A young couple came to Jiufen ten years ago, fell in love with the mountains and scenery, and started to make plans to reside here. They took charge of everything, from searching for a location with the best sea view, to finding an architectural design that fits in with the laid-back attitude of Jiufen, and to furnishing each room; and having a passion for painting, their paintings adorn many of the walls in the minsu.

That, is the story of the owners of Sunny Room.

DAY 1

14:34

Our story began with our entire closet on our backs. Exhausted, J and I headed without hesitation to what looked like the common area of Sunny Room, where we immediately put our bags down and relaxed our shoulders before greeting L, and then the two resident cats that caught our attention. Cute as they were, they refused to pay me any attention. So I left them alone and turned back to L, who handed me a map and briefed us on Jiufen Old Street and the Pingxi Line. Adventure was awaiting us!

14:44

The room—imbued with a sense of calm and serenity—was too much of a temptation for our sore feet and we deemed it fit to rest our poor feet for the next hour or two. 休息是為了走更長遠的路, right? Right.

DAY 2

08:51

Sleep and work top city-dwellers’ priority lists. So what do you do when you’re served a well-prepared breakfast on a day off work? You enjoy it a great deal, reliving the forgotten joy of taking your time to have a wholesome breakfast.

09:15

Overlooking the mountains and the sea, the spacious and well-decorated common area is actually a very good place to sit around and get some work done, especially when everyone’s gone on their adventures after breakfast.

21:15

Coming back to this temporary home after a long day out was actually something I looked forward to each night. I looked forward to sitting in silence with the lights out, on that red couch right in front of the window overlooking the sea; a long-awaited respite from all the noise and distractions.

DAY 3

09:15

Melancholy strangely lingered around as I watched the stagnant wisps of clouds remain still. Is life not more than just paying bills and accumulating more material possessions? I heaved an imaginary sigh.

09:51

With an hour to spare, J and I wandered off for a last-minute adventure and to our surprise, found the entrance to Sunny Room from the other side of the hill.

10:58

I love this place, but I’ve got to go. 謝謝你, 給了我那麼美好的回憶.