I was absolutely stunned by Taroko Gorge. It was the most beautiful place I’d seen since I visited Yosemite National Park with my mother 20 years earlier.
Taroko National Park is on Taiwan’s east coast. I had to get up very early to catch a bus to Taipei Main Station to get the 6:17 am express train down the east coast. I had to catch a bus because the subway wasn’t even running that early. But it seems that the bus didn’t wake up quite as early. I waited and waited till I couldn’t wait any longer. By that point, the subway was running, but when I got to the subway station, I knew I wouldn’t make it to the train station in time. I was panicking because I really didn’t want to miss my day at Taroko Gorge. I only had 1 option: try to catch a taxi. Much to my surprise, I caught a taxi on the street right away. It was still early, so the streets were clear. I made it to the station on time, and the day was saved.
It’s a nice ride down the coast. A little over 2 hours. You can be sure I slept most of the way. Sadly, that line has seen 2 deadly derailments since my journey. 1 happened 6 months later, when 18 people were killed. The 2nd was earlier this month. Tragically, 49 people were killed. I hope they can improve the safety of that line.
I arrived safely in Hualien, one of the biggest cities on Taiwan’s relatively quiet east coast. Upon my arrival, I had to dash across the train station’s parking lot to get to the bus station. I only had 6 minutes to catch the bus to Taroko National Park. I had mentioned that on Day 1 I had tried to buy the bus ticket for Taroko. I didn’t get much help at the hostel. Later in the day, I tried at a 7-11, where they’re sold from a ticket machine. The guy at the counter didn’t speak much English and couldn’t help. Thankfully, on a later day in Taipei, an English-speaking guy at a 7-11 counter was able to help me out. Good thing, as I knew my connection in Hualien would be very tight. Sure enough, I had barely gotten on the bus when it left the station for Taroko.
With the day ticket for the bus, I was easily able to explore Taroko National Park. I took the bus to the park’s entrance gate. From there it was a short walk to the visitor center, where I got a snack.
Swallow Grotto
After my snack, the day’s adventure really began. I took the convenient bus to the Swallow Grotto area for dramatic views of Taroko Gorge.
Everyone had to wear a hardhat in the Swallow Gorge area due to the danger of falling rocks. Hats were provided free of charge by the park staff.
Tianxiang
From Swallow Grove, I took the bus to Tianxiang, a recreation area in the heart of Taroko National Park. The 1st order of the day was a hearty lunch featuring a local specialty. Then it was time for sightseeing and picture-taking.
Xiandge Temple
Across the Pudu Bridge from Tianxiang is Xiangde Temple, a Buddhist temple built up the side of a steep hill.
I would have gladly spent more time exploring Xiangde Temple, but I had to get to Tianxiang in time to catch the bus. Tianxiang was the furthest in Taroko National Park that the bus went. So from here, it was back in the direction I came. And the last stop of the day was the pièce de résistance.
Eternal Spring Shrine
My last sightseeing spot in Taroko National Park was the Eternal Spring Shrine. The shrine was built in the ’50s to memorialize over 200 workers who died constructing the Central Cross-Island Highway. The road through Taroko Gorge and Taroko National Park is a stretch of the Central Cross-Island Highway. It was built to connect Hualien in the east to our new friend from Day 4, Taichung, in the west.
I have to be honest. I’m getting a little emotional as I finish up reliving my day in Taroko National Park. Let’s keep Taiwan’s beauty a secret amongst ourselves, shall we?
[Factual information is primarily gathered from Wikipedia, so you know it must be true.]
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