Shifen Waterfall 十分瀑布

Shifen Special Scenic Area lies in Shifenliao, between Shiding, Ruifang and Shuangxi in northeastern Taiwan. Administratively part of Pingxi District in New Taipei City, the terrain has been carved by a tributary of the Keelung River, northern Taiwan’s largest and longest river, into a ravine with deeply dissected topography. Faults and rock formations have produced numerous waterfalls along the river, which runs north from Houtong through Sandiaoling to Shifenliao and Pingxi. Among the largest and best-known of these falls, and a popular attraction, is Shifen Waterfall.

The waterfall area draws many visitors, so weekends can be crowded. Wear shoes with good grip, since paths near the water can be slippery.

Shifen Waterfall lies between Dahua Station and Shifen Station on the Pingxi Railway Line in Pingxi District, New Taipei City. Torrents of water thunder down this curtain-type fall like a white satin sheet. As the water plunges into the large, deep pool beneath, it raises mists that often enshroud the falls. On sunny days, the mists paint dazzling rainbows in the blue skies: a sight that has earned the waterfall pool the nickname of “Rainbow Pond.” Because its bedrock slopes in the opposite direction of the water flow, Shifen Waterfall is a cascade-type waterfall similar to North America’s Niagara Falls, earning it the nickname of “Taiwan’s Niagara Falls.”