Cliff Diving in Bitan

Recreation Sports
#1

I was in Bitan Sunday and kept hearing clapping coming from a group of boats. I never saw anything. After about the fifth time I looked really hard and saw a guy up on the cliff. They were clapping to get him to jump (I don’t think he did the other times before.) I decided I was going to watch until he jumped or went away. I caught him jumping.

The rest of the shots are here:
flickr.com/photos/miltownkid … iffdiving/

They have a diving board and stuff over there too that i never noticed. I think I may have to head back one day with a swim suit (and balls big enough to take me off the cliff :smiley:)

#2

That whole hillside is covered with marble-paved trails. Its pretty cool and hardly anyone goes there. My 'hood.

#3

Let me know when you do! I’d love to get in on that :slight_smile:

#4

head or feet first? :stuck_out_tongue:

#5

head or feet first? :p[/quote]

butt! :moon:

#6

ouch! :loco:

#7

Ah, reminds me. Tomorrow night I will definitely go and take a water sample after work. Er, that is, after I am rescued from being stuck in the mud.

#8

Please do that Mucha Man, I’d like to know if it’s worth the trip

#9

MM:You ever get out there?
MTK:You ever go back?

I haven’t been there yet, but I’d still like to go.

#10

[quote=“Josefus”]MM:You ever get out there?
MTK:You ever go back?

I haven’t been there yet, but I’d still like to go.[/quote]

No. The rats haven’t been on a hike in a month or more so I have no one to give the water sample to for tesing. They are thinking about coming along this weekend so we’ll see.

#11

Excellent news! It seems the EPA beat me to it and did a water test at Bitan. Amchan reports:

amcham.com.tw/publication_to … ics_id=769

So Sandman, how do I get round to the back area where you go? I know I have to cross the bridge, but then what?

#12

as far as I know it’s illegal to jump off the cliffs there, as is swimming in the ‘lake’.

so, watch out for the cops, the undercurrents, and the “Bitan Beast” (that attacks from beneath…) :stuck_out_tongue:

#13

[quote=“hannes”]as far as I know it’s illegal to jump off the cliffs there, as is swimming in the ‘lake’.

so, watch out for the cops, the undercurrents, and the “Bitan Beast” (that attacks from beneath…) :p[/quote]
I haven’t heard of the illegal thing before but it wouldn’t surprise me. Plenty of swimming goes on there though, and people hang out at the diving boards all day in nice weather.
There are some currents under the cliffs, but nothing to worry about if you know how to swim. The Beast of course is real, though. You have to be careful of her.

MM, you cross the bridge and take the first left you come to, go up the hill on the tarred road until you get to the open area with the big concrete structure in front of you (less than a 10-minute walk). Facing the concrete building and the pile of junk in front of it, look to your left and you’ll see some steps going down into the woods. Just keep heading down and working your way left (back along toward the suspension bridge) and you’ll eventually come to the water. The whole hillside is covered in trails so its a bit difficult to give more precise directions.

#14

[quote=“sandman”][quote=“hannes”]as far as I know it’s illegal to jump off the cliffs there, as is swimming in the ‘lake’.

so, watch out for the cops, the undercurrents, and the “Bitan Beast” (that attacks from beneath…) :p[/quote]
I haven’t heard of the illegal thing before but it wouldn’t surprise me. Plenty of swimming goes on there though, and people hang out at the diving boards all day in nice weather.
There are some currents under the cliffs, but nothing to worry about if you know how to swim. The Beast of course is real, though. You have to be careful of her.

MM, you cross the bridge and take the first left you come to, go up the hill on the tarred road until you get to the open area with the big concrete structure in front of you (less than a 10-minute walk). Facing the concrete building and the pile of junk in front of it, look to your left and you’ll see some steps going down into the woods. Just keep heading down and working your way left (back along toward the suspension bridge) and you’ll eventually come to the water. The whole hillside is covered in trails so its a bit difficult to give more precise directions.[/quote]

That’s clear enough. Thanks. Maybe I’ll see you down there one day.

#15

don’t want to be a fun spoiler, but…

the white characters on the cliff face translate as: “Water is Deep. Dangerous. No Swimming.”

I guess that means no diving as well?

#16

[quote=“hannes”]don’t want to be a fun spoiler, but…

the white characters on the cliff face translate as: “Water is Deep. Dangerous. No Swimming.”

I guess that means no diving as well?

[/quote]

Please read the article. Lots and lots of people are doing it.

[quote]Chen Hong-rong,48, travels from the Taipei Wanhua District most weekends, usually with his wife and two daughters in support. He is currently practicing on the five-meter springboard ?a permanent feature of Bitan courtesy of the lifeguard association that trains on the river on summer weekends whose flexibility makes it difficult to control the angle at which the diver hits the water.

The scene at Bitan is very egalitarian, with bystanders encouraged to join in and advice being shared liberally. The nearby lifeguards leave the swimmers and divers pretty much alone, just sailing over to warn of approaching lightning or to admonish swan-boaters who pedal too close in their enthusiasm to encourage the divers to climb to ever greater heights.[/quote]

#17

I forgot, we are living in Taiwan… :doh:

#18

Now you’re talking. :wink:

#19

Well if the water is deep then I guess it’s perfectly safe to jump into it :slight_smile:
I really have to check this place out.

#20

The wife has asked me not to swim there before as she says there are usually two to three people drown there every year due to strong undercurrents. Be carefull anyway!