Tianxiang is a small settlement deep inside the Taroko Gorge on Taiwan's east coast, and it is where the Central Cross-Island Highway stops being a canyon road and turns into a mountain one. Just before you reach it, the road threads the marble gorge of the Liwu river, one of the most remarkable canyon landscapes in Asia, where grey and white cliffs rise hundreds of metres, and tunnels, galleries and a narrow ledge cut by hand carry the traffic. At Tianxiang, the valley widens, and the road splits, one branch continuing up toward the high mountains and the other leading into a side valley.
The highway was built in the late 1950s by thousands of former soldiers and local labourers, working with hand tools and dynamite, and many of them died in the work. A small shrine on the road, the Eternal Spring Shrine, commemorates them, and the story gives the road a weight that goes beyond scenery. At Tianxiang, a small temple and a pagoda overlook the valley, and the village has a few shops and restaurants where you can order noodles, tea and local snacks.
For riders the road is a legend. From Hualien, the route follows the gorge with sweeping bends, tunnels and overhangs, with a surface that is mostly smooth but sometimes damaged by rockfalls. Tour buses crowd the road at peak hours, and cars stop without warning, so keep speed down. Typhoons between July and October bring landslides, and the highway is often closed by damage, so check the road status before setting out. Wear a helmet when walking in the tunnels, since rocks fall from the cliffs.
The walk from Tianxiang to the Baiyang waterfall is a pleasant short trail through a series of tunnels, leading to a cave behind a thundering fall. Fuel is available in Hualien, about twenty-five kilometres east, so fill the tank before entering the gorge. Mornings are generally the best time for visiting, since cloud tends to roll into the valley in the afternoon. In winter, the air turns cool and damp, with mist on the cliffs and the faint smell of wet stone.