Taroko Gorge

Taroko Gorge (太魯閣: Tàilǔgé) is a deep, rocky, tree-lined canyon with a boulder-strewn, blue-green river at the bottom. Its magnificent scenery makes it an incredible place for hiking, and it welcomes visitors with trails ranging from flat and leisurely to strenuous and heart-pumping. The 19-km-long canyon near Taiwan's east coast is protected as Taroko National Park (太魯閣國家公園; Tàilǔgé gúojiā gōngyuán).

Understand
The Taroko Gorge is composed mainly of metamorphic rocks, such as marble, gneiss, and schist. The name, Taroko, means the "magnificent and splendid" in the language of Truku, the aboriginal tribe residing in the area.

The nearest town is Xincheng near the entrance to the national park, which has a train station and a handful of hotels, restaurants, shops, and even a night market serving the steady flow of tourists. The visitor center is near the entrance to the park, and Tianxiang, a village of sorts with not-that-great restaurants and a couple of stores, is located deep in the gorge past most of the main hiking trails. Alternatively, many visitors go to Taroko National Park as a day trip from Hualien.

History
When Taroko National Park was established on November 28, 1986, it was of special significance for the environmental protection movement in Taiwan: it showed that both the public and the government agencies had realized despite the nation's four decades of extraordinary economic success, serious damage was being done to its natural resources.

Landscape
The most phenomenal aspect of the park is the amazing relief. In a single afternoon you can travel from rugged coastal cliffs through a maze of subtropical forested canyons to high elevation sub-alpine coniferous forests. In about 60 km the landscape rises from sea level to some of the tallest peaks in Taiwan at over 3400 m. That's steep!

The force behind the steep valleys and narrow canyons is a (geologically speaking) relatively fast rate of uplift combined with ample water. Over the last 70 million years, these two forces collaborated to form the world's deepest marble canyon. The slot canyons here are remarkable with narrows sections 300 m high and only a dozen meters apart, reminiscent of the Virgin River in Zion National Park in Utah, USA. Ignore the fact that Zion is in the desert, and made of sandstone and Taroko is subtropical and comprised of marble, and these two gorges have a lot in common.

Flora and fauna
The park has 144 species of birds, 10% of which are indigenous to Taiwan. It also hosts over 30 large species of mammals, including deer, boar, and bear. Monkeys can be seen if you're on a quiet trail and keep your eyes and ears peeled. 251 species of butterflies, 32 species of reptiles and 18 species of fish have been identified, but considering the rugged terrain of the park, this is probably only a fraction of the species that actually live in the park.

Climate
The climate is subtropical and generally mild. Rainfall is abundant year round so be prepared and be especially cautious about entering the gorge during typhoons or periods of extended heavy rain due to the danger of landslides and rockfall.

The weather in the gorge can often be surprisingly well with open and blue sky, even when it is raining in Hualien.

According the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau, average temperatures at low elevations in the park range from 14°C in January to 27°C in July. At higher elevation it is much cooler with winter temperatures at 2000 m being about 5.5°C in the winter and 17.5°C in the summer and at 3400 m at the top of Hehuan, temperatures average -3°C in January and 9°C in July.

Get in
The nearest major city is Hualien. Flights and trains are available from Taipei and most major cities.

By bus


The Visitor Center offers free maps of the area. They can also provide you with up-to-date information on which trails are closed, as the weather and earthquakes may make them unsafe.

By train
A journey by train from Taipei to Hualien takes 2 hr by express train (NT$440) and 3-4 hr by local trains. The trains are cheap, reliable and comfortable. Station names are announced in English and Chinese so you should have no problem identifying your stop. The closest train station to the park entrance is (新城). From there, you can use the before mentioned shuttle or regular buses, or there is the choice of one way taxi rides for about NT$200 or a taxi day tour for about NT$2,000.

By taxi
A taxi from the Hualien train station to Tianxiang (town in Taroko National Park, where the Grand Formosa hotel is located) costs about NT$1200 and takes about 1 hour.

By scooter
You can rent a scooter near the train station in Hualien. It takes around 30 min to reach Taroko Gorge. However in some cases you may need a local drivers license to do so.

You can also rent a scooter by the Xincheng train station, which is closer to the park. The price quoted in April 2012 was NT$500 per day. An American or European drivers license (and possibly other countries as well) and a passport will suffice at this shop.

Fees and permits
Entry to the park is free but if you want to go to some of the wilderness or into areas designated as Eco-protection areas or restricted mountain areas, you will need an entry permit. Be sure to apply for the permits early (at least 1 week before) as some permits are limited by a small number per day. Refer to the official Taroko National Park information website for application procedures:



Get around
Many tunnels can also be traversed on foot, if you want to get from one to another just nearby sight.

By bus
The shuttle bus and regular buses, see above.

Furthermore, there are numerous bus tours visiting the gorge every weekend. And, while the buses are comfortable and air-conditioned, the tours tend to have a tight itinerary (including, of course, the obligatory stop at some local gift shop), leaving little time for extended hiking. Tour buses leave from the Hualien visitor information center and cost about NT$988 per person for a whole day tour.

Regular bus lines are a convenient and inexpensive way to get around the gorge and avoid the need to look for parking, though they can be very crowded. You can use Taipei's EasyCard to ride the buses with a 90% discount—tap when you get on and when you get off. If you pay with cash no change is given.

Bus lines through the gorge include the 302, 1126, 1129, 1132, 1133, 1133A, and 1141. They run pretty frequently from early morning to early evening, but at inconsistent intervals, and different lines stop at different places, so get ahold of a schedule to plan your transportation. The buses are often late and sometimes even a few minutes early, so don't take the schedules too seriously. Major stops served by most of the buses include:


 * Hualien Station 花蓮火車站
 * Xincheng Station 新城火車站
 * Taroko Arch Gate 太魯閣
 * Taroko Visitor Center 太魯閣遊客中心
 * Shakadang 砂卡礑
 * Swallow Grotto 燕子口
 * Tunnel of Nine Turns 九曲洞
 * Lushui 绿水
 * Tianxiang 天祥

The 7-Eleven in Tianxiang is useful for reloading your EasyCard.

Don't miss the last bus back in the evening!

By car
Renting a car in Hualien is definitely an option, though be very cautious; the roads through the gorge are extremely narrow with numerous bends. In addition, there are pedestrians, scooters, cars and massive tour buses all vying for the tight space.

By scooter
The Gorge is not the best place for a first scooter experience. However, it's a fantastic place to ride for those with experience. Scooters are available to rent in Hualien. If you run low on fuel, the locals often stock a small supply that they'll part with for a miraculously uninflated price. There is also a gas station 50 km passed Taroko on the number 8 road (around km 118). The drive there climbs to an impressive 3 km altitude. Bring warmer clothes and rain gear. Also make sure to get a helmet with a rain visor.

You can rent a scooter from Pony near the train station in Hualien (around NT$400/day).

By bicycle
For the truly adventurous, cycling is a wonderful way to traverse the park. You can rent a bike in front of the entrance of the Taroko national park. It costs NT$250 for a day.

On foot
If you do not have any of the above you can see some parts of the national park by foot. The closest hiking trail to the park entrance is the Shakadang Trail, which departs from the road after the first tunnel approximately 1 km from the park headquarters. The eternal spring shrine is only 1.4 km further through the tunnels. Taking this tour takes 4-5 hr, don't forget to take enough water with you.

By thumb
Although Taiwan is not a hitchhiking paradise, it is pretty easy to hitchhike in the Taroko gorge and, more generally, on Highway 8, especially if you are a foreigner.

See
The following sights will be encountered in a westward order from the entrance of the park, though starting early in the morning at Baiyang Waterfall trail and heading eastwards will lead to far less crowds.

Hiking
Taroko national park features a lot of different hiking trails. For most of them solid sneakers are enough, if you want to leave the well prepared paths you need to get permission of the park administration. Don't forget to take enough water with you when hiking. Also, ask the information centre about the weather. At certain times of the year there is predictable heavy rainfall about the same time everyday and you want to make sure you aren't hiking at those times. Often rains start around 15:00, in which case you need to get an early start to do a couple of hikes in a day.



Taroko International Marathon
Every year in early November the Taipei Road Running Association and Taroko National Park closes the winding road through the gorge and host a marathon, half marathon, and 5-km fun run. The event is open to the public and anyone can participate by contacting the CTRRA through their website. If you plan on attending this event or just visiting the gorge during the marathon weekend, make sure you make your hotel and transportation reservations early and keep in mind that the road through the gorge will be closed for a good portion of the race day.

Buy
Various local aboriginal handcrafts are for sale in the gorge as well as some local liquor. On the road from Hualien to the park entrance are lots of roadside stands selling whatever fruit is in season.

Eat
Restaurants are in short supply in Taroko Gorge, and those at the service centers in Buluowan and Tianxiang are generally bad with inflated prices. The Visitor Center has a restaurant and a (relatively limited, compared to the average convenience store) choice of bottled drinks. The closest real convenience store is a 7-Eleven in Taroko Archway, about 10 minutes walking downhill from the Visitor Center; another 7-Eleven is in Tianxiang. A packed lunch may serve as the simplest option for a day trip to the Gorge. For breakfast and dinner, there are tasty options in the nearby town of Xincheng.



Xincheng
Xincheng has several restaurants. There are also little shops selling sandwiches, which make a good breakfast or part of a packed lunch. Vegetarian options are not a problem.



Sleep
In the gorge are several options in Tianxiang (Tienhsiang), from the top-end five-star Silks Place Hotel and the Leader Village Hotel (more like motel) to budget hostels. However, most tourists choose to stay in Hualien, where there's a greater range of accommodation albeit with a time trade-off.



Budget

 * If you head 50 km further into the mountains, e.g. with a regular bus, there is the Kuan Yun Youth Activity Center for NT$500.
 * If you head 50 km further into the mountains, e.g. with a regular bus, there is the Kuan Yun Youth Activity Center for NT$500.
 * If you head 50 km further into the mountains, e.g. with a regular bus, there is the Kuan Yun Youth Activity Center for NT$500.

Backcountry
Backcountry hiking is technical and requires permits from the authorities.

Stay safe

 * Rock fall. In May 2004, the Hualien area experienced a strong earthquake resulting in the mountain-sides becoming unstable in many areas. Therefore, it is strongly advised not enter the gorge during or just after periods of prolonged heavy rainfall. There are several signs in English marking the more dangerous areas and hard hats are provided at the Tunnel of Nine Turns.
 * River activities. The river that passes through the gorge is extremely swift and dangerous. Care is especially required after heavy rainfall.
 * Snakes. There are numerous signs up warning visitors of poisonous snakes. Whilst snake sightings in the gorge are uncommon some of Taiwan's snakes can be deadly and hence all unrecognised snakes should be treated with caution. Most snakes are shy so to minimise the likelihood of encountering a snake make plenty of noise whilst walking to alert them of your approach.

Go next

 * Hualien - The biggest city in East Taiwan.
 * Hualien Ocean Park - Hualien's biggest man-made tourist attraction.
 * Lishan Village - while it is administered by Taichung, it is more easily reachable by bus from Taroko Gorge. Well known for its apple farms and nearby Dayuling tea.