The unique temple of Silver Stream Cave

My interest thoroughly aroused, I boarded a bus to Xindian (there was no MRT in those days) at the first available opportunity and followed the vague lines drawn on the sketch map in the book, in an attempt to find this curiosity that sounded so fascinating on paper. For directions along the way, I thrust the characters for ‘Silver Stream Cave’ in my trusty book at any locals I could find.

And yes, when I finally stood inside Silver Stream Cave looking out through the veil of falling water, I found my translation of the hieroglyphics in the book weren’t so far out. Silver Stream Cave is the most unusual and arresting natural/cultural curiosity in the immediate vicinity of Taipei City.

It’s not the most beautiful spot close to the metropolis: the bare, unpainted concrete and shiny bathroom tiles used to build the temple into the face of the sheer cliff put it firmly in the category of functional rather than aesthetically pleasing structures, but it’s a site that’s unique in the Taipei area, if not in all Taiwan.

With the MRT providing a head start, Silver Stream Cave is an easy and fairly quick escape from the city. Leave Xindian station and take bus 647 or 650 from the bus stop outside to the final stop. Now, follow the road (Provincial Route 9) ahead, beside a small river for about 15 minutes and at the sharp hairpin bend to the right, follow a narrow lane straight ahead (still beside the stream) for another kilometer or so.

Finally, a signpost on the right points up the first of almost 500 steps, climbing the thickly wooded hillside beside the cascading stream. The scenery is already lovely, despite the proximity of the city, and it’s not long before the waterfall and the little temple behind come into view.

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