Taroko Gorge [Hualian]

"One of Top Ten Most Beautiful Gorges (Canyons) in China"

Taroko Gorge is an impressive 19-km-long canyon, situated near Taiwan's east coast. The area of the gorge is also identified as Taroko Gorge National Park.

The Taroko Gorge is composed mainly of marble and granite. The name, Taroko, means the "magnificent and splendid" in the language of Truku, the aboriginal tribe who resides in the area.

History
When Taroko National Park was eventually 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. According to the National Park Act of the Republic of China (passed in 1972), parks are established to protect the natural scenery, historic relics and wildlife; to conserve natural resources; and to facilitate scientific research and promote environmental education.

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 subalpine coniferous forests.

In about 20 kilometers the landscape rises from sea level to some of the tallest peaks in Taiwan at over 3800 meters. 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 a thousand feet high and only a dozen yards 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 percent of which are indigenous to Taiwan. It also hosts over 30 large species of mammal including deer, boar, and bear. 251 species of butterflies, 32 species of reptile and 18 species of fish are also known 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.

According the the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau, average temperatures at low elevations in the park range from 14 degrees Celcius in January to 27 degrees Celsius in July. At higher elevation it is much cooler with winter temperatures at 2000 meters being about 5.5 degrees C in the winter and 17.5 degress in the summer and at 3800 meters at the top of Yushan, temperatures average -3 in January and 9 in July.

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

By bus
There are five buses a day from Hualien to Taroko. A single journey costs about NT$82.

By train
A journey by train from Taipei to Hualien takes 2 hours by express train and 3 to 4 hours 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 Hsincheng (新城). From there, there is the choice of a one way taxi ride from the station to Taroko for about NT$200 or a day tour costing about NT$2,000.

By taxi
A taxi from the Hualien train station to Tiansiang (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 30min to reach Taroko Gorge