Foreigners in Taiwan - 外國人在臺灣
  • Home 首頁
  • Blog 部落格
  • Taiwan FAQ 常見問題
  • Blog Index 部落格指南
  • Maps 地圖
  • About 關於我們
  • Contact Us 聯絡我們
  • Privacy 隱私
  • Home 首頁
  • Blog 部落格
  • Taiwan FAQ 常見問題
  • Blog Index 部落格指南
  • Maps 地圖
  • About 關於我們
  • Contact Us 聯絡我們
  • Privacy 隱私

Blog Posts

Taroko Gorge 太魯閣

7/21/2022

1 Comment

 

Share

Tweet
Picture
If you only have a few days in Taiwan and you want to go somewhere outside of Taipei, you should definitely go to Taroko Gorge. On an island full of mountains, rain forests, beaches, and abounding natural beauty, Taroko Gorge might just take the top spot as the most beautiful scenic area in Taiwan. 

Taroko National Park is well known for its  amazing marble cliffs and canyons carved out by the Liwu River. It is also a popular spot for hiking, rafting, and river tracing. If you have the time, come to the East coast and see it. If you don't have time, then make some time!

​History and Background:

Taroko National Park is well known for its  marble cliffs and canyons, and is also known as "The Marble Gorge." Millions of years ago, the rock we see today was sediment at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, but oceanic and tectonic pressure turned it into limestone, and later into marble. Later the Eurasian plate was uplifted where Taiwan is today, and a gorge was cut out of the limestone thanks to the Liwu River. 

Taroko means "human being," from the Truku tribal language. Originally the Tupido Tribe settled in the area of what is now Tianxiang Taiti mesa. They built the Tupido Tribe Trail which was only 30 cm wide, and resided there until they were massacred by the Japanese in 1914. In 1917, the Japanese expanded the original trail made by the Tupido Tribe to 1.5 M and forced aboriginal tribesmen to carry goods along the trail to the east coast. This is now the Zhuilu Old Trail. Currently only 3km of the trail is open to the public. The Japanese created a national park in the Area in 1937, which was disestablished by the ROC in 1945, and then reenstated in as a national park in 1986.

How to get there:
By Car: From Taipei, Take National Highway 5 to Yilan and then drive on the Suhua Highway 9 to Hualien. A few miles before Hualien City, the gorge will be on your right.
By Train: Take the train to Hualien station, and from there you can rent a scooter or car, or take a tour bus to the gorge.
​For more travel information see here.

Hours: 8:30AM-5PM (Zhuilu old trail is open from 7AM to 10PM).

Flying a Drone? 
​Apply for a drone permit here.

Price: Free! (Except Zhuilu old trail, which is 200 NT per adult. See below for more info.)

​Map: Please see below:

​Our Journey:

We have visited Taroko four time, once in 2014, 2018, 2020, and 2022. Three times we have taken our own car, once on a scooter, and two times the weather was crappy, so you probably can't tell which pictures are from when.
Picture
Near the entrance to the park, you can see a reservoir that is super muddy if it is raining.
Picture
Further down the road, the cliffs start getting higher and steeper, until it is hard to capture their sheer steepness and height in one photo.

Tunnel of Nine Turns 九曲洞 ​
Picture
There are many tunnels on the road up to the gorge, but one section called the Tunnel of Nine Turns is especially breathtaking, and is a popular spot for tourists. Helmets can be rented at the beginning of the tunnels.
Picture
The beautiful marble canyon can be seen below. If you go river tracing, be careful because sudden rains can cause very strong currents.
Picture
Most people who walk along this path wear helmets for fear of falling rocks. Sadly a number of tourists have died from falling rocks over the years.
Picture
View of the steep marble cliffs from inside the tunnels.
Picture
Yes, they allow tour buses up this road, and it can get pretty crazy!
Picture
A tour bus magically travelling through a tunnel smaller than itself.
Picture
It's mind boggling how these buses get up this road. Be prepared to drive slowly and get out of their way.

Lanting Pavilion 蘭亭
Picture
Past the nine turn tunnel you will come to Lanting pavilion next to Cimu bridge (慈母橋). Here are some great views of the marble canyon and Liwu River.
Picture
The Liwu river cutting through some very fine white marble.
Picture
A small stream above full of marble boulders.
Picture
Construction on this road is ongoing, and rockfalls are commonplace. It is also common for the park to close during heavy rain or Typhoons. However, in the past few years more bridges and tunnels have been built to alleviate rockfall danger.

Zhuilu (Jhuilu) Old Trail 錐麓古道
Picture
Pictured above is the entry for Zhuilu Trail. As explained above, the Tupido Tribe built the original Trail in the 17-1800s which was only 30 cm wide, and resided there until they were massacred by the Japanese in 1914. In 1917, the Japanese expanded the original trail made by the Tupido Tribe to 1.5 M and forced aboriginal tribesmen to carry goods along the trail to the east coast. This is now the Zhuilu Old Trail.

Currently only 3km of the trail is open to the public. this trail is only open from 7am to 10pm. There are also venomous snakes and insects along the way. You can apply for a permit for the trail here. Fees for entry are 200 NT for adults and 100 NT for children.

For our full blog on Zhuilu Old Trail, click here.

Eternal Spring (Changchun) Shrine Trail 長春祠步道
Picture
The eternal spring shrine is a Buddhist shrine the built on the eternal spring shooting out of the mountain near the entrance of the park. The shrine was originally built to reverence those that died building the cross island highway. There is a trail tunneled through the mountain to the shrine, and an additional trail up the the bell tower. As of 2018, the trail to the bell tower was closed off.
Picture
A view of the bell tower above.
Picture
A Buddhist shrine in the tunnel along the path to the spring.
Picture
"Bridges and Roads in the Gorge"
"The Liwu river has formed a narrow gorge mouth here. Before it flows into the ocean, and this is crossed by Central Cross Island Highway Changchun Bridge. In the Japanese era there was a steel cable suspension bridge, Xianhuan Bridge, below where Changchun Bridge now stands. The bridge was part of the "aborigine pacification road" built by the Japanese in 1915.
The "aborigine pacification road" also brought the beauty of the Taroko Gorge scenery to the attention of the world. To give access to tourists, in 1935, with the "aborigine pacification road" as the base, the road was improved and became "Cross Hehuan Mountain Road" with leisure faculties and hotels built along the way. The terrace at the western end of Xianhuan Bridge was the site of "Taroko Tea House" where weary travelers could rest and drink tea.
To allow the alluvial gold in the river to be exploited and to use the Liwu River to generate hydroelectricity, the road from Taroko to Sipan was later made into a four meter wide road fro vehicles.
10 Years after the Japanese were defeated and left Taiwan. In 1956 the government began to build the Central Cross-Island Highway for national defense and economic reasons. Pacification of the aborigines, tourism, gold extraction, power generation, economic development in different eras, different people have built different roads in the gorge for different reasons."
Picture
The Eternal Spring running through a pavilion at the main shrine, and a perfect spot for a photo!
Picture
View from the shrine towards the parking lot.
Picture
The trail up to the bell tower, now un-kept and closed down.
Picture
​Luckily we had already visited the tower in 2014. Here is a view from the top.
Picture
View to the east looking at Changchun Bridge down below. The first photo in this blog is clearer.
Picture
Changguang Temple down below.
Picture
If you can make it to the bell tower, feel free to ring the bell!

Tianxiang 天祥
Picture
Further up the road is another photogenic scenic area called Tianxiang. The sign says:
"This spot is a river terrace beside Dasha Creek, and also were the river once flowed. You are now standing on an ancient river bed!
Tianxiang has four sections of river terraces, this is the lowest, offering views of Xiangde Temple in the distance; if you turn around and look in the direction of the car park, you can easily see flat river terraces on the edge of the mountain; the lower and the closer to the river terrace is, the younger it is. The higher up and further away, the earlier the terrace was formed. Fuyuan, Xiangde Temple, Tianxiang parking lot, Wen Tianxiang Park and the old site of a tribal village higher up are all river terraces formed at different time. The Tacjili River and Dasha River were mainly responsible for creating the multi lelve river terraces at Tianxiang. With the rivers continually cutting down and the Earth's surface countinuing to rise up, plus the accumulation of river sand, over a long period of time the multi level river terraces were formed. Looking don onto the Dashsha River bed you might see that the sand has already accumulated and formed small river terraces on both sides of the river."
Picture
A visitors center including 7-11 at Tianxiang.
Picture
Pudu Bridge (普渡橋) and Tianfeng Pagoda (天峯塔) in the distance.
Picture
"The Xiangde Temple, on the mountain on the other side of the river, can be called a Tianxiang landmark. The temple pagoda is built on the river terrace on the opposite bank of the Tacijili River. Clouds often float across the mountain summit, creating an old world air.
The temple was built because of the construction of the Central Cross Island Highway. The chairman of the Veterans Affairs Commission at the time, Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo, advocated the building of a temple here and it came into being as a result of the efforts of then director of the provincial highway bureau Lin Ze-bin and influential Hualien locals. The main hall was completed in 1968 with the Tianfeng Pagoda, White robed- Guanyin statue and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva statue and added later.
In Tianxiang, the Xiangde Temple is a place of tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle. Walk up the steps after crossing Pudu bridge, climb up Tianfeng Pagoda and look out over the multi-level river terrace of Tianxiang, the river and the mountains beyond."

This time we did not go all the way to Xiangde temple, but we would highly recommend it.
Picture
Converging of the Tacjili River and Dasha River, one looking like black soymilk and the other like milk tea. The Silks Palace Taroko Hotel is in the distance.
Picture
"Confluence"
"Look down and you will see two rivers meeting below. The one further away is the Tacijili river, the one just below is the Dasha River; they meet and become the Liwu River. The river flows east from here, and after cutting through the thick marble strata over tens of thousands of years, has formed Taroko Gorge. The mainstream of the Liwu River, the Tacijili River, flows down from Qilai Mountain and Hehuan Mountain, while the biggest tributary, the Dasha River, flows down from Nanhu Mountain. From its 3,440 meter High source on the north west of Qilai North Pea, the mainstream rushes east 58 km to the sea, falling such a height in a relatively short distance it isn't hard to imagine just how fast the water flows. 
Two thirds of Taroko National Park are in the Liwu River catchment area. The river is alive, it has cut through mountains to form gorges, made river terraces, water the forest and nurtures a myriad of creatures and humans; the forest also conserves water. The Liwu River is the river of life in Taroko."
Picture
Pudu Bridge. For our full blog on Tianxiang, click here.

Baiyang Falls 白楊瀑布
Picture
Baiyang Falls are a beautiful set of waterfalls in Taroko National Park. The trail is only 2 KM long and is flat and paved with no steps. It is an easy and relaxing way to enjoy some of the best scenery in the park. ​For our full blog on Baiyang Waterfall, click here. 

Things we missed in Taroko Gorge:

  • Yentzihkou, Swallow Grotto (燕子口)
  • Chinheng Kungyuan, Park (靳珩公園)
  • Lioufang Chiao Bridge (流芳橋)
  • Hill of Tayuling the Great (大禹嶺)
  • Puloh Wan (布洛灣)
  • Qingshui Cliffs (清水斷崖)
  • Shakadang Trail (砂卡噹步道)
  • Changuang Temple (禪光寺)
  • Baiyang Waterfalls Trail (白楊步道)
  • Zhuilu (Jhuilu) Old Trail 錐麓古道
  • River Tracing
  • Rafting
  • Mountain biking

Hulien Qixingtan Beach 花蓮七星潭海灘
Picture
If you come to Taroko, chances are that you will stay in Hualien. While you are there, you should check out Qixingtan Beach. It's not the greatest beach; I mean its rocky and there are no showers, but the waves are big and the water is nice.
Picture
There is also a nice grassy park right next to it you can stroll on and enjoy the abandoned ROC bunkers.

Hualien Gongzheng Buns 公正包子
Picture
​Also while you are in Hualien, check out Gongzheng Buns (公正包子)! Delicious pork buns for a very reasonable price.

Dongdamen Night Market   東大門夜市
Picture
Last of all, don't forget about Dongdamen Night Market. It's a huge market worth exploring and enjoying some local aborigine treats.

Please like, follow and share! We will be share more of our adventures on the East Coast of Taiwan soon!
Share
1 Comment
Mutie link
7/16/2019 09:23:47 pm

Nice Place, good geographical view.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

     Author 作家

    We are US Expats that have extensive experience living, working, and travelling in Taiwan. In our day, we had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But we have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. ​Our blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. We are just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country.

    ​​我們是在台灣的外國人!我們透過額部落格想要幫助外國人了解台灣生活,旅遊,和商業的環境!我們不代表所有在台灣的外國人, 我們只是想要幫助世界各地的人了解台灣美好的一切! (美國人在管理)

    Archives 檔案

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014

    Categories
    ​類目

    All
    2006120221
    Aboriginal Culture 原住民文化
    Alishan-384633732423665
    Alishan-384633732423665
    Amusement Parks 娛樂園
    Aquariums 海洋館
    Art 藝術
    Basic Info 基本資訊
    Beaches 海灘
    Blogroll 部落格名單
    Bridges 橋梁
    Buddhism 佛教
    Buddhism 佛教
    Business 商業
    Business 商業
    Camping 露營
    Car Driving Test 考汽車駕照
    Car Rental 租氣車
    Caves 山洞
    Changhua 彰化
    Chiayi 嘉義
    Children Activities 小孩活動
    Chinese Film 中文電影
    Chinese Language 中文
    Chinese Language 中文
    Chinese Literature 中文文學
    Chinese Literature 中文文學
    Chinese Pollution 中國污染
    City Parks 都市公園
    Click Bait 點擊誘餌
    Coal Mining 煤礦
    Confucius Temples 孔廟
    Cycling 騎腳踏車
    Cycling 騎腳踏車
    Daily Life 日常生活
    Daoism 道教
    Driving In Taiwan 開車
    Drone Flying 飛空拍機
    East Taiwan 東部
    Ershui 二水
    Events 活動
    Festivals 節日
    Fish Foot Massage 溫泉魚
    Floral Sea 花海
    Food
    Food 食物
    Forts 堡壘
    Fruit 水果
    Geography 地理
    Geography 地理
    Geology 地質
    Golf 高爾夫球
    Green Energy 綠色能源
    Growing Bananas 種香蕉日記
    Guest Blog Posts 客人部落格
    Hakka Culture 客家文化
    Hiking
    Hiking 爬山
    Historical Buildings 歷史建築
    Historical Buildings 歷史建築
    Hot Springs 溫泉
    Hot Springs 溫泉
    Hsinchu 新竹
    Hualien 花蓮
    Immigration/Visa 移民/簽證
    Japanese Era 日治時期
    Jiaoxi 礁溪
    Jiaoxi 礁溪
    Kaohsiung 高雄
    Keelung 基隆
    Kenting 墾丁
    Kinmen 金門
    Lakes And Reservoirs 湖及水庫
    Lighthouses 燈塔
    Longdong 龍洞
    Lukang 鹿港
    Luodong Night Market 羅東夜市
    Maolin 茂林
    Matsu Islands 馬祖列島
    Miaoli 苗栗
    Migrant Workers 外籍勞動
    Monkeys 猴子
    Monkeys 猴子
    Mountain Biking 越野
    Mountain Biking 越野
    Museums 博物館
    Nangang 南港
    Nantou 南投
    National Forest Recreation Areas 國家森林游樂區
    National Palace Museum 故宮
    National Palace Museum 故宮
    National Parks 國家公園
    Natural Scenery 自然風景
    New Taipei 新北市
    Night Market 夜市
    Northern Coast 北海岸
    Not Taiwan 台灣以外的地方
    Nuclear Power 核能
    Nuclear Power 核能
    Offroading 越野
    Old City Gates 古城門
    Old Streets 老街
    Old Trails 古道
    Orchid Island (Lanyu 蘭嶼)
    Outer Islands 外島
    Pathos And Logos 情與理
    Penghu Islands 澎湖群島
    Pingtung 屏東
    Pingxi Railway 平息火車綫
    Politics 政治
    Politics 政治
    Qing Dynasty Era 清朝時代
    Railways 鐵路
    Recreational Farms 休閑農場
    River Tracing 朔溪
    Rock Climbing 攀岩
    Sailing 帆船
    Scooter Driving Test 考機車駕照
    Scooter Rental 租機車
    Scooter Rental 租機車
    Seafood Markets 海鮮市場
    Shiding 石碇
    Shilin Night Market 士林夜市
    Shilin Night Market 士林夜市
    Shopping 購物
    Sicao Green Tunnel 四草綠色隧道
    Smokestacks 烟囪
    Snorkeling 浮潛
    Snorkeling 浮潛
    Starting A Taiwan Business 創業
    Starting A Taiwan Business 創業
    Sun Moon Lake 日月潭
    Sun Moon Lake 日月潭
    Surfing 3490928010
    Taichung 臺中
    Tainan 3327421335
    Tainan-3327421335
    Taipei 101 101
    Taipei 101 2148821271 101
    Taipei-101-2148821271-101
    Taipei 2148821271
    Taipei-2148821271
    Taipei Zoo 台北動物園
    Taipei Zoo 台北動物園
    Taipei 臺北
    Taipei 臺北
    Taitung 臺東
    Taiwanese Spouse 台灣配偶
    Taiwan FAQ 臺灣常見問題
    Taiwan History 台灣的歷史
    Taiwan History 台灣的歷史
    Taiwan's Economy 台灣經濟
    Taiwan's Economy 台灣經濟
    Taiwan Temples 臺灣的廟
    Tamsui 淡水
    Taoyuan 桃園
    Taroko Gorge 太魯閣
    Tax 稅
    Top 10 前十名
    Top 10 前十名
    Top 5 前5名
    Transportation 交通
    Tsai Yingwen 蔡英文
    Turtle Island 龜山島
    Turtle Island 龜山島
    Typhoons 颱風
    Ultimate Guide 極限指南
    Urbex 城市探險
    Waterfalls 瀑布
    Weather 天氣
    White Terror 白色恐怖
    Wildlife 野生動物
    Women In Chinese Society 女士們在中國社會
    Working In Taiwan 在台灣工作
    Working In Taiwan 在台灣工作
    Wulai Hot Springs 烏來溫泉
    Xiaoliuqiu 小琉球
    Xitou 溪頭
    Xitou 溪頭
    Xizhi 汐止
    Yangmingshan 陽明山
    Yilan 宜蘭
    Yunlin 雲林
    Yushan (Jade Mt.) 玉山
    Zhongtaishan 中台山
    Zoos 動物園

    RSS Feed



Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotels deals in Taiwan here.

Follow us on social media:


Follow @foreignersinTW