Shuangliu Forest Recreation Area

Pingtung’s Shuangliu Forest Recreation Area Forest Park is rarely visited by anyone other than locals. Because it takes more than one and a half hours drive to reach from Kenting, those who are aiming for the sea tend not to take the detour to get here. Taking a turn off Provincial Highway 9 that connects southern Taiwan to Taitung, it only takes five minutes to reach the entrace of the park.Yet, most people miss this natural beauty out of haste.

When you reach the entrance gate in your car, you will be asked to buy a ticket. Taiwanese people who are used to free entry elsewhere can have difficulty getting used to this. But a benefit of needing to pay is that large groups of tourists from Mainland China tend not to bother with a visit to this place, so the recreation area retains its restorative quality. After you park your car, it is an easy walk around the area. Even if you are coming in a wheelchair, you will not have any problems getting around. The little creek in the middle invites kids to take off their clothes and enjoy the pure water. As you walk, many lizards will scatter away in front of you and colorful butterflies will gently dance in the forest. In summertime, you can hear the sound of cicadas from all sides. Sitting under a tree, the whole family enjoying a picnic of fruit, moods are naturally uplifted among the green shade. The most worthwhile sight are the white banyan trees and waterfalls. On the steep and challenging forest walking trail, you are guaranteed to see many old White Bark Banyan trees. These trees are known as “white” because of the color of their falling aerial roots. Sometimes their dense foliage can seem a little like a horror film. Shuangliu Waterfall lies at the end of the walking trail. Even though it is not as magnificent as Kayoufeng Waterfall (卡悠峯瀑布), relaxing and playing in the water here is a real treat.