Shifen Old Street: sky lanterns, railway-town vibes, and a classic day trip

Shifen is one of the most ‘day trip’ day trips near Taipei: small-town rhythm, a clear activity (sky lanterns), and a very easy pairing nearby (the waterfall). It’s especially good if you’ve already done Taipei’s city icons and want a different kind of memory.

The setting is the hook. The old street runs about 300 m directly alongside active railway tracks—the famous image of Shifen is people standing on the rails to photograph lanterns rising overhead, with the Jing’an suspension bridge at the start of the street as a second classic photo spot.

The Pingxi Railway Line was built in 1918 by the Japanese to transport coal. Coal mining ceased here in 1971, and from the early 1990s the towns along the line reinvented themselves as tourist attractions.

That mining-then-tourism arc is why the street feels both authentic and visitor-ready: a real working rail line lined with lantern shops and snack vendors.

The standard route is the TRA from Taipei Main to Ruifang (about 45 minutes), then a transfer to the Pingxi Branch Line to Shifen Station (roughly 27–31 minutes).

An alternative is the MRT to Muzha on the Brown Line, then Bus 795, the Muzha–Pingxi shuttle. Either way, build the day around the train timetable.

Treat Shifen as your anchor and add only one or two nearby stops. The most common combo is the Old Street plus Shifen Waterfall, which is about a 30-minute walk one-way—budget 2–3 hours for the street, more if you add the falls.

A sky-lantern release runs roughly NT$150–350 depending on colors. Daytime is best for browsing and releasing lanterns, while dusk and evening give the most striking lantern photos.

The street really does run along live tracks, and visitors do step onto the rails for photos—but you must clear them the moment a train approaches. Follow local signage and listen for the warnings.

If you’re traveling with kids, keep the day paced and avoid peak crowd hours when possible.