Taroko National Park (Chinese: 太魯閣 國家公園; pinyin: Tàilǔgé Gúojiā Gōngyuán; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Thài-ló͘-koh Kok-ka Kong-hn̂g) is one of nine national parks in Taiwan. It is named after the Taroko Gorge, a major feature of the park formed by the Liwu River. The park covers parts of Taichung Municipality, Nantou County, and Hualien County. It is located in Xiulin Township. The Taroko Gorge is one of only three river-carved gorges in the world that are entirely made of pure marble. It is joined by Bhedaghat Gorge in Jabalpur, India, and Trigrad Gorge in Bulgaria.

History

This national park was first created as the Tsugitaka-Taroko National Park (Japanese: 次高タロコ國立公園, Hepburn: Tsugitaka Taroko kokuritsu kōen) by the Governor-General of Taiwan on December 12, 1937, when Taiwan was part of the Empire of Japan. After Japan lost World War II, the Republic of China took control of Taiwan. The ROC government ended the park’s status on August 15, 1945. The park was reestablished on November 28, 1986. In 2002, it was recognized as a potential World Heritage Site. Taroko National Park covers 92,000 hectares (360 square miles). It is located in Hualien County, Taichung City, and Nantou County. The park contains unique geological and natural features, such as 27 peaks over 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) in the Qilai and Nanhu mountain ranges. It includes the marble gorge of Taroko, the Qingshui Cliff, the Shakadang River trail, and the Baiyang trail waterfalls.

The Central Cross-Island Highway (Provincial Highway 8) runs through areas with Asian tropical deciduous forests and high mountain pine and cedar forests.

On November 28, 2021, Google honored the park on its homepage with a doodle to mark its 35th anniversary.

In 2024, a magnitude 7 earthquake hit Taiwan’s eastern coast, causing widespread damage and many lives lost. Landslides blocked Provincial Highway No. 8 near Taroko Gorge, trapping hundreds of people. The earthquake and later floods in 2024 left scars on the landscape of Taroko Gorge, mainly from landslides. Due to the earthquake and floods, much of the park remains closed as of 2025.

Origin of the name

The name "Taroko" (太魯閣) comes from the Truku tribe, a native group officially recognized by the Taiwanese government in 2004. The Truku people originally lived near the upper part of the Zhuoshui River (濁水溪). Later, they moved eastward toward Hualien County, traveling through Mt. Qilai (called "Klbiyun" in the Truku language), and settled near the Liwu River. Today, the Truku tribe still lives in Hualien County, including in the area of the National Park.

Geology

Taiwan was formed when the Philippine and Eurasian tectonic plates collided in an event called the Penglai Orogeny. This happened about four million years ago and created the Central Mountain Range, which stretches north to south across much of Taiwan. Tectonic plates are still moving today, and the area continues to rise slightly each year.

Marble formations became visible after millions of years of erosion and uplift. Calcium Carbonate deposits formed around 230 million years ago. Over time, pressure and natural elements turned these deposits into limestone, which later changed into marble. As Taiwan rose due to the pressure from colliding plates, weathering and water erosion shaped the deep valleys seen today.

The Liwu River eroded the land as it flowed against rising terrain, and heavy tropical rains sped up the changes. Marble, though strong and resistant to erosion, was gradually worn away, creating steep and narrow canyons.

The canyon was carved by the erosive power of the Liwu River.

• Tunnel of Nine Turns (九曲洞 Jiuqudong) (Opened in November 2017)
• Eternal Spring Shrine
• Yenzikou, Swallow Grotto Trail (燕子口)
• Jinheng Park (靳珩公園)
• Cimu Bridge, Motherly Devotion Bridge (慈母橋)
• Tianxiang [zh]
• Zhuilu Cliff (錐麓斷崖)
• Liufang Bridge (流芳橋)
• Dayuling (大禹嶺)
• Buluowan (布洛灣)
• Qingshui Cliffs (清水斷崖)
• Shakadang Trail
• Changuang Temple (禪光寺)
• Baiyang Trail (白楊步道)

Transportation

Taroko National Park is usually reached from Hualien City, where different tours, buses, and transportation choices are available near the Hualien Train Station. The train station closest to the park is Xincheng Station on the Taiwan Railway, located about 7 kilometers from the park's main headquarters. Because Xincheng Station is some distance from the park, visitors often use the many tour buses and taxis available to get closer to the park.

Gallery

• Xiangde Temple in Tianxiang
• Bicycling uphill
• Bicyclists ride on narrow roads with cars
• Rockfall Prevention Tunnel (Bright Tunnel)
• Views of the gorge
• Taroko Gorge at the Swallow Grotto Trail
• Eternal Spring Shrine, located in Taroko National Park, Hualien on the east coast
• Shakadang River
• Liwu River
• Zhuilu Suspension Bridge with a road bridge behind it
• Shakadang Bridge of 100 Lions
• Taroko National Park viewed from a moped in 2011
• Changchun Bridge
• Zhuilu Suspension Bridge (East of Zhuilu Old Road)
• Bell Tower at Eternal Spring Shrine Trail
• Taroko Music Festival
• Changuang Temple
• Taroko Gorge viewed from Zhuilu Old Road
• Zhuilu Tunnel viewed from Zhuilu Old Road
• Taroko Archway