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Everyone has the image of Taiwan as a friendly place of great human interest, but the Taroko Gorge truly betrays this image in a good sense.
The name “Taroko” comes from the name of a chief of the Taiya tribe who are indigenous people of the area.
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The Taroko Gorge is a gorge carved out of the marble rock, gradually for an immeasurable time, by the strong current of the Liwu Rivers flowing from the central mountain range into the Pacific Ocean. Tourists can now easily visit this area where once only indigenous people set foot due to the East West Cross Road completed by many people who confronted the danger of this place.
It is about 23 km. from the Taroko National Park Visitors Center passing through many famous sites to the terminus at Tianshiang. The road, which is hollowed out from the marble rock, is so narrow that cars can only just pass each other. If you look up at the sky, there is a cliff of several hundred meters and if you look down there is the roar of the fast flowing current. The precipice of the cliff reaching to the sky is suitably called Taiwan’s Grand Canyon.
| Address |
No.291, Fushi, Fushi Villag, Shioulin Hsiang, Hualien |
Access to
Taroko |
There is a shuttle bus running from the new bus terminal in front of the Hualien Station.It takes about 50 minutes to get to Taroko and one and half hours to reach Tianshiang. |
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Xiangde Temple is a quiet nunnery in the mountains on the other side of the Tianshiang Suspension Bridge (Putu Bridge). In the main temple, a statue of the Amitabhu (Amida) Buddha is enshrined and a statue of Ksitigarbha (Jizou) is enshrined in the Tienfung Pagoda within the grounds. The scene of the deep mountains and dark valleys seen looking down from above the pagoda is a great view. |
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Tianshiang surrounded by the deep valleys of the mountains is the last stop for the tour of Taroko. The view which is shrouded by rock to this point changes to refreshing greenery. In the Xiangde Temple on the opposite side, there stands the seven story Tienfung Pagoda which is a symbol of Tianshiang.
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Chiuchutung-the largest tourist spot in the Taroko Gorge-is a winding tunnel with nine turns. There is a Chinese poem carved in Chinese characters onto the walls of the tunnel dug out of the rock. The poem says, “Twisted like bowels, winding like a river, people can accomplish great things, hear about the miracle” in honor of the people who confronted the danger of this place.
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Zhuili Great Cliff is cliff 600 meters in height and 1200 meters wide. This towering cliff is breathtaking among such scenery. It is said that when one looks up to the cliff surrounded by rock on both side, the shape of the sky looks like the Island of Taiwan.
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“Shouchang Stone” is a large rock with a shape that looks like the profile of a Native American. The plants growing in the rock bring to mind the feather head dress of a chief. This artwork made by the might of nature over many years is really mysterious.
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In the rock leaning over head, many holes have been made by the erosion of wind and rain and the name comes from the fact that swallows, which dart about, have made their nests in the holes. Yentzukou has become one of the typical scenes of the Taroko Gorge. |
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This amusement park cleared from the massive jungle of Hualien has a total area of 20 hectares.Inside the beautiful park with dense growth of trees and flowing water, there are several spots of interest such as an area introducing the houses of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples and an open outdoor pool and amusement facilities such as water slides and paddle boats.
| Address |
No.1〜9, Shuiyuan Village, Shioulinb Hsiang, Hualien |
| Tel |
03-857-0131 |
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The Amei tribe-living on part of Taiwan’s east coast and both sides of the costal mountains-are said to excel in song and dance compared to other indigenous peoples. It is said that they have the cheerful custom of wearing colorful tribal costumes on festival days and singing and dancing with music made simply with drums and bells. At the Amei Cultural Village, it is possible to see a 60 minute show of the scene of such a festival.
As well, there are also a collection of Amei tribe materials and a folk craft store and the Village is a popular spot where people can easily experience the culture of the Amei tribe.
| Address |
No.93-1, Haibin, Renan Village, Jian Hsiang, Hualien |
| Tel |
03-842-2884 |
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The Martyr’s Shrine is situated half way up Mount Meilun. The grounds are covered with marble and the place is very typical of Hualien. The spirits of soldiers are honored in this bright and vivid traditional Chinese building. It is possible to see the fantastic scene of streets of the city and the lights of the ships floating in the port and on the Pacific Ocean from the Meilun Park which is known for its night view.
| Address |
Mt. Meilun Park, Hualien |
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Tszuei and Sheng An Temple belong to different sects but stand side by side on the same road.Both temples honor the mother seated on the highest throne among the Taoist gods, but at Tszuei, she is called the “Golden Mother God” and at Sheng An Temple, she is called the “Queen of Rulers”. As mausoleums honoring a high ranking goddess, the temples are very gorgeous and elegantly built.
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Address
of Tszuei |
No.136, Tszuei 3rd St., Shengan Village, Jian Hsiang, Hualien |
Tel
of Tszuei |
03-853-1886 |
Address
of Sheng An Temple |
No.118, Tszuei 3rd St., Shengan Village, Jian Hsiang, Hualien |
Tel
of Sheng An Temple |
03-852-8658 |
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The museum is filled with sculptures as it is a cultural center on the Hualien coast.The museum is divided into traditional sculpture and modern sculpture such as parts of buildings etc., and a program exhibition of stones unique to the stone city of Hualien is being held.
| Address |
No.8, Wenfu Rd., Hualien |
| Tel |
03-822-7121 |
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