The Pingxi Line (平溪線) is a single-track branch railway that winds up a river valley east of Taipei through old coal-mining villages. It is famous for one thing above all: at Shifen, the train runs right down the middle of the old street, and visitors write wishes on paper sky lanterns and send them up from the tracks between trains. Add Shifen Waterfall, a short walk away, and the quieter stops of Pingxi and Jingtong, and it is a full and lovely day.
- Train Taipei Main Station to Ruifang, then the Pingxi Line to Shifen
- Day pass NT$120, unlimited rides on the Pingxi and Shen'ao lines for one day
- Bus Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 795 from Taipei Zoo Station (BR01)
- Time A full day
How to get to the Pingxi Line from Taipei
By train, via Ruifang
Take a Taiwan Railway train from Taipei Main Station toward Yilan or Hualien and get off at Ruifang (瑞芳): 35 to 68 minutes on the weekday timetable we checked, NT$73 on a local train. At Ruifang, change to the Pingxi Line train. On that timetable, trains left Ruifang for Shifen roughly once an hour, the ride to Shifen took about 27 to 33 minutes (NT$29), and the line runs on to the terminus at Jingtong (菁桐), about 45 to 55 minutes from Ruifang.
If you plan to hop off at more than one stop, buy the Pingxi Line / Shen'ao Line One-Day Pass (平溪線/深澳雙支線一日週遊券): NT$120, or NT$60 concession, for unlimited rides that day between Badouzi, Ruifang and Jingtong. It is sold at stations including Taipei, Songshan, Banqiao, Ruifang, Shifen, Pingxi and Jingtong, and it does not cover the train from Taipei to Ruifang.
By bus 795
The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 795 (Muzha-Pingxi line, 台灣好行木柵平溪線) runs from Taipei Zoo MRT Station (Brown Line, BR01) over the hills via Shenkeng and Pingxi to Jingtong and the Shifen Visitor Center. The fare is NT$15 per zone, NT$45 for the whole route, and there were 21 trips each way a day, roughly hourly, on the timetable we checked. It is a good one-way option: train out, bus back, or the reverse.
What to see
Shifen Old Street and the sky lanterns (十分老街)
Shifen is the biggest station on the line, and its old street lines both sides of the track. Between trains, people step onto the rails to paint wishes on their lanterns and let them go; when a train comes through, everyone steps back and the shops seem close enough to touch. Lantern shops along the street sell the lanterns and help you launch them.
Shifen Waterfall (十分瀑布)
A broad, curtain-shaped waterfall that New Taipei City calls the largest of its kind in Taiwan. From the Shifen Visitor Center it is about a 15-minute walk along a gentle, step-free path, or you can cross the two suspension bridges behind the visitor center.
- Hours: 09:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30). In 2026 the city extended this to 09:00 to 18:00 (last entry 17:30) from May 1 to September 30.
- Entry: free.
Pingxi Old Street (平溪老街)
Further up the line, Pingxi is smaller and quieter, with its old street a short walk downhill from the station.
Jingtong Old Street (菁桐)
The end of the line: an old station, a coal-mining past and a slower pace. It is the place to finish the day before the train back down the valley.
The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival
Around the Lantern Festival, on the 15th day of the lunar new year (February or March), Pingxi holds its Sky Lantern Festival, and Taiwan Railway adds and adjusts trains on the line for the festival. Expect huge crowds and plan transport in advance.
Timing tips
- Start early. With trains about an hour apart, check the next departure every time you get off.
- Do the waterfall first. It closes at 17:00 for most of the year, while the old street stays lively into the evening.
- Know the last train. On the weekday we checked, the last train from Shifen toward Ruifang left just before 21:00.
- Go on a weekday. Shifen is very busy at weekends.
Pair it with Jiufen, also reached from Ruifang. → Jiufen · All day trips
Sources
Train times and fares from Taiwan Railway's timetable search (a weekday in November 2026); the day pass price, sale stations and rules from its one-day pass page (the price rose to NT$120 on June 23, 2025). Bus 795 route, fares and timetable from the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle. The stations from New Taipei City's Pingxi Line rail trip. Shifen Waterfall from New Taipei City (attraction page, 2026 summer hours, walking route, free entry). Lantern Festival trains from Taiwan Railway. Checked October 2026.