Maokong Potholes

The literal English translation of Maokong is “cat's hollows”, and though this gives the area a certain fairytale like quality, the origin of the name is a bit more simple. The “hollows” part of the name is a reference to the holes that can be found in the rocks that line the river bed in a local stream. As with other rivers in Northern Taiwan, the rocks here are of varying levels of hardness which make them particularly susceptible to erosion from the running water and sediments carried with it. This erosive action eventually forms the pothole like depressions that we can see today. In the Taiwanese dialect, the name “niao kang” was given to this natural phenomenon, and later was transliterated as “māokōng” in Mandarin.

These potholes can be viewed at the base of a hiking path that descends into a densely canopied mountain stream. The stream doubles as a fun lounging spot to escape the afternoon heat, where locals enjoy dipping their feet in the cool water.

Notice:

Although the trail takes less than 10 minutes to reach the bottom, steps can be slippery on rainy days. Similarly, the potholed rocks in the stream are slick and potentially dangerous to play on.