New Taipei City Travel

As the train enters Yilan Line from Ruifang, we will arrive at Houtong and enter Pingxi Line from Sandiaoling. This railway line stretches amidst the verdant and lush mountainous area of Northern Taiwan, was built due to past prosperous coal mining industry, and is still operating. Besides transporting passengers, this is a popular route for railway trips in which it starts from Houtong. The magnificent achievements of the mining industry can be seen throughout the place in which they brought about railways and the prosperous development of towns along the way. Coming to Shifen, the origin of Sky Lantern and the largest station along the Pingxi Line, this is a major train intersection station. Looking back at the mining history of Pingxi, Shifen is the earliest and largest settlement developed. Its greatest feature is that the old street stands side-to-side with the railway track and presents the unique railway scenery of “the train passes through your front door”. Although the coal mining industry is a thing of the past, countless coal mining relics still remain along the Pingxi Line. It is rich with scenery and culture, in which visitors can seek tranquility at small unmanned stations, or enjoy traditional gourmet foods, visit grocery stores and hardware stores dating back to your grandparents’ days at bustling old streets. You can also get a Happiness Stamp at the station or fly a Sky Lantern written with your wishes for this year. You can enjoy a spectacular day and this is the branch line you cannot dare to miss.

In recent years, Shiding has held the "Shiding Oolong Oriental Beauty Tea Festival" with a range of activities to attract more people to Shiding, to revive Shiding's past glory as a tea production area. Thanks to its tea production in the early days, Shiding was a tea trading center between Pinglin, Shenkeng, and Shuangxi, and Shiding Old Street was a lively affair. However, since the opening of the No.1 Highway, Shiding’s traffic hub status has been taken over by Pinglin. The overtaking led to decline, but a few tea gardens and tea houses remain. Today, when you come to Shiding Old Street, a century-old tofu shop, stilt houses, the Skyless Street, Old Iron Shop, etc., give visitors a glimpse into Shiding’s prosperous past.