Fuxing Fun

Photos by MJ Klein

 

UPDATE: Snap & Stray’s photos at the end!  Thanks for sending these, Snap!

Joined by fellow bloggers Snap and Stray, we went to Fuxing to the Xiao Wulai Scenic Area 小烏來風景區 to view the waterfalls there.  Seen above is Xiao Wulai 小烏來瀑布 waterfall.

This pan of the general area was taken from a roadside stop.

Once we found the parking lot, we checked out the map to figure out where to hike to.  The waterfalls are not that far away, and even Phoenix had no trouble walking there.

The above sign has place names and approximate times to walk there.  The bottom 2 are the Skywalk and the “Wind Moving Rock” (5 minutes) and the Dragon and Phoenix waterfall (10 minutes).

Now that we’ve been here, the map makes more sense than it did when we first looked (obviously).  We took the long way around, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

There is an elevated walkway (seen on the right) which we thought was the Skywalk, but the Skywalk is something else.

These are shots of the river leading up to the Xiao Wulai waterfall.

We didn’t go over this suspension bridge, but apparently the Shen-mi Waterfall is visible from there.  We’ll do it next time and see for sure.

They aren’t kidding.

This is the Dragon and Phoenix waterfall.  Note that this is actually a double waterfall (very small one on top), hence the name.  Unfortunately it’s not very photogenic and the view from the viewing platform isn’t all that great.  What we didn’t know is that the Shen-mi Waterfall is not too far away down another trail.

Unknowingly, we went the long way around on the trail, through the forest.  We heard the Shen-mi Waterfall through the trees, and I got this shot through the trees, but at no time was it really visible to us.  If we had just gone the other way we would have seen it.  Live and learn.

The trail got a little steep, and Hui-chen had to help Phoenix up the stairs.  Other than that, we didn’t have much trouble with the trail – it’s just that we spent about 20 minutes looking at forest when we came to see the waterfalls.

Eventually the trail hooks around and that’s when we we saw the real Skywalk through the trees.  We were there a few minutes later.

Following Stray, we entered the Skywalk.

This is a view of the top part of the Xiao Wulai waterfall as we walked onto the viewing platform.  The “Wind Moving Rock” can be seen at the left.  I found nothing interesting about the rock so I didn’t bother photographing it.

This is the very edge of Xiao Wulai seen from the Skywalk.

It’s 70 meters down from here.

You can see the edge of the Skywalk in this photo.

Looking through the glass Skywalk.

Phoenix really enjoyed the Skywalk.

Looking at Xiao Wulai through the Skywalk glass floor.

One last shot of the beautiful waterfall before we went somewhere else.  I suggest that you read Josh Ellis’ article on Xiao Wulai as he gives a lot more information than I do.  He’s got some great photos at the bottom, so be sure and scroll down.

This is Fuxing Bridge, shot from Luofu Bridge.

Compare this shot that I took in 2002.  There was a lot more water in the river back then!

Phoenix and Mommy posing.  Phoenix is just learning how to make the Asian Sign of Picture Taking.

Photo by Stray

UPDATE BELOW:

Hui-chen and Phoenix.

Snap and MJ.

Stray’s selfie at the Xiao Wulai skywalk.

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