Yinhe Cave (Galaxy Cave) lies along the Yinhe Cave Cross-Ridge Trail, an attraction in the mountains of Xindian District, New Taipei City. In 1914 a temple dedicated to Lü Dongbin was built beside the cave, and after being rebuilt in 1958 it became one of the best-known scenic spots on the outskirts of Taipei — though it gradually faded from popularity over time. Legend has it that the rock above the waterfall bears a footprint left by Lü Dongbin, which happens to pair up as a left and right with the footprint on Xianjiyan (Immortal's Footprint Rock) in Jingmei.
In recent years it has become a hot check-in spot on
Instagram, which is why more and more people have come to know about this place. It takes less than half an hour to walk from the trailhead to the Yinhe Cave Waterfall; the whole way is stone steps, and it isn't too difficult a walk. Even though I've lived in Xindian since I was little, I only learned about this place after it became an Instagram hotspot in recent years, so I recently took the chance to come and have a look.
- Address: No. 68, Yinhe Rd., Xindian District, New Taipei City 231
🚃 Getting There
To reach the Yinhe Cave trailhead, driving or riding a scooter is still the most convenient option, though there are also buses that stop nearby.
🚗 By Car or Scooter
Because the trailhead sits at a bend in the road, parking a car there is basically impossible — only scooters can park. So drivers can park earlier at the "Fude Temple" and then walk over to the trailhead. That said, the parking area there isn't very big either, so on weekends you may not find a space.
P.S. There are newly built, clean restrooms at the Fude Temple.
🚌 Public Transport
If you take the bus, hop on the Xindian Bus Green 12 line [Pinglin – MRT Xindian Station] and get off at Yinhe Cave stop, then walk in from there. It's about 1.3 km of gentle uphill, so the walk shouldn't be too difficult.
There's a trail map at the trailhead, and on it you can see that the trail actually connects all the way to Maokong. While we were walking we ran into a lady who said coming over from the Maokong side is easier (?). The map says it takes about 1.5 hours, so if you're interested you could give that route a try.
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| Head in along this small path and you're at the start of the trail! |
The trail is basically stone steps like these the whole way. I don't think it's too hard, but it's not exactly easy either — especially on rainy days or after rain, when the steps can get very slippery. I'd recommend coming in good weather to be safe.
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| It's uphill the whole way, with handrails alongside the stone steps |
But maybe because of the season, the handrails were absolutely covered in caterpillars 🐛🐛🐛 — all the way from the trailhead to the Yinhe Cave Waterfall. If you're visiting, watch out and be careful not to just plonk your hand down on the railing.
Once you see the handrail turn red, you know you're almost at your destination!
After roughly 20 minutes of climbing stairs, you arrive at today's highlight: the Yinhe Cave Waterfall & the little temple built into the cliff face!
This platform is where most people take their check-in photos — get the angle right and you can capture some really nice shots.
Follow the stairs up and you can enter the Lü Dongbin Temple built against the cliff face. It already has a century of history, and because it clings to the rock right next to the waterfall, the air inside the temple is quite damp.
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| There are also several octagonal windows here with distant views over the mountains |
Passing through the Lü Dongbin Temple, you can keep heading up and end up behind the Yinhe Cave Waterfall — on a fine day the waterfall paired with the sunlight makes for a truly beautiful sight.
If you keep going up these stairs, you'll be heading toward Maokong; it takes about 1.5 hours in total to reach the other end of the trail. Since we came by car this time, walking over would have meant walking all the way back... but those arriving by public transport might want to consider this route.
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We happened upon a black dog sleeping soundly beside the waterfall
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Next time the weather's good, why not come take a stroll on the Yinhe Cave Trail! You get some exercise, and you also get to experience scenery that feels a world away from the everyday.
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