Brushed Water Sunny Cliff

Brushed Water Sunny Cliff

Also known as Brushed Water Cliff, it is located in front of Zanghai Temple. Two bridges in a T-shape — the “Long Bridge” and the “Fragrant Flower Bridge” — span the cliffs, with a steep, narrow valley formed between the cleft cliffs beneath them. After rain, the river water cascades down as a hanging waterfall; if the southwest wind blows, the water is blown back upward, scattering like tens of thousands of pearls drifting through the air. Even on sunny days, one can still feel a fine mist on the face while on the bridge, hence the name “Brushed Water Sunny Cliff.”

It is one of the famous scenic spots among the Eighteen Scenic Views of Yushan Mountain. Many poets of the past have composed poems about this view. For example, Shen Mian of the Ming Dynasty wrote in “Viewing Brushed Water”: “The surging spring races to the ravine with overwhelming might, / A white rainbow soars across the timeless blue sky. / Myriad pearls of blossoms scatter from above, / The water curtain flutters against the wind on the cliff.” Zhang Yinglin, a local scholar of the Ming Dynasty, once compared the verses of various poets who sang the praises of Brushed Water Sunny Cliff. He highlighted the magnificence of the scenery in his “A Brief Record of the Splendid Sites of Yushan”: “In the past, people highly praised Li Shixian’s line, ‘Where there are no clouds, where does the rain come from? Yet a cool drizzle brushes the face.’ But Huang Mianzhi’s verse, ‘Cloud walls hang from the Milky Way, and wind-blown pearls gently sweep the skies,’ surpasses it. Moreover, Shen Qinan’s line, ‘Cliffs are upheld by clouds where stones nearly fall, and open gorges hold back the rushing springs with wind,’ is especially popular. And Wang Yuanwei’s verse, ‘The wind-swept cliff stirs rains from all heavens, while the shady valley rivals the roar of ten thousand trees,’ rivals all the others — all depict the splendor of the Sword Gate and Brushed Water.”

In addition to its own beautiful scenery, Brushed Water Sunny Cliff is surrounded by attractions such as Baoguo Temple, Zanghai Temple, the Sword Pavilion, the peculiar rocks of the Sword Gate, and the Pine Wind Pavilion. As a result, it attracts large crowds of visitors and is especially lively, making it one of the main tourist spots on Yushan Mountain.