Huiyao Waterfall 灰窯瀑布

9/19/2023

Huiyao Waterfall is a large waterfall and swimming hole near Wanggu Station on the Pingxi Railway, on a tributary of the Keelung River in Pingxi District of New Taipei. It's large cliffs are popular for jumping and has a large deep pool that is safe to swim in. It's lack of accessibility has made it a quiet location, and normally you will have the place to yourself.

Planning your trip to Taipei?

Here are some top travel tips for you:

Best time to visit: March-May, and October - November when the temperatures are nice and there is not as much rain
How to get there: Taiwan High Speed Railway and Inter-City Bus
Best places to stay: Yuanshan Grand Hotel or Fu Chang Hotel
Book tours and activities in Taipei on Klook
Stay connected with a local SIM
Rent a car to explore distant sights

Background:
Huiyao Waterfall Is roughly 8 meters tall and only a few meters wide.
The name Huiyao comes from the nearby mines, Hui meaning dust and Yao meaning coal pit. Just up river lay a few abandoned mines that were once used to transport coal back to Wanggu Station along the Pingxi Railway.
The coal mine industry in Taiwan has collapsed due to low worldwide coal prices, with the last coal mine in Taiwan closing down around the year 2000.
The sedimentary rock around Pingxi has made for easily eroding layers, which has created jagged peaks and large waterfalls, such as Sandiaoling, Shifen, Wanggu, and Lingjiao Waterfalls.

Price:
Free

Hours:
24/7

Tours of Pingxi:
You can book a tour to Pingxi on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here.
There are many tour itineraries that you can enjoy in Shifen that will take you to multiple destinations and arrange transportation.

Activities Around Pingxi:
Don't forget that there are many activities available around Pingxi 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.

Hotels Near Pingxi:
We recommend Fullon Hotel which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here or Agoda here).
We have stayed at and recommend Gold Mountain Ranch, which is a horse ranch and glamping destination in Jinshan. You can book a night at Gold Mountain Ranch on Klook here. You can also check out our full blog on the ranch here.
We have also stayed at and recommend Hai Xia Your Home which is right in front of Fulong Beach (book on Booking.com here or Agoda here).
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda 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 Train: Take the TRA to Wanggu Station, and then walk the short distance up the hill and to the left to the Zunkou (圳口) Bus station on the south side of the road. Its then about a 30 minute walk up the road (2.2 KM) to the waterfall.
Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here. You can purchase a discount easy card to use on Pingxi Railway Line on Klook here or KKday here. You can also book a travel pass on Klook here.
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 east toward Pinglin, then get off the main highway once you reach Shifen. Then turn right and go west on county road 106 until you reach the the Zunkou (圳口) Bus station right in front of Wanggu station. Then drive up the road about 2 KM until you come to the waterfall.
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.
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.
By Taxi: You can take short rides for about 150 NT, or hire a Taxi for a day for around 150 USD on Klook here.
By Bus: You can also book tickets to travel to Shifen via inter-city bus on Klook h ere. You can also book a Taipei Sightseeing: Hop On, Hop Off Open Top Bus on TripAdvisor 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.

Map:
Please see below:

Our Journey:

I have been to Huiyao waterfall twice to enjoy the scenery there. I have not actually been swimming there.

You can book a tour to Pingxi on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here.

Check out our drone footage of the waterfall above.

The turnoff from the main road can be hard to find. Look for the green sign with the words Huiyao (灰窯), or just follow a GPS!

Once you come to this trail entrance 2 KM in, you know that you have arrived.

You can see the waterfall right from the road.

The trail down is super short.

Apparently there should be a live preserver here but it is long gone. Be careful walking on the rocks here because they are slippery! I got my shoes wet.

Looking down river from the falls.

View from above.

Wider view from above.

There is also a bridge across the top of the falls the leads to a shrine.

There is no way down to the falls from here, so just go down by the roadside trail.

View of the top of the falls.

There is also a trail that goes to a swimming hole just down from the main waterfall, also off the side of the road. My wife did not feel life walking down there, so we didn't go. The pool there is deep and there are lots of swings and ropes to jump off of. You can see more of it in Follow Xiaofei's blog here.

Don't forget that there are many activities available around Pingxi 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.

Thanks for reading! For our full guide to the Pingxi Railway, click 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.