As far as underrated Taiwan goes, the Golden Waterfall (黃金瀑布) is pretty well-known. It’s lesser known that there’s a whole golden river that’s just as stunning as the waterfall – and it’s all easily accessible by public transport from Jiufen! This post will go over what it’s all about and how to get there.
The waterfall is about 1.6 miles (2.5 km) from Jiufen. Whether you’re using public transport or driving, you’ll probably park or get off the bus at the waterfall, which is certainly stunning with its golden rocks nestled in lush greenery. It was originally thought that mining pollutants gave it this colour, but it actually comes from all the sulfur, arsenic and copper in the soil. It’s toxic, so don’t be tempted to touch it!
The area is full of abandoned gold mining facilities from the period of Japanese occupation in Taiwan. I was actually only interested in the mining plant and not the waterfall, but because I got off the bus a stop too late, I found the river. I don’t often say this because it can sound a bit OTT, but it took my breath away. I ended up walking all the way down to the Yin-Yang Sea, which is named after the contrast of gold and blue where the river runs into the sea.
As you walk down, you can look back and see the waterfall in the distance. I totally recommend walking the whole way to the sea. If you’re on public transport and don’t want to walk back up the hill, don’t worry – there are bus stops on the way.
However you make your way here, you’ll probably experience the winding Jinshui Highway, which is… interesting, and I say that as someone who has taken Beirut buses. We were all being thrown all over the place. The bus stalled at least four times. I would’ve loved to get a photo of the road, but the buses aren’t that regular and I was too tired (and scared of getting hit by any kind of unseen vehicle) to walk up the hill to find a good viewpoint.
How to get here
- By car/scooter: The address for the waterfall is Jinshui Rd, Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 224. It’s quite obvious from the road (my photo of it is from the bus) so it’s unlikely you’ll miss it.
- By bus from Jiufen: From Jiufen Old Street, take the 856 or 788 bus to Huangjin Waterfall (it may also be announced as Golden Waterfall). You can also take the same buses from the Gold Museum.
- By bus from Keelung: Take the 791 bus from Chenghuang Temple to Shuniandong. If you come this way, you’ll walk up the hill from the sea to the waterfall.
You could combine the river and waterfall with a flying visit to Keelung by taking the 791 bus from Shuniandong (the parking lot near the Yin-Yang Sea) to Keelung and back. Just keep in mind that the ride to Keelung takes over an hour each way.
Facilities
There are no facilities at the waterfall itself, but if you do walk down to the Yin-Yang Sea, there are clean toilets (squat and western) in the parking lot there. There are also restaurants and homestays nearby.
For disabled travellers
- Places to rest: There’s a bench at a bus stop on the way down the hill from the waterfall and walls that are a good height for sitting near the sea.
- Ease of walking: The hill is very steep. There are steps up to the viewing platform for the Yin-Yang Sea, but if you can get up the stairs at home, you can climb these.
- Wheelchairs: Most buses in the area have space and ramps for wheelchairs. However, there’s a raised kerb with only small openings at the viewing platform for the waterfall. The hill is extremely steep with no visibility around corners, so it’d be too dangerous to take a wheelchair there, but it should be safe to take the bus down to the sea.
I expected very little of the waterfall, but the walk to the sea was one of my favourites in Taiwan. The surrounding hills are beautiful and the abandoned mining infrastructure is interesting as well, although it might not be for everyone. If you like waterfalls, rivers, green hills and sea views, or if you’re a geology nerd or urban exploration fan like me, you’ll probably love the walk as much as I did. I hope you do!
Atlas and a Camera 