Taiwan's Natural Beauty: Taroko Gorge

With a national park covering more than 12,000 hectares, the Taroko Gorge is one of the most visited places in Taiwan, lived up to its reputation to be stunningly beautiful when we visited. The gorge is formed with one stream of water which over time, cut through the tough marble mountain forming what is today, the most famous scenery in Taiwan.

As most attractions were along the high way linking east Taiwan to west Taiwan through the gorge, we hired a taxi to take us through. Being sub-tropical in climate, the Taroko gorge vegetation is almost always at a lush jade green. The trees cover the top half of the dramatic cliffs and at the bottom where the rapid river cuts through along the high way, are white and shaded marbles, polished by the gushing river, brightly seeking for our attention.

Right at the beginning of the gorge entrance is a temple, the Eternal Spring Shrine. The shrine is built across a white cloud of waterfall and caves accommodating Buddha and goddesses. A small hike to the upper temple is steep but pleasant and we sat by the waterfall surrounded by the high cliffs that claims the valley around the gorge. The shrine was built to honour those who lost their lives while on the building project of the cross highway. Just after the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, there was a need for a highway connecting the top half of east Taiwan and west Taiwan. Many of the soldiers that served to defeat the Japanese signed up for this project. As the terrain was rough and conditions in the gorge were unstable, 202 people died working on the gorge.

Further along the gorge we saw Swallow Grotto and the Nine Turn Tunnels. Swallows calls the gorge home during summer and many patrol the area forming what they now named the Swallows Grotto. The tunnels dug for the old high way at the Nine Turn Tunnels then created a dramatic walk along the gorge, giving us the best water and mountain experience the gorge is renowned for.

The marbles amaze me. Large boulders sit on the riverbank, washed clean by the rapid river, bright and shinny under the sun. The Taroko area is full of natural marbles, formed by compressing sandstone over time, showing the age of the gorge as well as enhancing its beauty.

We stayed in the Youth Activity Centre in Tiensiang, the major town inside the gorge. The town had only a couple buildings but is surrounded by hiking trails. Unfortunately having visited in the Taiwanese winter, there had been landslides and unstable trail conditions therefore, many were closed. We were left to be content with the view we get from our balcony, which was enough to make us smile.

A grand temple sits on the top of a hill at Tiensiang is a quiet but grand Buddhist temple, and surrounding the town are many hiking trails that will take you to caves and waterfalls. Unfortunately at the time of visit, which is the Taiwanese winter, many trails have been closed for renovations. The area is also prone to earthquakes and since the 1999 921 earthquake, many mountain areas are still unstable and are recovering from the damages. Everything you see in these photos has been rebuilt, as unfortunately many of the originals could not be recovered.The national park entrance into the gorge is only 15 km from Hualien, the nearest city. Spring and Autumn are the best times to visit to avoid the cyclones in summer and the wet slippery trails in winter. The main attractions in the Taroko Gorge are best visited by a bus tour or a private taxi tour, which can be hailed from Hualien train station. Stay in Tiensiang for access to other minor hiking trails.

For further information, visit the Taroko Gorge National Park's official website at: http://www.taroko.gov.tw/