Incredible gorge in Hualien!

This not-to-be-missed geological marvel is located in the eastern part of Taiwan, a rugged island that punches far above its weight in terms of mountains and ecological diversity. Wandering through the 19 km-long gorge, one can’t help but stare at the cliffs high above, then gaze down at the boulder-filled Liwu River. Because Taroko Gorge is a treasure chest of marbles, schists and gneissic rocks, the colour scheme includes creamy whites, dark greys, light browns plus soft shades of silver and gold. And then there’s the foliage which thrives in all but the most vertiginous spots, as well as the hemlock, spruce, cypress and pine forests that cover more than four fifths of Taroko National Park. The only road through Taroko Gorge is the Central Cross-Island Highway. Completed in 1960 by demobilised soldiers who’d followed Chiang Kai-shek when he withdrew from the Chinese mainland more than a decade earlier, it’s a spectacular but challenging ribbon of tarmac. Drivers may feel nervous, but for passengers it’s a thrilling succession of eye-popping sights. Glimpses of sheer rock faces and azure streams are followed by intoxicating, as-far-as-the-eyes-can-see mountain vistas.