Past , Present , And future in Jiufen

      Jiufen is a tiny town in the north of Taiwan . It is between the mountains and the ocean , More than a century ago , Jiufen only had nine families . Then , in 1893 , someone discovered gold nearby . After that , more than 4,000 families moved to the area .
      Throughout its history , Jiufen has been both rich and poor . After the gold dried up in the 1960's the town's economy died down . However , in the 1980's many movies were about Taiwan's past . The most famous film was A City of Sadness .These movies made many people curious about Jiufen .
      Now , Jiufen is enjoying a major comeback . In 2001 , it was even used as a model for Miyazaki's famous movie , Spirited Away .
      Theses days . Jiufen is famous for its history and its natural beauty . it's also a great shopping spot . If you've been there , you know all about its Old Street . On Old Street , people can try all kinds of local dishes . Taro dumplings are probably the most popular snack . Hundreds of vendors also sell souvenirs .
     Jiufen has Taiwan's oldest movie theater. Shengping Theater used to be the largest theater in northern Taiwan . It was closed for more than 25 years , but it reopened in 2011 .
    Jiufen is a perfect place for a pleasant day trip . it also has plenty of hotels , so it's easy to stay the night there . The town is a great combination of Taiwan's past , present , and future .

Taro Dumplings

Tips
1. Dry up (資源) 用盡,匱乏
2. (Something) dies down (某事物)逐漸式微,蕭條
3. (Someone) knows all about + N (某人)對-----瞭若指掌
4. Stay the night 過夜

Reference
1. Contents -ABC互動英語雜誌 116期
2. Picture - http://formosa.bz/Viaje/2009_07/?lang=T&num=5
                - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Taro_Dumpling.jpg