Have you ever been to Taiwan? Have you ever wondered what the things to do in Taiwan are? Have you ever wondered where the largest marble gorge in the world is? Well, ask no more as all the answers to your will be revealed here. The largest marble gorge in the world is located in Hualien. If you have a day to tour Hualien and would like an adventure, I would recommend Zhuliu Old Trail.

Zhuilu Old Road was part of the old Cross- Hehuan Mountain Road during the Japanese Occupation.  Along the trail, there are many tribal sites and monuments of high historical and cultural values.  As a result, the trail has been designated a “Historic Preservation Area”. In 2008 after maintenance, the trail was reopened to the public.

Zhuilu Old Trail trailhead is located in Taroko Gorge, Hualien.  Zhuliu Cliff has an altitude or length of 800 meters, the length of the world tallest building in Dubai-Burj Khalifa. Zhuliu old trail is located at 550 meters of the 800 meters. The 10 km hike is not for the faint-hearted as you will spend between 6 to 10 hours in total hiking the trail. Going up will require stops to catch your breath and coming down will require breaks to give your knees and thighs a rest.

One of the reasons why the trail is spectacular is because it offers a bird’s eye view of Taroko Gorge and the cross-island highway. It also overlooks the Liwu Canyon, and has a superior vantage point of view of the entire area.

Hiking up and down the cliff is hilarious and exciting as you must have the flexibility to do so. It is a must-try if you are not afraid of height. There are pieces of rock on the road but you must not kick them in order not to hurt somebody beneath.

Plants there is evergreen since Taiwan is situated in the subtropics but no matter the season, the mountain is always green and in summer, you can behold the cloud of the near and distant mountain. Hiking on the mountain means walking into a mountain covered by the cloud which may make you feel in the wonderland. Some even portray the experience as similar to walking in the cloud.

Sections of the trail that follow the Zhuilu Precipice are extremely narrow and very challenging to hike with Liwu River 500 meters below. Though Fences and chains are installed to ensure the safety of the tourists, tourists must also do their part by observing and following laid down rules and regulation.

Taiwanese tour guide and permits are required to access the Zhiliu old trail as stipulated by the National Park. One of the permits is the Taroko National Park permit for entry and the other is the local police permit. All these are done to ensure the safety of the visitors.

You must also note that the number of visitors is limited so as not to overcrowd the facility and the monuments.

For environmental reasons, the number of hikers is limited to 60 per day regulated via an “Ecological Protection Area Entry Permit.” while the number is increased to 156 on weekends.

Miguel Gongora