Experiences

Changchun Shrine

Changchun, or Eternal Spring, was built to commemorate the workers who died building the Cross-Island Highway through Taroko Gorge. Named for the unceasing flow of water that issues forth from the spring, Changchun Shrine can be accessed via a swaying suspension bridge that takes visitors over the plunging, sheer heights of Taroko Gorge.

Hiking

Clamber up trails that trace the imposing, jagged rocks of Taroko Gorge. With over seven trails crisscrossing the 18 kilometers (11 miles) of marble gorges, visitors will not lack for stunning views of Taroko’s natural charms. Perhaps the most daunting of these is the Jhuilu Old Trail, a path cut into sheer rock and less than a foot wide at some points.

River Tracing

First developed by the Japanese, suoxi, or river tracing, is a particularly popular activity during Taiwan’s humid, heavy summers. River tracing is a cross between hiking, swimming, and scrambling; in it, tracers, equipped with helmets, lifejackets, and hiking sandals, scramble, swim, and climb up river beds. A fantastic way to beat the heat of tropical Taiwan, river tracing is also an exciting, dynamic way to explore Taroko’s clear, unspoiled rivers.

Shakadang Trail

A long, winding trail once known as Mystery Valley for its seclusion and obscurity, this path leads to a small, remote waterfall, where the waters of the Shakadang River drop into a blue-green pool, fringed by rocks, sand, and Taroko’s sheer cliffs. Here, visitors can swim and river-trace, or, if they wish, continue on the trail to two far-flung Aboriginal villages (permits are required).

Shuilian Cave

The path to Shuilian, or Water Curtain Cave, is a well-known hiking trail. Visitors will make their way through dark, winding tunnels before appearing at a cave where water falls so densely that it forms a single, curtain-like cascade.