Shifen Waterfall Trail Introduction
Shifen Cliff, in Hakka, means the top. The Shifen Cliff Ancient Trail is an important transportation pathway developed by the early settlers for the Dahu Basin, Daliao Village, and Nanhu Village. The original ancient trail started from Luhu in Xinlong Village, Tongluo Township, followed upstream along the Xinji Long Stream, crossed Shifen Cliff, and went through Nanhukeng to Caobeng, reaching Zhugao House and Dahu, or descended along the stream from Nanhukeng to the Nanhu area. Because Shifen Cliff is the lowest saddle in the Guandao Mountain Range, the ancient trail became an important route from Tongluo and Sanyi to Dahu, which has now been completely replaced by cement roads. Shifen Cliff is located on a small hilltop on the ridge of the Guandao Mountain Range, named because the settlers used to bake brains here, establishing ten brain stoves. The eastern section of the Shifen Cliff Ancient Trail belongs to Nanhukeng, allowing access to Dahu and Nanhu. The valley flatland is mostly planted with strawberries, and residents primarily make a living through agriculture. Historical Background: The early cultivation paths generally extended from west to east. Initially, settlers crossed the Guandao Mountain Range from Tongluo and Sanyi to the east, gradually forming multiple east-west crossing paths, making the Shifen Cliff Ancient Trail the most important ancient trail for the development of the Dahu area. After the 1870s, it gradually became the mountain crossing road into Dahu from the Guandao Mountain Range, facilitating the salt and postal routes during the Dahu Township’s cultivation period, entering the mountains from Tongluo along the old Jilong Stream, reaching the Xinji Long area, which was an important route for the Hakka community's settlement, preserving traditional Hakka farms and mountain living styles. Safety Status: Although located on the ridge, the mountain trail is not steep, and the slope is moderate; public facilities at both ends of the trail are complete. Trail Length: 9 kilometers, Walking Time: approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes one way.
