Jiufen rose to prominence during a gold rush in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when the mountains above the northeast coast drew miners and merchants and the town grew dense with commerce and life. After the gold ran out the village quieted, then found a second life as a destination beloved for its preserved architecture and atmospheric alleyways. The Old Street stairway lined with red lanterns became one of Taiwan's most recognized images, drawing visitors from across the world who come specifically for that collision of firelight, timber, and hillside mist.

The scene is at its most vivid at dusk in the cooler months between October and December, when the air is crisp and the lanterns glow longest before the sky goes fully dark.