Ruifang Old Street 瑞芳老街

Ruifang Old Street is a long old street extending out of Ruifang Train Station. Ruifang Station sits on the terminus to the Pingxi Railway, and provides direct bus service to Jiufen and Jinguashi, making it a must stop (literally) destination for tourists travelling to nearby tourist destinations. 
The food on Ruifang Old Street is plentiful and delicious, and you will not regret a brief pit stop here. 

Background:
During the Qing Dynasty (before there was a railroad), the Keelung River was the main means of transport from Ruifang to Taipei and the rest of Taiwan. Later, gold and copper mines were founded in Ruifang and the surrounding areas of Jiufen and Jinguashi, and the railroad was finished in 1924 during the Japanese occupation, connecting Taipei to Eastern Taiwan. A Railway line was also made into Pingxi to connect to more mining operations.
Markets and stalls on Ruifang Old Street probably started with the completion of Ruifang Train Station on the Yilan line in 1924. 

Hours:
All day until about 9 PM, but some stalls will be open later than that. 

How to get there:
By Train: Take TRA to Ruifang Station.
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 5 out of Taipei, then turn right onto Provincial Highway 2 after Qidu (七堵）until you reach Ruifang. 

Map:
Please see below:

Our Journey:

I have been to Ruifang Old Street twice, once by train and once by scooter. The scooter trip took me through the mountains between Shifen and Houtong (seen above) and it was beautiful. 

Passing by, I also found that much of Ruifang is also a large industrial district. Who knew?

The old street itself protrudes out of the front and back of Ruifang station, with food stalls and restaurants along the way. I don't have any pictures of the back side (which looks more old street-ey) but there is plenty of good food on both sides. 

Tea, crepes, and sandwiches being sold on the side of the road. 

The Taiwanese staple, stinky tofu.

Taiwan's #1 most flavorful fried chicken: Zhfa (炸發).

People lining up for Longfengtui （龍鳳腿), apparently 3 generations have sold their delicious sausages. 

The best part of Ruifang Old Street in my opinion is the Food Court (美食廣場） at the very end of the street. 

Right at the door is a great steamed bun place, that sells them for 45 NT, 5 NT cheaper than those at Raohe Street.  

I tried to take a photo but it was already down my throat before I could think about it. 

A view of the many stalls in the food court. 

Fried chicken and drink stalls in the food court. 

A help yourself buffet Zizhucan inside the food court, named Lien Chuang (連莊). You add whatever meat and vegetables you want, and they charge you by the pound. 

We eneded up eating at the Zizhucan which was Delicious. 

Also, a Canadian man runs a pizza shop in there called Maple Leaf Bistro （楓葉屋), but I did not see him on that day.

Apart from the old street, Ruifang has a nice riverfront (the Keelung River runs right through the town), but that's about it as far as I could see.

Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for more of our blogs on the Pingxi Railway Line!

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