About Fenghuang Waterfall (鳳凰瀑布 [Fènghuáng Pùbù])
The Fenghuang Waterfall (鳳凰瀑布 [Fènghuáng Pùbù]; meaning “Phoenix Waterfall”, not to be confused with the one in Hualien) felt like one of the more obscure waterfalls that we had visited in Taiwan. Maybe we got this vibe because Mom and I happened to encounter a couple of senior locals (coming back from doing a longer hike further up in the mountains) who never knew about this waterfall in all the years they had lived here. Add to that, the relative lack of signage except for the actual trailhead itself without any formal parking, and we at first wondered if we were in the right place or not (see directions below). From reading other blogs, it appeared that this particular spot was more known to foreigners than to the locals. Well, whatever the case may be, I thought this place was a gem of a find as it was where the Bazhang Stream (八掌溪 [Bāzhǎng Xī]) plunged 20-25m into a deep pool that was perfect for swimming. Of course as is often the case in life, the most worthwhile things typically require a little work to reach, and this excursion was no different.
Our hike started from a road shoulder nearby the signed (in Chinese) trailhead. We walked along the road towards the signage and then followed along some descending steps amongst a grove of betelenut (檳榔 [bīnláng]) trees, which seemed to be quite common in Chiayi County (suggesting it may be a key cash crop in the area). Anyways, as the concrete steps descended what appeared to be a sloping ridge, it also seemed like there was a bit of overgrowth conspiring to cover up some of these steps (at least enough overgrowth to plant some seeds of doubt in my Mom). Indeed, we had to be a bit careful about making this descent without a misstep. Something that we noticed in most trails throughout Asia (and Taiwan was no different) was that they were typically paved or were along concrete. While this could be jarring to the knees, unnaturally unsightly, and prone to damage (especially from typhoons), in this particular case, it might actually make sense. For if the steps weren’t here, then it would require a very dicey descent on what would most likely be a muddy and eroded trail.
After the initial flight of steps, we crossed what appeared to be an unpaved road or trail, but we kept straight ahead on the next series of steps. And it turned out that we would still have a long descent ahead of us. I recalled in doing my trip research that this waterfall was informally called the “Thousand Step Waterfall”, and as Mom and I engaged in this hike, it was clear to us how it got its name. Indeed, the descent kept persisting, and we knew we’d have to get all this elevation loss back. On top of that, it seemed like the climate was getting muggier and the mosquitos were more abundant the further down this trail we went. That said, at least the betelnut trees were behind us as we were encountering more local jungle flora.
Eventually after about 30-40 minutes of hiking, we then bouldered our way to the inviting plunge pool that separated us and the Fenghuang Waterfall. After all the sweat and exertion it took to make it down here, the cool spray and breeze generated by the falls was very welcome as it somewhat offset the humidity. This was one of those spots that we didn’t want to leave, especially when we had to go back up all those steps. But eventually, after having our fill of this spot, we sweated our way all the way back up to the trailhead and eventually regaining our rental car where we really looked forward to the AC. All told, we had spent a little over 90 minutes away from the car covering a distance of about 1.4km round trip (at least according to my GPS
Related Trip Reports
Related Top 10 Lists
No Posts Found
Related Itineraries
Trip Planning Resources
Nearby Accommodations
This content is for subscribers only. See Membership Options.Featured Images and Nearby Attractions
This content is for subscribers only. See Membership Options.Visitor Comments:
Got something you'd like to share or say to keep the conversation going? Feel free to leave a comment below...No users have replied to the content on this page
Visitor Reviews of this Waterfall:
If you have a waterfall story or write-up that you'd like to share, feel free to click the button below and fill out the form...No users have submitted a write-up/review of this waterfall
Nearest Waterfalls
