Yinhedong Waterfall 銀河洞瀑布

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Yinhedong Waterfall (aka Yinhe Cave Waterfall) is an easily accessible sight in Xindian District of New Taipei, and perhaps the most picturesque in all of Taiwan. It is easily accessible by public transportation, and the hike takes less than ten minutes to get there from the trailhead. The waterfall includes a cave and temple that are great for taking phots. It's spectacular cascading falls are definitely worth a stop for anyone in Taiwan. 

Background:
Yinhedong Waterfall is about 30 meters high and is separated into two parts by a cave in the middle of the waterfall. It is located near the town of Xindian, and it's name literally means "Silver River Cave" or "Milky Way Cave."
The waterfall lies a tributary of the Qingtan River which runs down tho the Xindian River, which runs into the Tamsui River. The rocks here easily erode, making for odd shapes in the riverbed. 
The earliest known discovery of the waterfall is by Chen Qiuju, who led a rebellion against the Japanese and used the cave as his hideout. The Japanese later discovered the cave and in 1914 a temple was built in the cave. The temple was renovated in 1958, and now the main god worshipped is Guanyin Bodhisattva. 
Now the waterfall is a popular attraction in the mountains of New Taipei with many other popular trails nearby. ​

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

Tours in Taipei:
There are many tour itineraries that you can enjoy in Taipei that will take you to multiple destinations and arrange transportation. For more information, you can check out Tripadvisor here, KKday here or Klook here, which are both great tour websites that can connect you with the right tour and tour guide for you. 

Activities in Taipei:
You can also look for more activities in Taipei such as Rock Climbing, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, Diving, Snorkeling, Cooking Class, Glamping, Motorcycling, and more on Klook here or KKday here. 

Hotels in Taipei:
We have stayed at and recommend the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, once the tallest building in Taiwan and still the most grand (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here). 
We have stayed at and also recommend Fu Chang Hotel in Ximending, which is within walking distance of Ximending shopping district (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here).
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

How to get there:
By Gondola:
From Xindian MRT station, you can take the green 12 bus to Yinhedong Station. According the Google the fastest way to get to Yinhe Cave from central Taipei is by taking the Maokong Gondla to Maokong Station, then taking the trail down to Yinhe Road and the waterfall trail entrance. I't about a hal hour or 2KM walk from the Maokong Gondola to the trail entrance. You can purchase a discount easy card to use on the MRT from Klook here or KKday here. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here. 
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 9 east from Xindian toward Pinglin, then turn left off the main highway once you reach Yinhe Road. The waterfall is to the right of the first switchback in the road, and car and scooter parking are free on the side of the road near the entrance.
Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or  KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.  
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here. 
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. ​
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Map:
Please see below

Our Journey:

I admit that I ahve been to Yinhe cave only once. It was on a busy Saturday and I was lucky enough to see some sunshine light up the waterfall breifly. 

​Check out our drone video above for an overview of the area.

On highway 9, the turnoff to Yinhe Cave may be hard to find. Just follow the statue of Guanyin up the mountain on Yinhe Road. 

Once you reach the first switchback and this temple, you know you have arrived at the right place. 

From here you can see the prominent Chunghua Telecom tower which is still in service, even though there are usually no employees there, and a hiking trail also goes to the top of it. 

View of the trailhead. People park their scooters here. 

The trail leading up from the entrance. 

First mini waterfall on the trail. 

Be careful of falling rocks. 

The trail up to where you can see the waterfall only takes about 10 minutes and is just a few hundred meters. Because it is so easy to climb, lots of people come to visit especially on weekends. 

Map of the trail. 

Another view of the temple and trail. 

I took a lot of photos of the waterfall, so click on the gallery above to see all the different views. There are two little balconies to take photos on. Usually you will see people waiting in line for their friend to take a picture of them on the balcony in front of the waterfall.  

Shrine inside the temple cave. 

View outside the eight sided window. 

If you climb further, you can get behind the waterfall. 

View from the top of the waterfall. 

Water pouring down on the rocks in front of the cave. 

Looking back down the trail through the waterfall. 

Another God statue in the cave. 

Incence basin in front of the waterfall. 

See above for more photos behind the waterfall. 

I also visited the waterfall with my drone. 

Closer view of the waterfall via drone. 

View over Taipei from Yinhedog via drone.

For other great blogs on this hike, check out this blog by Spectral Codex, or this blog by Over the City. 

Don't forget that there are many activities available around Taipei such as Rock Climbing, Hiking, kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, SUP / paddle boarding, water biking, Diving, River Tracing / Canyoneering, ATVing, Horse Riding, Cooking Class, photo shoot, Jingtong Sky Lantern Police Station, Shifen Sky Lantern Experience, Waterfall Zipline, Waterfall Diving, and more on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. ​

Check out our guide to Taipei’s Waterfalls here.

Check out our Taipei hiking and trails guide here. 

​Check out our guide to the best day trips from Taipei here. 

Check out our full guide to Taiwan’s Northern Coast here.

Also be sure to check out our guide to Taipei here. 

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here. 

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