aeeble

Wanggu was one of the last areas in the Pingxi region to be cultivated. During the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, a man named Hu Jie from Quanzhou, Fujian, came to open up the land; when the mine was flooded, countless lives were lost, earning the place the name “Wang-keng” (literally “perished mine”). In the Japanese colonial period the ominous name was changed to “Wanggu Keng.” In 1972 a flag stop was built to haul coal from the Qinghe Mine and was first called Qinghe Station. As the mining industry declined, the bustle of miners coming and going faded, and the stop vanished into the lush mountains. Nowadays the only passengers who alight are hikers looking for Wanggu Waterfall. If you like trekking, the Wanggu Waterfall is only ten-odd minutes away: from Wanggu Station head toward the ruined Qinghe Bridge, cross the tracks on the new elevated asphalt road, and in about five minutes you’ll reach the trailhead of the Wanggu Waterfall Path. This path, once the main route between Lingjiao and Shifen, is roughly 500 m long; apart from a short flight of steep steps at the start, it is a gentle, shaded mountain track. Along the way you can admire the four-tiered Wanggu Falls and rich mountain ecology, savoring the beauty of the forest.