818 No. 155-1, Dongding Rd., Ruifang District, New Taipei City ( 新北市瑞芳區洞頂路 155-1 號 ) www.rosevilla.com.tw ENGLISH AND CHINESE A-Mei Teahouse 阿妹茶樓 Baoshishan Lookout 報時山觀景台 Changren Pavilion 長仁亭 Gold Ecological Park 黃金博物園區 Gold Museum 黃金博物館 Golden Waterfall 黃金瀑布 Hu Da-hua 胡達華 Jinguashi 金瓜石 Jinguashi Old Street 金瓜石老街 Jishan Street 基山街 Jiufen 九份
Jiufen Old Street 九份老街 Lianyu 連嵎 Mt. Keelung (Mt. Jilong) 基隆山 ( 雞籠山 ) Qitang Street 祈堂街 Remains of the 13 Levels 十三層遺址 Ruifang District 瑞芳區 Shengping Theater 昇平戲院 Shuinandong 水湳洞 Shuinandong Smelter 水湳洞選煉廠 Teapot Mountain 茶壺山 Wild Herbs 野事草店 Yin Yang Sea 陰陽海