Shifen Waterfall Trail Introduction
Shifen Ridge, which means "top" in Hakka, is an important transportation path developed by early settlers for the Dahu Basin, Daliao Village, and Nanhu Village. The original ancient trail started from Luhu in Xinlong Village, Tongluo Township, followed the upstream of Xinji Long Creek, crossed Shifen Ridge, and went through Nanhukeng to Caobeng, reaching Zhugaowu and Dahu, or descended along the creek from Nanhukeng to the Nanhu area. Due to its position as the lowest saddle in the Guandao Mountain Range, the ancient trail became a crucial route connecting Tongluo and Sanyi to Dahu, which has now been completely replaced by cement roads. Shifen Ridge is located on a small hill along the Guandao Mountain ridge, named so because early settlers used to roast taro here, with ten roasting sites established. The eastern part of the Shifen Old Trail belongs to Nanhukeng, allowing access to Dahu or Nanhu, where the valley is mostly planted with strawberries and residents primarily rely on agriculture for a living. Historical Background: The early settlement paths predominantly ran from west to east. Initially, the settlers traversed the Guandao Mountain Range from Tongluo and Sanyi towards the east, gradually creating several east-west crossing routes, with Shifen Ridge Old Trail becoming the most crucial ancient path for developing the Dahu area. After the settlement began in the 1870s, it gradually become the ridge route into Dahu from the Guandao Mountain Range. The salt and mail roads during the development period in Dahu Township started from Tongluo along the old Jilong Creek into the mountains, reaching the Xinji Long area, which was an important route for the Hakka people and preserved traditional Hakka farms and mountain lifestyles. Safety Situation: Although the mountain trail is located along the ridge, it is not steep and has a gentle slope; the starting and ending points of the trail have complete public facilities. Trail Length: 9 kilometers, Walking Time: Approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes one way.
