How to Get to Shifen From Taipei

Shifen Old Street occupies a narrow valley floor where the Keelung River bends sharply and the Pingxi Line railway bisects the pedestrian zone. The station itself has no ticket gates—passengers step directly from the platform onto the street where sky lanterns rise above the tracks and vendors line both sides of the rail corridor. The village's accessibility relies entirely on this single rail connection, a remnant branch line built in 1921 to serve the coal mines that once dominated the Pingxi plateau. Reaching Shifen from Taipei involves boarding a northbound express or local train on the Yilan Line at Taipei Main Station, departing from platforms on the lower level. The segment to Ruifang takes between 40 and 50 minutes depending on service type; express trains make fewer stops and shave ten minutes from the journey. At Ruifang, travelers exit onto Platform 1 and cross to the opposite side of the same platform to board the Pingxi Line shuttle. This is a two-car diesel railcar that departs once per hour, calling at Houtong, Sandiaoling, Dahua, Shifen and Jingtong in sequence. The Pingxi Line timetable is fixed and posted at Ruifang; missing a departure means waiting a full hour for the next service. The Pingxi Line segment threads through forested ridges and follows the river grade, emerging at Shifen Station after seven intermediate stops. The entire rail corridor from Ruifang to Jingtong is a heritage route maintained for tourism rather than commuter traffic, and the rolling stock reflects that—bench seating, open windows, and no air conditioning. Travelers planning how to get to Shifen from Taipei should leave central Taipei between 09:00 and 15:00 to ensure return connections align with daylight hours, as the Pingxi Line's final departure from Shifen toward Ruifang leaves before 19:00. The address No. 81, Shifen St, Pingxi District, New Taipei City corresponds to the lantern launch zone at the center of the old street, a three-minute walk from the station exit. The site is open around the clock, though most vendors and lantern workshops operate from mid-morning through evening. Alternative road access exists via Provincial Highway 106, but public bus service is infrequent and requires multiple transfers; the rail route remains the most reliable and direct method for independent travelers. Tour coaches from Taipei bundle Shifen with Jiufen and Yehliu, but those packages impose fixed schedules that limit time spent in the village itself.