A hike by Cingshuei Cliffs

I was on my way to Qingshui Cliffs in Taroko National Park, but there was no public transport right to this site. Instead, I caught a train from Hualien to Chongde then had another seven kilometres to hike along coastal Suao-Hualien Highway.

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Xiangde temple

I had half an hour before a bus arrived to take me back to Hualien, and Tianfeng pagoda beckoned on the other side of a bridge. Xiangde temple belonged to the Lin Ji Zong Buddhist sect and was only built in the 1960s because of the construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway. Later, the white Guanyin statue was added.

A trail to a waterfall

I reached Tianxiang within Taroko National Park, and headed out of the tiny village towards the Baiyang Trail. In spite of being in a mountainous region, the trail was flat and only a little over two kilometres one way. The challenge was its eight unlit tunnels, one in particular that was difficult unless you had a flashlight.

Tunnel of Nine Turns

Taroko National Park’s Jiuqudong Trail or Tunnel of Nine Turns was a close up view of the Liwu River and Taroko Gorge. The gorge was formed over 200 million years ago by the earth’s crust rising and the river eroding to form a gorge. Limestone was formed, but from high temperatures and pressure, it metamorphosed into marble.

First stop in Taroko National Park

Just north of Hualien on Taiwan’s east coast was a mountainous region with fast flowing rivers, waterfalls, steep gorges and lush forests.