PACO, who once studied in Keelung, was no stranger to Jiufen. In his youth, he'd even ridden his motorcycle up the mountain for nighttime adventures. But youth, like a motorcycle speeding through the night, roared past without pausing to notice the darkness or the scenery within it. One morning in March 2011, PACO arrived in Jiufen around seven o'clock. The daylight had not yet fully awakened; light and shadow were still seeking their places. The temperature shifted, waves of mist surged from the sea like tides rising from the ocean depths, gradually engulfing the landscape from afar. This movement bore no hint of aggression, but rather a sense of protection, as if preserving the glory of this once-thriving golden city. It was this very scene that led PACO to decide to stay in this mountain town facing the sea.
