Shihpan Valley Trail Introduction
Notice: The trail is completely closed due to road damage. Please pay attention to safety! Shihpan Valley in Fengshan is surrounded by mountains, with cliffs and giant rocks throughout, featuring a stair-step valley terrain. The dry Keng Stream runs through, creating various waterfalls and pools. There are six waterfalls in total, each with its own unique charm, making it a must-visit destination for those who love primitive flavors and natural adventures. The planned trail is divided into two sections; the first section runs from the parking lot to the rest pavilion in Shihpan Valley, passing over a suspension bridge and a stone plank trail, offering magnificent scenery along the way. Particularly from the bridge, one can fully appreciate the striking presence of the giant rocks. The area around the rest pavilion is designed like a sky garden, filled with towering trees and the sounds of birds, with orchids and crab orchids planted among the camphor trees. Along with wild herbs like mountain taro, aiyu, and cliff ginger ferns climbing on the mountain eucalyptus and maple trees, the scenery is fresh and beautiful. Below the trees, a few artificial ponds reflect the greenery of the mountains and provide water for the birds. The birdwatching is quite good here, and in the early morning, one can often see red-headed bulbuls, bush warblers, gray-throated martins, and mountain finches calling to each other. The second section begins from the rest pavilion, leading upstream to the Shihpan Valley Waterfall Group, where you can admire the stunning cliffs and waterfalls. If you're in good physical condition, you might as well continue deeper into the Maple Valley Waterfall. Along the way, the mix of bamboo groves, secondary forests, and primary forests becomes increasingly pristine and magnificent, with even better birdwatching. The route also passes through natural leaf-wrapped rice forests, Jiouqiang Artistic Forest, and large cliffs. The leaves of the leaf-wrapped rice forest, also known as mountain pig's ears or spider egg-hugging, give off a zongzi (sticky rice dumpling) fragrance, and locals often use these leaves to wrap zongzi. Jiouqiang Artistic Forest features several oddly shaped Jiouqiang trees forming a natural artistic landscape, resembling grasshoppers, centipedes, deer antlers, flying ants spreading their wings, and spider kings, which is quite astonishing. The large cliff rises vertically over several tens of meters and has ropes for climbing. Maple Valley Waterfall is the final stop on this journey, with wild maple trees growing in the valley. In deep autumn, the maple leaves turn red and fall into the stream, creating a beautiful sight, hence the name Maple Valley Waterfall. The round trip from the parking lot to Maple Valley Waterfall takes about 3 to 4 hours.
