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Located in Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Ruifang Old Street predates even Jiufen. In the late Qing dynasty, gold was discovered in Jiufen, drawing prospectors; back then a shop near the ferry bore the name Ruifang, and every miner passed it. The spot also served as a halfway rest stop on the road to Yilan, so travelers constantly spoke of “going to Ruifang” or “coming back from Ruifang,” and the name stuck. Behind Ruifang Station, Ruifang Street and Fengjia Road form Ruifang Old Street. Once bustling, now faded, its scattered old houses still echo the loneliness wrought by time’s passage. Few historic buildings remain: the Ruifang Hotel’s scarred façade recalls the town’s largest inn; on Ruifang Street two Western-style houses from the Japanese era survive; on Fengjia Road the Liao Jian-fang residence, the best-preserved, still shows its brick arcade and Western-style pebble-dashed sign “Liao Jian-fang,” though its glory days are gone. Ruifang Station itself is a transport hub—change here for the Pingxi line or buses to Jiufen—and the forecourt is lined with famous snack shops. Next time you visit, stroll the quiet old street and taste the local flavors.