For hikers, a major attraction is the magnificent peak of Mount Beidawu (北大武山, 3,092 meters), where the Central Mountain Range enjoys its last moments of glory before sinking into the Pacific, while there is no shortage of beautiful waterfalls to explore, such as the remote but spectacular Yuanyang Waterfall (鴛鴦瀑布), a tall and dramatic twin fall thundering into a deep, very narrow canyon on Beidawu's western flank.

Several of Pingtung's best and tallest falls -- like Yuanyang Waterfall -- do, unfortunately, take a fair bit of determination and a fit pair of legs to reach, but lovely Dajin Waterfall (大津瀑布), which falls into a ravine in the mountain foothills in the extreme north of the county, is a family-friendly outing. The waterfall is a great short trip for its own sake, or a brief detour while heading to a more prominent destination such as the popular Rukai indigenous village of Santimen, not far to the south.

Dajin itself is a nondescript township on provincial route 27 -- which leads north from Pingtung City to Liuguei, across the border in Kaohsiung County -- so waste no time there and turn right off the main road there onto local route 185. Cruising along this pleasant wooded stretch of byway, it's impossible to miss several recently built temples, each one large and ostentatious. These recent contributions to the landscape have become as popular for the weekend crowd as the beautiful Dajin Waterfall, which lies hidden in a fold of the mountains above.A sign (in English) points out the way to the waterfall, down a side road on the left about two kilometers from the junction with route 27, and leads in a couple of hundred meters to a large car park at the trailhead for the waterfall. The trail to the waterfall has recently been upgraded into a wide and well-made path of smooth stone steps. Unfortunately the easy, flat path that begins the trip by meandering through an area of thin woodland doesn't last long (these paths almost never do in Taiwan!), and shortly there's the first of about 800 steps to climb.

Thankfully, the path zigzags through the bamboo up the mountainside and the steps are very shallow and easy on the legs, at least going up. Several fine views over the elegant, orange-tiled roofs of large temples are passed on the way, and the panorama over the flat coastal plain to the west, laid to farmland, adds interest to the easy climb.

After a steady 30 minutes (20 minutes if you push it), a white ornamental pavilion stands beside the steps, and the hike is almost over. A concrete viewing platform next to the pavilion is a good place to rest, as it commands the best view of the walk over the flat -- if rather featureless -- plains of northern Pingtung County. It's better, however, to persevere a few meters further before stopping, climbing past a bright red Earth God shrine.

In just a few more meters, the path descends into the ravine of a small stream to the base of Dajin Waterfall, which plunges over a sheer cliff face of black rock in several thread-like skeins of snowy water, coming to rest 35 meters below in a rock pool a meter or so deep.

This is actually the second (and tallest) of five falls on the stream -- three of which are inaccessible. Follow the rocky streambed down from the big drop for about a 100 meters and the stream leaps over a second, shorter fall into a rocky cleft, forming a natural spa bath which the locals haven't been slow to utilize, fixing ropes to make the climb down the rocky bluff beside the fall safer. If the stream is running low, the water pouring over the brink forms a fine massaging water jet -- a rather ugly piece of plastic sheeting has been fixed in place to divert the water clear of the rock.

Unlike Taipei, which can get pretty chilly during the first couple of months of the year, southern Taiwan seems to bake the whole year round, and come weekends you'll probably have plenty of locals for company at the waterfall. The best bet to beat the regulars is to pay a visit during the week or come when the stream is in flood. Alternatively, bring swimwear, dive straight in with everyone else, take advantage of this great natural spa to cool off after the climb, and enjoy a slice of colorful, authentic Taiwanese culture.