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Shifen Station is located in Pingxi District, New Taipei City. It is a railway station of the Taiwan Railways Administration and the largest station on the Pingxi Line. Whenever a train stops here, the driver exchanges the old copper train token (a train running permit) with the station staff to obtain authorization to continue, creating a unique railway scene. From coal transport to tourism, the century-old railway has been revived. The TRA Pingxi Branch Line that runs along the Keelung River valley was originally the Tōyō Corporation’s Shihdi Line, stretching 12.9 km from Sandiaoling Station to Jingtong Station. It was built by mining magnate Yan Yun-nian for coal transport and opened in 1921. The Railway Department of the Government-General of Taiwan purchased and nationalized it in 1929, adding passenger service. However, since the 1970s coal production declined, the local population shrank, and the Taiwan Railways Administration could not cover its losses, planning to abandon the line in 1989. Thanks to vigorous local efforts, the TRA finally designated the Pingxi Branch Line as a tourist route in 1992. The line now has seven stations: Sandiaoling, Dahua, Shifen, Wanggu, Lingjiao, Pingxi, and Jingtong, with a total travel time of about 40 minutes. Trains pass in front of doorways; sky lanterns carry blessings. Around Shifen Station are Shifen Old Street and Jing’an Suspension Bridge. Visitors can stroll along tracks lined with shops while sampling snacks. The most distinctive sight is not old buildings but trains rolling right past storefronts! In recent years it has become a must-visit for international tourists. In Shifen, write blessings and wishes on a sky lantern with a calligraphy brush, release it under a shopkeeper’s guidance, and watch it rise slowly above the town—Shifen’s most beautiful impression.