Similarly to 侯硐 and it’s cats, 十分 （Shih fen) is a town that grew up around mining and now has created it’s own tourism niche. 十分 is famous for three reasons: it’s waterfalls, sky lanterns (as is 平溪 district generally) and the railway line which runs through the street. I spent yesterday afternoon enjoying the sunshine there…
Getting to 十分 on the train from 台北 is easy, but not very quick - about 90 minutes each way. Two things you should know:
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You can only use a 悠遊卡 (EasyCard / Yo-yo card) to get to 瑞芳 (Rueifang), where you have to change trains. From 瑞芳 to anywhere on the 平溪 line, you need to buy a paper ticket, ~20NT$. Despite the numerous signs and announcements to this effect, I spotted several people getting assisted by the train conductor upon discovery that they were travelling without a ticket.
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Contrary to quite a few web articles I’d read about visiting 十分 you don’t need to, and shouldn’t, walk all the way along the railway track to get to the waterfalls - you’ll get mushed by a train! Follow the signs along the road, it takes about 20 minutes. When you get to the road fork and there is a waterfall sign pointing in both directions, you can go in either direction. I’d suggest the right-then-left-u-turn i.e. the lower road to get to the falls. Come back via the Eyeglass waterfall, across the suspension bridge, and you’ll find that’s the higher road - a nice circular route.
