Taiwan · Taroko Gorge and East Coast
A 131 km loop from Taroko Gorge
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Why this ride
Marble canyon, high road and weather risk. It goes by way of Tianxiang and Qixingtan beach. Hehuanshan high road is the high point. It tops out at about 3,300 m. It is a high-mountain day.
Roadbook
- Taroko Gorge gate
start
Taroko Gorge is the great cleft in Taiwan's eastern flank, where the Liwu river has cut through a mass of marble and schist for several million years, and where the mountains rise almost vertically from the Pacific coast to over three thousand metres. The gate at the mouth lies some twenty kilometres north of Hualien, and from there the road follows the river into a gorge so narrow in places that the walls seem to lean together overhead. The marble is grey, white and streaked, the water is a vivid turquoise, and the sound of the river echoes off the rock.
The road itself is a feat of engineering. The Central Cross-Island Highway, built between 1956 and 1960, was dug by thousands of workers, many of them veterans of the civil war who had come to Taiwan with the army, and many of them died in the construction. A shrine at the entrance to the gorge, the Eternal Spring Shrine, remembers them, built on a hill over a waterfall. The road passes through tunnels cut in the rock, around the Tunnel of Nine Turns, a cliff path carved at the water's edge, and past the Swallow Grotto, where the birds nest on the cliffs. Further up, the road continues to high mountain passes at over three thousand metres, with cloud forest, cold winds and in winter the chance of snow.
The park is subject to rockfalls, landslides and earthquakes, and the road is closed from time to time. A strong earthquake struck Hualien in April 2024 and damaged parts of the gorge and its roads, and some sections were closed for repairs for a long time, so it is essential to check the current status before travelling. Typhoons between July and October can also close the route, and rain can bring sudden falls of rock. Helmets are not just a legal requirement here, and some operators insist on hard hats for walking trails.
The traffic in the gorge includes tour buses on a narrow road, so go early and ride with care. Hualien City, about twenty-one kilometres away, has fuel, food and every service, and the stations get fewer as you climb. The night market in Hualien serves excellent local snacks, including mochi and wild boar sausage, and is a pleasant way to end a day.
- Tianxiang
food
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.
- Hehuanshan high road
pass · 3275 m
Wuling, the pass just beyond the Hehuanshan high road, is the highest paved road crossing in East Asia, at 3,275 metres, and the ride there from the lowlands is a journey through half the climates of the world. In Puli the air is warm and smells of fruit and betel nut, and by the time you reach the pass you are in a landscape of alpine meadow, bamboo grass and wind-sculpted fir, with temperatures that can hover near freezing even in summer. The road is Provincial Highway 14A, a spur off the main east-west highway, and it climbs from the valley of Puli in a long succession of curves for more than eighty kilometres.
The surface is generally good, the bends are long and open, and in places the road clings to the edge of the mountain with sheer drops on one side. Cloud can come down suddenly, and a clear morning may turn into a rainy afternoon. Winter brings snow and ice to the highest sections, and the road is sometimes closed, so check conditions before setting out. Typhoons and landslides can also cut the road, and repairs are common. Wear layers and bring rain gear, as the temperature at the top can be some twenty degrees colder than at Puli.
Hehuanshan itself is a cluster of peaks, the highest at more than 3,400 metres, covered in bamboo grass that turns gold in autumn, with views across a sea of cloud to the central mountain ridge. Taiwan is a young, quickly rising island, with some of the steepest relief in the world, and it shows here. The road you are on is part of the Central Cross-Island Highway system, which was built in the 1950s by thousands of retired soldiers working with hand tools, and many lost their lives in the process. Beyond Wuling the road descends east toward the Taroko Gorge and the coast.
Fuel is available in Puli and in the villages on the western side, but there is little at the top, so fill the tank beforehand. A small shop near the summit sells hot drinks and snacks. Thin air at this altitude can cause headaches and dizziness, and engines run a little rough, so go steadily. The best seasons are autumn and spring, when the weather is clear and the temperature bearable. At dawn the light on the peaks is among the most beautiful you will see.
- Qixingtan beach
stop
Taiwan's east coast does not have sand beaches in the postcard sense. Qixingtan, whose name means Seven Star Lake, is a long curve of grey pebbles on the Pacific side of Hualien, where the water goes from shallow to deep in a few steps and the waves arrive with real weight. Swimming is discouraged because of the undertow, and signs make that clear, but sitting on the stones with a drink while the sea rolls in is a very good way to end a ride. Behind you the Central Range rises almost straight from the coast, with cloud caught in the ridges, and on a clear morning the sun comes up out of the ocean in front of you.
The coast road here, Provincial Highway 11, runs south from Hualien through fishing villages, rice paddies, rocky headlands and long, easy bends with the ocean on one side. The surface is generally well kept, traffic is moderate, and there are plenty of viewpoints and small cafes. Scooters are everywhere, and Taiwanese drivers tend to overtake in ways that require attention, so keep your speed relaxed and watch the mirrors. It is a ride for taking slowly, with the smell of salt and wet stone in the air.
This is also the doorstep of Taroko Gorge, where the Liwu river has cut a deep marble canyon into the mountains to the north-west. The cliff road along the gorge is dramatic, but it has been closed repeatedly after earthquakes and rockfall, including after the strong earthquake of April 2024, so always check road and permit status before riding up. The area around Hualien is one of the most seismically active in Taiwan, and the local people take it calmly.
Hualien City has more than 350,000 people, so fuel, bike shops and hotels are easy, and the night market is the place to try local dishes such as wonton soup and sticky rice with peanuts. The best months for riding are October to May, with cooler weather and fewer crowds, while typhoons can hit between July and October and shut roads for days.
- Back to Taroko Gorge
finish
Back at Taroko Gorge. That is the ride.