New Taipei Cultural experiences

The store for the Shifen Sky Lantern experience is very easy to spot. The service offered is beyond my expectation and provides excellent value for money. It was a great experience, especially when traveling alone, as the owner of the store offers a complimentary photoshoot and video shoot. A very nice experience indeed.

We saw this lantern activity on tv and thought it would be fun. It turned out to be really spiritual in that we were able to put our wishes on each side of the lantern and then release them. Many lanterns we saw had winning the lottery or finding the perfect mate on them. Ours ended up being very similar even though we had written our wishes independently. Mostly about good health and family. I found this to be a very personal and rewarding activity. Perhaps that was the point all along

Located in the Shiding mountains, "Shiding Hsu Family Noodles" is a highly popular family-friendly attraction in northern Taiwan. It combines traditional craftsmanship with fun experiences, allowing children to try the "shake, pull, release" noodle-making process firsthand and experience the spirit of traditional artisans. In addition, the most popular activity is undoubtedly the flowing noodle experience, where you can watch the noodles slide down the cold spring water, which is both cool and full of surprises! Finally, kneading your own fragrant scallion pancakes is a deep cultural journey that caters to sight, touch, and taste. It's perfect for a family to take a half-day trip away from the hustle and bustle of the city on the weekend.

I really love the local vibe of this shop. I enjoyed sipping tea while wearing beautiful traditional clothes. The staff were incredibly lovely, friendly, and always smiling. They took great care of me. There were also cute cats, and the desserts were delicious, with a lovely tea aroma. The tea itself tasted wonderful. I wasn't feeling well, but after a few sips of tea, I felt much better. The shop's atmosphere is warm, clean, and very comforting. I definitely want to go back again! 💖🫶🏻🍵😍🥰

Yesterday, I visited Jiufen after a long time. The only difference this time was that I had booked a Qipao experience. I searched online and found "CHIPAO Jiufen Qipao Rental." Reservations are required in advance! On the day of the experience, the shop environment was small, simple, and clear. The owner, a kind lady, first let us choose our favorite Qipao styles. Let me just say... those who have trouble making decisions are in luck, haha! The owner gave us advice on the Qipaos and quickly and accurately picked out beautiful Qipaos from the rack based on her professional judgment! I still recommend that friends who want to try this do some research beforehand so you don't spend too much time choosing a Qipao. Although the rental period for this Qipao shop is very long (return by 7:00 PM at the latest!), you should spend your time taking beautiful photos! After choosing our outfits, the owner styled our hair into simple updos to match our Qipaos. The online description mentioned simple long hair updos. Although it said "simple," I personally think it was anything but simple. The owner meticulously styled beautiful updos, allowing all the girls to have wonderful memories in Jiufen. After styling our hair, the owner recommended small accessories nearby for us to wear. You can choose them yourself or politely ask the owner for suggestions. Of course, everyone can also bring their own before the experience day. Once the clothes were ready, it was time to choose suitable embroidered shoes. The shop provides black invisible socks, which you can keep! I recommend not choosing embroidered shoes that are too tight, as you'll be climbing some stairs in Jiufen Old Street, and tight shoes might make your feet uncomfortable. The owner also recommended some great photo spots for reference. As June begins, the weather is gradually getting hotter. The shop also provides small bags for the furry shawls, in case you get heatstroke, haha. The weather can be hot, but you must look beautiful! Before leaving the shop to go sightseeing, the shop offers temporary storage for your belongings. You can also switch to a small bag provided by the shop to match your Qipao. Since you haven't paid a storage fee to the shop, be sure to keep your valuables with you. Finally, thank you to the owner for giving us such wonderful memories and service, and thank you, Jiufen, for being so beautiful and amazing!

Claiming was easy and locations of the claiming area and blessing area are very easy to find (I just did my research and read the instructions and directions). They provide directions and instructions at the claiming area too. They suggested to just hang the prayer cards and set up the lanterns at home for convenience and that's what we did because it was a rainy day as well. The experience was smooth and we chose to do this as an alternative to shifen lanterns (not very similar but we don't want to contribute to the clutter, plus we get to bring this home as souvenir).

I highly recommend supporting Grandma’s Lantern! At 94 years old, she is still there with a smile, helping visitors and ensuring everyone has a great experience. The photos we took with her are our favorite souvenirs. It’s a small business with a huge heart—don’t skip this spot!

After eating Jinshan taro many times, I learned how to shape and cook taro balls. I bought frozen ones once to take home, but they turned to mush when I cooked them. Although the tuition wasn't cheap, learning the method was worth it. It's located inside Jinshan Old Street, so don't go to the wrong place~ because there are 5-6 Jinshan Taro Ball Kings nearby. Making them a little smaller makes them taste better.

I had taken the silver clay ring making class at Nimou in 2024 during my last visit to Taiwan and enjoyed it so much I signed up to take it again this visit as well! I should mention I don't speak Chinese and the language barrier was not a problem! The instructors are very patient and knowledgeable. I reccommend arriving with some ideas, the instructors will explain the process of making the ring, they will help you execute your vision and you will leave the studio with a one of a kind piece of jewelry! The first photo is the ring I made in 2024 and the second photo is the one I made today!