The Taiwanese mountain town of Jiufen is spectacular. Its narrow alleyways are usually packed with visitors, many from overseas, exploring its beautiful teahouses and charming souvenir stores. A rumor that it was the inspiration for ”Spirited Away” -- the 2001 Oscar-winning animated film by Hayao Miyazaki -- does its popularity no harm, even though Miyazaki denies the connection.
For now, though, Jiufen is empty, an economic victim of the coronavirus outbreak that has brought a temporary end to mass tourism. But when normal life returns, Taiwan’s efficient handling of the pandemic is likely to put the self-governing island and its tourist hot spots much higher up the international “must see” list than before. The same applies to South Korea, its East Asian neighbor, which has also attracted international praise for its handling of the outbreak.
