Three Days, Two Nights at Shuiyang Forest 水漾森林 and Qian Ren Dong (Thousand People Cave) 千人洞

 

Shuiyang Forest Lake

Qian Ren Dong (Thousand People Cave)

Starkly placid Shuiyang Forest Lake is a uniquely beautiful destination. The lake was formed during the 921 earthquake when a landslide caused the forest to flood-- killing the trees. Qian Ren Dong or Thousand People Cave is the largest cave in Taiwan. The trail to Shuiyang Forest starts in Nantou in the Shanlinxi Forest Recreation Area but the lake and cave are in Chiayi.  Other destinations in the area include: Luqushan 鹿屈山 (2293 m) and the Mianyue Sacred Tree: a massive cypress tree which is over 4,000 years old and the third largest "god tree" in Taiwan.

Mianyue Sacred Tree

Distance/Time:  31.6 km/3 days, 2 nights

Day 1: We walked 6 hours/11km from Shanlinxi to Shuiyang Lake via the more strenuous route over Luqushan 鹿屈山 (2293 m).  

Day 2: We took day packs and did two side trips. First we walked 5 hours/5.3km from Shuiyang Forest to Qian Ren Dong and back. We rested at the cave for over an hour. The actual hiking only took about 4 hours. 

Second we walked from Shuiyang Forest to the Minyue Sacred Tree and back. That walk was only 1.5 hours/ 3.1 km. 

Day 3: We hiked back out to Shanlinxi along the longer (12.2 km) but easier route which took just under 5 hours. 

The Trail:  

There are two routes from Shanlinxi to the lake. The route over Luqushan front peak and main peak is more interesting and more strenuous. It's very steep on the way up and I found it tough with a full, heavy backpack. The lower route is longer but easier. It is relatively flat, though it does have it's ups and downs--especially when crossing streams. It follows the route of an old road but after the beginning is very narrow.  Both routes rejoin before reaching Shuiyang forest and then the trail drops down very steeply before finally arriving at a clearing in front of the lake. 

The clearing is a good place to camp and has the best view of the lake, particularly at sunset, sunrise and moon rise. There is another large campsite upstream, past the toilets. 

You are unlikely to have the lake to yourself but on the two nights that we stayed during the Chinese New Year holiday, there were never more than 13 tents and our neighbors were courteous and friendly. If possible I would avoid going on a weekend and especially on holiday weekends. A guide we spoke to said he had seen as many as 200 people camping there . 

Clear signs point to the designated toilets. Men to the left. Women to the right. The toilets are simple "eco toilets" which consist of a wooden box with a hole and a shovel. I was disappointed to see toilet paper in other areas when there is a clearly designated bathroom area. 

The trail to Qian Ren Dong is not too hard. It starts out going around the lake but the middle section passes through a riverbed that involves climbing over boulders and over and under logs. After that it climbs out of the river and passes through thick forest. It's not too hard after the riverbed but there are very steep sections with fixed ropes. I would avoid attempting this trail after or during heavy rain. Qian Ren Dong can also be reached from the other side from the village of Fenshang 豐山.

The path to Mian Yue Sacred Tree is pretty straightforward though steep at first. 

Another nearby trail is the Mianyue Line Trail which follows the abandoned logging railway. The trail starts in Alishan but since it passes through a nature preserve a permit is necessary. We met two hikers who hiked the trail from Shuiyang as far as Shihou 石猴 and back (11 hours return). A permit is not needed for this section. 

All the trails in this area are in absolutely stunning, peaceful coniferous forest.

Even though this is a well known destination we saw no one else on the trail over Luqushan or the trail to Qian Ren Dong. So potentially you are on your own and people have gotten lost here before. As always, it's important to have an offline map of the area and tell someone where you are going.

What to bring: Bring all of the usual things for backpacking but there are a couple of things to pay attention to. The lake is at 1825 meters and it was cold at night and in the morning. On the last morning there was frost on the grass. A good sleeping pad and bag as well as warm clothes are important. 

Also I would be careful of the water here. Filter, treat the water with iodine or thoroughly boil before drinking. I took a filter but also had a small bottle of iodine and my stove as a backup. 

I strongly advise against drinking the water from the lake. It looked stagnant and it is downstream from the toilets. I went upstream but even there the water was not moving and I saw toilet paper. I went further upstream past the bathrooms and the other campsite and found a pool that looked safer.

Transportation: We took a train from Taipei to Taichung the night before and stayed overnight with a friend. In the morning we took bus 6871 at 6:45. 

Update Feb. 2025: In January 2025 I went back to Shuiyang Forest and it seems the 6871 is no more. However, the new bus, 6883B, is more convenient. You can catch it in Taichung at the HSR station or the train station. At the time of this update it leaves at 7:20, 10:10 and 12:30. It leaves Shanlinxi for Taichung at 11:00, 14:50 and 15:35. Here is a link to the bus website: https://www.taiwanbus.tw/eBUSPage/Query/QueryResult.aspx?rno=6883B&rn=1710120433108&lan=E

There is a $250 entrance fee to Shanlinxi. A staff person conveniently comes onto the bus to collect it. 

On the way home we took the bus back to Taichung and at the HSR station bought a non-reserved ticket back to Taipei.

The Trip: 

My friend, Sean, and I arrived at Shanlinxi just before 10 a.m. The bus stopped next to a parking lot and gift shop. 

We still had 2.1 kilometers to walk along the main road till we reached the trail. This was a touristy area full of day trippers but it was already very beautiful and I could see why it draws crowds. 

 In about 30 minutes we passed the Kindness Pavilion and came to an unassuming little heart shaped sign tacked to a tree on the right that pointed toward Shuiyang Forest.   

We took the path, went around a metal gate and started up a wide road. There was a short cut that cuts off a big bend in the road but we did not take it. 

Thirty minutes more of walking brought us to the split in the trail. We took the steeper path to Luqushan, which was on the right, up a rickety ladder and soon climbing steeply. It was an exhausting climb with heavy backpacks. 

 It took us an hour to reach Luqushan Qian Feng (2213m).

Just after the peak there was dense silver grass over our heads that we had to push through. It started raining so we donned rain gear and put on our pack covers. 

Later there were wider sections then more narrow sections with more wet grass. We passed what looked like good view points but it had grown misty.

 It took another hour and a half to reach Luqushan. Just before the peak there is a fork, the peak us on the right, a short way off the main path. 

It was still raining and was very cold and windy so we did not linger long. We went back to the main path and headed down. We passed what looked like the remains of a shrine and later a brick building. At the brick building we talked about stopping for lunch but decided to push on to the lake.

 

 

A little while later the two paths to the lake rejoined. From here it's 1.8 kilometers to the lake. The last part dropped down very steeply and seemed to go on forever because I was tired and hungry.  As we arrived at the lake the sun came out and white tendrils of mist were rising from the forest around the lake. A few tents were already set up. 

We set up our tents, cooked dinner and settled in for the night. I read for a while in my tent but I was exhausted from the day and we had also not slept much the night before. I went to sleep around 7:30 and slept straight through till 6:30 am.

On the morning of Day 2 the sun came out and we took our time since we did not have far to walk. We started out at 9:27. The trail first went around the right side of the lake and later reached the outlet stream.

At 10:10 we climbed down to the boulder strewn stream bed and passed a waterfall. At first the path seemed unclear but we soon made out cairns and plastic flags. 

This part of the trail was rough and we had to take care. It would be hard to do it with a heavy pack but not impossible. Sometimes we had to duck under logs. With a big pack you might have to take it off and pass it through first in some places. In one place we had to cross over a gap on slippery logs. I chose the cowardly but safe method of sitting and scooting across. I guess that this part of the trail potentially changes every time the stream is flooded. 

After about 25 minutes we climbed out of the stream, up a steep slope with fixed ropes. 

After this the path was through thick forest and we passed the remains of a logged tree that still smelled like camphor.

As we got close we could hear the waterfall at the cave. The trail passed over the top of the cave and came down a rock face on the other side.

It was good to be back at the cave. Both Sean and I had been here before with a hiking group but we had come up from the Fengshan side and camped for a night in the cave.

We stayed for about an hour and 15 minutes. We collected water from the waterfall, had some lunch and talked with two day hikers, a man and woman, who arrived from the Fengshan side. Then we took the trail back to Shuiyang. Sean stopped and had a wash in the stream but it was a chilly day so I decided to stay dirty. 

Back at camp ten identical orange tents had been set up and a guide who had arrived ahead of his clients was cooking their dinner. We took a short rest and then set off for the Mianyue Sacred Tree. The path starts to the right of the bathroom area just before reaching the second camping clearing. The trail climbs up steeply until it comes to a fork signposted in Chinese. The right fork continues to Shihou, the left to the tree. 

We met a family, a couple and two teenage boys, who also went to the tree. They had come from Alishan and were camping at Shuiyang that night. 

The tree, which is over 4000 year old, is a truly impressive sight. There are metal rungs hammered into the trunk that lead to the first fork and a metal cable running down the trunk. I read that the cable may be connected to a lighting rod to protect the tree. 

We got back to camp around 5, had some tea and dinner and settled in for our second night. I spent some time lying in my tent listening to podcasts. Around 9:00 some people arrived shouting and someone came out and yelled at them to be quiet because people were sleeping. They apologized and were quiet afterwards. It was a clear night and the moon and stars were even more stunning than the first night. 

Day three we packed up and set out at about 8:30. Our packs were lighter and the climb up from the lake went more quickly than I expected.

I did not take many pictures on the last day. We walked along a wide path with huge trees on either side. Later the trail goes down a long, very steep slope. After this it's pretty much a flat narrow trail all the way back to Shanlinxi though there are a few ups and downs. The path is occasionally wide but usually narrow and lined with silver grass. We saw several hikers on the their way to Shuiyang and near the end a few who were just out for a short walk. It took us almost 5 hours to hike back to the bus stop. 

Further reading:

This blog post follows almost the same route as we took: https://hikingtaiwan.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/a-cave-a-lake-and-a-peak/

This article is about the Mian Yue Railway Trail but also talks about the tree and the lake: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2021/08/13/2003762515 

You can also find several experience reports by searching for Shuiyang Lake or Qian Ren Dong in Chinese on https://hiking.biji.co/

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Maps and GPS Coordinates: 

Trailhead in Shanlinxi: 23.626119, 120.799191

Luqushan: 23.601127, 120.789725

Shuiyang Forest campsite: 23.582955, 120.802684

Thousand People Cave: 23.575732, 120.790662

Shanlinxi to Shuiyang Lake via Luqushan: http://rblr.co/OhRhP

 Shuiyang Forest to Thousand People Cave: http://rblr.co/OhRhT

 Shuiyang Forest to Mianyue Sacred Tree: http://rblr.co/OhRhV

 Shuiyang Forest to Sanlinxi lower route: http://rblr.co/OhRhX

 

 

White Horse General Cave 白馬將軍洞, White Horse General Cave Giant Rock, and Black Moon Mountain 烏月山

 

Views of big rock walls amidst riotous green forest, two caves, a path that climbs to the top of a giant boulder-like rock and a small summit. This walk in the green hills above Shenkeng starts out with a kind of ugly road walk but soon follows country roads, steps and then later a wide path. The caves are rock shelters formed by erosion. They were once used by soldiers resisting the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. 

Entrance to the first cave

 

 Distance/Time: My distance and time were 12.8 km/ 5 hours 37 minutes but I took my time because of the slippery conditions and I did some exploring. 

To walk to the summit and back would only be about 10 km and take about 4 to 4.5 hours. Of course, it would be much shorter if driving and parking near the trail instead of walking from the bus stop like I did. 

Here is my track as well as more details: http://rblr.co/Ogq0h 

The Trail:  

This is a moderate hike and not strenuous at all but on the day I visited it was wet and very slippery.  This walk and other points of interests around Shenkeng are covered in Richard Saunders' book Taipei Escapes 1 https://taipeiescapes.wordpress.com/walk-1-20/

The caves are technically rock shelters--a type of cave that is formed when a lower, softer stratum is worn away by erosion and weathering while a harder upper stratum remains. These caves were used by resistance fighters during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. There are rumours of other caves and maybe much larger caves in the area but maybe they are just rumours. Taipei Escapes 1 offers more detailed information.

The walk from Shenkeng to Wuyue is on a road which has a good amount of traffic but there is a wide shoulder.  After that the walk follows country roads through and above the village. Just before the trail starts there is a steep, paved section that was very slick.

After that there are steps almost all the way to the top of a ridge. There is an overgrown and narrow path to an overlook on top of the White Horse General Giant Rock but the path to the summit of Wuyueshan (Black Moon Mountain) is wide and easy. 

The path seemed to be in disrepair and was littered with leaves and debris. The steps are covered in green moss and can be slippery.  The whole area had a sort of spooky, abandoned, aura. It was a gloomy, grey, wet day which probably contributed to the feeling. I saw only one other person on the trail. Maybe on a warm sunny day it would feel completely different. 

What to bring: Shoes with good tread for slippery surfaces and a hiking pole to help with balance (and maybe to threaten dogs) are highly recommended. 

Transportation: I took the MRT to Muzha station.  Heading straight out of the station and crossing to the bus stop across the road I took bus 666 to Shenkeng and took the 660 on the way back. The bus ride takes only about 15 minutes. Several buses pass Shenkeng including the 666, 660, 795, 819 and 679. 

The hike:

I had wanted to visit this trail for a long time but this was my first time. Earlier in the year, I had actually set off on a Sunday morning and got as far as Muzha MRT station but while waiting for the bus to Shenkeng it was raining so hard that I decided try it another day.

On this day it was also raining but the forecast said there would be less rain in the afternoon. It turned out that it rained all day but it was just a light mist. Most of the time I could not tell if it was raining or if water was just dripping off the trees. But it still turned out to be a very wet day. 

I got off the bus at the Shenkeng stop next to a 7-11. At the corner I turned right. 

Shenkeng Old Street (famous for stinky tofu) was to the left. I went straight crossing Shenkeng Bridge over the Jingmei River. The water was blue and there were schools of large fish visible in the river.

I continued straight along a road for a few minutes until I came to Wan Shan Road. There was a CPC gas station and a cafe across the street. 

I turned left on Wan Shan Road, passed a bus depot and went over a long bridge, again crossing the Jingmei River. Later I walked along the wall of an electrical substation. 

Nearing Wu Yue village there was a fire station on the right. The second intersection after the fire station was Wu Yue Road.  It took me thirty five minutes to walk to this point. 

I turned right on Wu Yue Road. 

Intersection with Wu Yue Road

Wu Yue Village

The road curved left and passed through the village. I took note of an interesting traditional house made of mud that was crumbling. It seemed to be used as a warehouse now and was protected by a metal roof. 

At the second right (lane 41), I turned steeply uphill.

There was a dog lying in the road. It stood up and barked at me but not until I had already passed. I soon passed a temple on the right. 

After turning onto Lane 41 it was quiet and bucolic. There was thick green vegetation and tall trees on both sides and later a high, mossy, green retaining wall on the left. 

At the next intersection in 650 meters I turned right onto a smaller road. There was a brown sign on the corner that read "Wu Yue Trail."

The road was wet and black and there were glimpses of the green hills above and massive, pale rock faces standing out from the greenery. 

This road ended in a T-intersection. Signs pointing both ways read "parking lot" in Chinese. There was a house on the left somewhat elevated above the road way. A black dog on the porch barked at me but did not come down. 

I turned left and in just a few minutes came to the end of the road. There was a sign and a map board which had "rock fall" scrawled across it in English in green spray paint. I thought this was ominous and thought the trail might be blocked which would explain why I had seen no other hikers. But it turned out to be fine. 

Turning right I walked up a very slippery paved path with a metal railing. 

At the top the path leveled off next to 5 large metal water tanks. Just before the tanks there was a narrow path through high grass dropping down on the right. I followed it thinking it might be a path to one of the caves but it just came to a stream and some irrigation piping.

 I went back up and then walked straight past the tanks and started up steps. It took me about an hour and ten minutes to walk from the bus stop to the steps. 

The steps were green with moss and littered with debris and there were some areas with loose stones and piles of flood wrack.  In one place a stream spilled over the steps and ran down a few of them before flowing away on the other side. 

I was wondering if I had missed the caves when I came to a narrow but clear path on the left and just down the trail I could see a cave entrance. 

Inside there were stone slabs fashioned into benches and a place for a shrine. It was sheltered on three sides. It was little more than a place to huddle out of the rain and wind, but on a cold, wet day I imagine it would be a welcome haven. It made me remember a trip where three friends and I shivered under a bridge out of the rain and cooked our dinner on a narrow muddy strip and were grateful for the shelter.

I went back to the main path and started up the steps again. Soon I passed the second rock shelter. 

 I kept going up. I met the only other hiker I would see all day coming down. Just before the top the stone stops became rougher and gave way to a dirt path. 

I emerged at the foot of the a huge, pale stone wall covered with vines at the top. 

A path went around the left side and came to a T-junction. I first turned right and pushed through wet vegetation along a narrow trail that went to the top of the rock. There was an aluminum ladder in one steep gap. 

 There wasn't much of a view on this misty day. 

I went back down and now took the other path to Wu Yue Shan which was wide and clear.  I heard and glimpsed a group of monkeys on the way. The summit was flat and muddy and there was no view. But the trail to it is nice and it's definitely worth seeing if you have already come all of this way.  On Maps.me it is called Sangongling Shan but the sign at the summit says Wu Yue Shan.

On the way to the summit I had passed a side trail marked with flags. 

 Now I went back and took this trail. My idea was to find an alternative descent instead of walking back the way I had come. Maps.me showed this trail descending to the road that ran roughly parallel to the one I had taken on the way up.  

The trail was narrow and steep for a short distance but after I passed under an electrical tower, I was surprised to find a wide, well maintained trail. 

I passed under or by several more electrical towers. I lost count after the sixth or seventh. It was clear that the trail was made so that maintenance crews could access them. It had been recently cleared of brush. At one point I heard a big commotion in the trees and spotted another troop of monkeys.

At a fork, I turned right heading in the direction of the road. I really enjoyed walking this path and felt like I had found a sort of backdoor to the peak.  The problem was that in the end, it just ended. 

After the last pylon that I came to, there was only a very faint trail with no markings. I went a little way down it but it was the sort of "trail" that you aren't sure is a trail or not. Also I could tell there was still a significant slope between my position and the road below. So I decided it was better to go back. 

I picked up the pace and now, being sure of the way, it only took me about twenty minutes to get back to the main path. 

Then I went back past the big rock, down the steps and to the road. When I passed the house at the bottom, the black dog came out, barking and snarling but I stood my ground and yelled at it and it backed off. 

I stopped at a small temple beside the road with a bench for a rest and snack and then walked back along the road to the Shenkeng Old Street. 

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Map and GPS Coordinates: 

 Wu Yue Shan (Black Moon Mountain): 24.994972, 121.639663

http://rblr.co/Ogq0h