WUFENGQI WATERFALLS and OUR LADY OF WUFENGQI CHURCH (五峰旗瀑布/五峰旗聖母朝聖地)

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An Easy Waterfall Walk in Yilan

Wufengqi Scenic Area in Yilan’s Jiaoxi District is a great place to escape to when the mercury starts to rise. Walking the shaded waterfall trails and paddling in the shallow stream can help to counter the oppressive summer heat. The walk covered in this post is a very short one which takes in a couple of waterfalls and the unique circular church, but if you’re looking for something a little more involved, you could arrive early enough to make the climb from the church up to the ever-popular Matcha Mountain.

Distance: 4km – I don’t really think it feels that long though.

Time: 1½ -2 hours should be enough.

Difficulty (regular Taiwan hiker): 1/10 – Lots of steps but not difficult.

Difficulty (new Taiwan hiker): 3/10 – The steps are steep, but they’re tiring rather than difficult and the walk itself is short.

Total ascent: About 230 metre.

Water: A single small bottle will suffice. You can fill your bottle up at the church.

Shade: Mostly quite shady.

Mobile network: Clear

Enjoyment: This is a pleasant little wander in close proximity to hot springs and the other tourist attractions that Jiaoxi has to offer.

Route type: Loop or there and back depending on which way you choose.

Permit: None needed.

Jump to the bottom of this post for a trail map and GPX file.

The bus stops by the main carpark for Wufengqi Scenic Area, and from here, you’ll need to walk up along a row of hot spring resorts in varying degrees of swankiness and dilapidation.

At the far end of the row, the path leads up past a series of check dams. (There are signs prohibiting swimming but that doesn’t seem to deter the local elders.)

Beyond the dams, look out for this red sign indications that the waterfall area is up the steps to the right. Once you’re on the trail, there are a couple of flights of steps branching off on the right, but as long as you keep heading up, you’re going in the right direction.

I decided to stick to the path heading straight and found myself walking up alongside the stream.

After a few minutes, the steps emerge at the uppermost end of a road. There are stalls gathered here selling fishing nets, snacks and massage implements (grandma has to do something while the kids are bothering the fish). Follow the flagstone path uphill and over a bridge. Beyond the bridge, the path splits in two. Head right, keeping the water on your right.

Do the same at the next junction. Keep right/straight and stick close to the water.

You’ll know you’re headed the right way when you encounter this pavilion. It is perfectly placed to allow those inside to enjoy being cooled by the mist-infused breeze. This is actually the second of three waterfalls (the first being the highest and most impressive and the third being both the lowest and smallest). The viewing platform is currently out of bounds (I think the wood is a little rotten), but you can get a little closer if you walk around the large boulder.

To get to the uppermost fall, you’ll need to retrace your steps a short way then take the upper righthand route instead of the lower lefthand one that you came from. After a very short distance, you’ll come to this next junction, and once more, you need to head right and up. (Later you’ll return this way and take the other path heading straight.)

The path zigzags its way up a series of unnecessarily steep steps and lots of the slope above the trail is built up to protect against rockfall.

After crossing an almost bridge, I found myself on the viewing platform in front of the first waterfall. The breeze generated by this one is even more impressive and if you stand on the platform for any length of time, you’ll get a bit damp.

From here, the only way forward is to turn back and retrace your steps back down to the last junction.

At the junction, turn right and head up to join the road. If you keep heading uphill on the road, you’ll soon find yourself at the Catholic Our Lady of Wufengqi Church.

The church is a pretty circular building which sits among a small complex including accommodation for the nuns and a grotto that was built at the spot where the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared to save a group of travel-weary hikers in November of 1980. If you walk into the church, there is a high chance that you’ll be accosted by one of the friendly local volunteers. (When I visited with my parents, we lost about 15 minutes of our lives chatting to a retiree with excellent English and a sneaky religious hard-sell.)

The best view of the church can be seen if you walk a little further up the hill behind it, just don’t go too far if you’re unprepared, this is the start of the Matcha Mountain Hiking Trail (a five-hour out-and-back route to some of Yilan’s best views). If look up as you walk back down the track around the edge of the church, you can see the upper falls diving off the rock on its way to the pool below.

From here, you can either retrace your steps back down the steps, or else follow the road all the way back to where you started.

How to get to Wufengqi Scenic Area

Google Maps address: The walk starts from Wufengqi Parking Area. It currently costs $50 per car and $20 for a scooter to park here.

GPS location: N24 49.940 E121 44.810

Public transport: You will need to arrive at Jiaoxi Transfer Station before the connecting bus departs. Buses leave various parts of Taipei bound for this bus station. I caught the 7:15am Kamalan bus from the Technology Building bus stop (NT$112, tickets are bought from the booth before boarding). From Jiaoxi Transfer Station, take the GR11 A Taiwan Tourist Shuttle and ride it to Wufengqi Scenic Area bus stop. The bus has extremely infrequent services.

Nearby trails:

My new words learnt on this hike:

Wufengqi Waterfall Trail Map

GPX file available here on Outdoor Active. (Account needed, but the free one works just fine.)

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