Shifen Waterfall Trail Introduction
Shifen Ridge, in Hakka dialect, means "the top." The Shifen Ridge Historic Trail was an important transportation route for early settlers developing the Dahu Basin, Daliao Village, and Nanhu Village. The original trail started from Luhufu in Xinlong Village, Tongluo Township, followed the upstream Xinjilong Stream, crossed the Shifen Ridge, and passed through Nanhukeng and Caobeng to Zhugaowu and Dahu, or went down the stream from Nanhukeng to the Nanhu area. Shifen Ridge is the lowest saddle of the Guandao Mountain range, and the historic trail became an important route for traveling from Tongluo and Sanyi to Dahu, now completely replaced by cement paths. Shifen Ridge is located on a small hill along the ridge of Guandao Mountain, named because of the ten brain stoves set up by the settlers. The eastern section of the Shifen Ridge Historic Trail belongs to Nanhukeng and can access Dahu or Nanhu, with the valley plains mostly planted with strawberries, and residents primarily engaged in agriculture for a living. Historical Background: The early reclamation paths mostly ran from west to east. Initially, the settlers crossed the Guandao Mountain range from Tongluo and Sanyi to the east for reclamation, leading to the formation of multiple east-west crossing paths, with the Shifen Ridge Historic Trail being the most important one for developing the Dahu area. After reclamation in the 1870s, it gradually became the crossing path from Guandao Mountain to Dahu. During the reclamation period in Dahu Township, the salt route and post route approached the mountain from Tongluo along the old Jilong Stream to reach the new Jilong area, which was an important route for the Hakka community's reclamation, preserving traditional Hakka farmland and mountainous lifestyles. Safety Conditions: Although the mountain trail is located along the ridge, it is not steep and has a gentle slope. Public facilities are complete at both ends of the trail. Trail Length: 9 kilometers, Walking Time: approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes one way.
