What It Is

Shifen is a village on the Pingxi Branch Line, a single-track coal railway converted to tourist use, where the Old Street runs directly alongside — and in places across — the live rail. Its defining activity is releasing a 天燈 (sky lantern): a paper balloon lifted by a burning fuel cell, inked with a handwritten wish before release. Shifen Waterfall, a 40-metre-wide curtain fall about 30 minutes' walk from the station, is the area's other main draw.

Getting There

TRA from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang, ~45 min, then transfer to the Pingxi Line to Shifen Station, ~27–31 min further. A Pingxi Line one-day pass costs NT$52 and covers unlimited rides on the branch (useful for combining with Houtong or Jiufen the same day).
Pingxi Line trains run roughly hourly off-peak — this is not a turn-up-and-go metro service. Check the same-day TRA timetable before planning a tight schedule.

Sky Lanterns

NT$200 single colour (red is standard), NT$250 four colours, NT$350 eight colours. Vendors line the Old Street; a helper photographs the release. Colour carries meaning: red for health, yellow for wealth, orange for love, blue for career, purple for exam success, green for vigour.

The Waterfall

Shifen Waterfall is reached by a signed walking path northeast from the station platform area, roughly 30 minutes on foot. At 40 metres wide it is one of the broadest waterfalls in Taiwan, sometimes compared in shape (not scale) to Niagara.

Sources: TRA Pingxi Line fare and route information; Shifen visitor guides (Taiwan Obsessed, Tripool, Girl Takes Mundo). Checked 21 Aug 2026.