Shifen Scenic Area (Shifen Visitor Center) Introduction
Shifen Scenic Area is located in the Pingxi District of New Taipei City, renowned for its waterfalls, the Pingxi Line small train, and sky lanterns. The actual geographic location is along the main flow of the Keelung River and falls into the waterfall valley type of Taiwan’s scenic areas. Due to the erosive action of the source and the nearby dissected terrain, many faults and peculiar rocks have formed, leading to numerous spectacular waterfalls as the river flows through these formations. From Houtong in the north to Sandiaoling, extending to Shifnliao and the Pingxi area, a series of cascading waterfalls has been formed, among which the larger and more famous is Shifen Waterfall. Shifen Waterfall is 20 meters high and 40 meters wide, making it the widest curtain waterfall in Taiwan, often referred to as the "Niagara Falls of Taiwan." The Pingxi Line is one of the remaining three railway branch lines in Taiwan. The entire line follows the winding Keelung River, stretching a total of 12.9 kilometers, and was completed and opened in 1921. Originally built for coal transportation, the Pingxi Line is now one of the most popular railway tourism routes. The annual Pingxi International Sky Lantern Festival attracts tens of thousands of tourists during the Lantern Festival and was once voted by Discovery Channel as the second largest carnival in the world.
